Château Croix de Labrie 2025

Ripe blackcurrants and sticky liquorice aromas, smells heady and intense yet floral too with violets and peony scents. Smooth and silky, this is sleek and controlled with lovely purity to the summer berry fruit - strawberry and cranberry - with powdery, chalky tannins that give this body and structure. Classy and polished, there’s something really captivating about this wine. Great energy and intensity while keeping lifted. Hands-off in the best way but still with undeniable power. Juicy and long with undeniable limestone aspects. Totally different blend compared to 2022 and 2023. Started harvest on 14th September on the plateau, 15-16th on the slopes, Cabernet Sauvignon on the 20th and Cabernet Franc on the 21st. 3.40pH. Two years ageing: 70% barrel (70% new oak, 30% one-year-old), 30% demi-muids and 12hl foudres. 100-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon added to the blend.

Dark in color, the perfume exudes espresso, chocolate, licorice, flowers, plums, and cherries. The palate is even better with its layers of lusciously textured red, with black fruits, creamy textures, and a vibrant, long, mineral-driven finish. The wine is produced and bottled with extremely low levels of sulfur to retain the purity of the fruit. You can enjoy this young, or age it for more complexity. The wine blends 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2029-2050. 95-97 Pts

The wine shows an immense purity, intensity, and brightness, very fruit-dominated with little oak in the background (60 % new oak, the rest is oak from one élévage, demi-muids, and foudres). Layer upon layer of inky dark fruit, high ripeness, but a well-preserved freshness, and a clear notion of chalkiness. The palate is immensely concentrated yet without any sense of heaviness, modest alcohol of 13,5 %, modest extraction with very refined and powdery tannins, fresh and salivating with digest black fruit, a chalky presence, slight saltiness and savoury notes on the finish which is tremendously long. It already feels complete and certainly has the potential of becoming a “perfect” wine.

Exceptionally impressive intensity, purity, velvety tannins that cradle fully ripe berry fruit, with clear sea spray salinity that is particularly marked in this vintage. 3.4 pH. Harvest September 15 to 20. 70% aged in barrel (with 70% new oak), plus the rest in large neutral oak casks. No added SO2. 25hl/h, 5.16ha estate. 7,500 vines per hectare.

Depth and freshness are the first two descriptors that come to mind as I inhale the bouquet of Croix de Labrie. Floral nuances are lifted by notes of peony and violet, followed by a chalky touch, while ripe black-berry notes underscore the wine’s mature, fruity side. The smooth, slightly saline character of the attack paves the way for a linear, refined and precise wine. It has compact tannins with real texture, shaped by the incisive character of a vibrant acidity. The latter energizes the expression and the length of the finish. A truly great wine, distinguished by its ability to marry the incisive nature of its structure with tannic power. I think it will gain even more brilliance after its élevage. It is built to age, with the challenge of not being drunk before it reaches its apogee… In any case, it’s pleasure pre-programmed!

Inky-black color. An intense, refined, fruity nose—pure and complex. Hints of blackberry as the glass is swirled. Broad on the attack and full in the mid-palate, with a rich, velvety texture and, above all, tremendous flavor, this powerful wine moves forward slowly, remaining delicious throughout. It always finishes smoothly, carried by the noblest tannic framework ever seen in this wine. Complex persistence. It’s magnificent. For the record, this is one of the vintages richest in Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Blend: 82% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol: 13.5% - pH: 3.4. Production: 16,500 bottles. This score propels this cru to first place among estates located to the east of Saint-Emilion, in areas that are traditionally the coolest. Never has a cru from this neighborhood (Saint-Christophe des Bardes) given me such noble sensations. It stands up to the most famous crus in the village of Saint-Emilion. I can’t wait to taste it again at the end of aging and in bottle. These new expressions that can enrich the tasting landscape are exciting and rare.

Deep dark and profound on the nose, cool and mineral-driven, ripe blackberries, violet, black tea, dark chocolate. Juicy on the palate, very well structured and focused, with a marked acidity and top-class tannins that harmonize with the rich fruit. Incredibly crisp, with impressive length and a very saline, red-fruited finish, ending on licorice and sour cherries.