M. Chapoutier : Croix de Bois 2021

Another star of the vintage, Chapoutier's 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Croix de Bois features attractive scents of crushed stone, dried herbs, fresh cherries and red raspberries. It's medium to full-bodied, with a silky mouthfeel and nicely concentrated fruit. It comes across as elegant and long, not overly extracted or tannic.

A chewy, rich, savory red, with smoked sausage, wet soil and hoisin sauce merging with red fruit on a supple, well-proportioned frame. Not about power or ripe fruit but savory complexity and nuance. Mesquite smoke plays out on the long finish. Drink now through 2038. 10 cases imported.

A very structured and concentrated Chateauneuf for the 2021 vintage, with complex red-fruit aromas and a leafy freshness. In fact, it is almost minty. The fine tannins are quite serious, but the wine moves rather light-footedly over the palate in spite of this. Very long, deep finish that tends in a fascinatingly dark direction. From a slope at the extreme east of Chateauneuf with a very water-retentive soil that makes dry farming no problem. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.

The 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Croix de Bois is delightful. Ripe strawberry and rosewater mingle with spicy licorice and peppery accents. Round and elegant, the medium- to full-bodied 2021 shines with finesse and delicacy, ending with a refreshing slice of grapefruit on the refined close.

Slightly deeper hued, the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Croix De Bois sees a touch more stems (25%) and is brought up in concrete as well. It has a more floral, vibrant style compared to the Barbe Rac, with Bing cherries, forest floor, violets, and peppery herbs, as well as a Grand Cru Burgundy-like sense of elegance and refinement on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and balanced, with fine tannins and a gorgeous finish, it ranks with the gems in the vintage.