M. Chapoutier : Croix de Bois 2025

Characteristics and tasting advice for "Croix de Bois" 2025 by M. Chapoutier

Tasting

Appearance

Beautiful deep ruby color with great intensity.

Nose

Immediately very floral, with notes of rose petal and delicately peppery peony, the nose gradually reveals nuances of candied orange zest, adding depth and indulgence.

Palate

A velvety attack leads to a silky, harmonious palate supported by well-integrated, enveloping tannins. The mid-palate reveals a slightly toasty, empyreumatic touch. The long, floral, and complex finish combines rose, peony, bitter orange, and raspberry coulis.

A silky and complex red wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape

The estate

Founded in 1808 and based in Tain-l'Hermitage, France, the Maison M. Chapoutier is a historic figure of the Rhône Valley. A pioneer, the estate distinguished itself by converting to biodynamic viticulture as early as 1991 under the leadership of Michel Chapoutier. Today, he continues to run the family estate, supported by the new generation, Mathilde and Maxime Chapoutier. Guided by its motto "Fac et spera," the house is dedicated to revealing the truth of each terroir through rigorous single-parcel selections, now extending its influence across four continents while preserving its roots.

The vineyard

This cuvée comes from the lieu-dit "Croix de Bois," a specific terroir located within the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. This unique environment features sandy red clay soils covered with large rounded quartzite pebbles. The vines, aged between 45 and 80 years depending on the micro-parcels, draw their full complexity from this site to offer a faithful expression of this southern climate.

The vintage

The vintage began with a rather mild and very rainy winter, building up good water reserves, followed by a prolonged cold period that delayed budburst and reduced the risk of frost. Spring, alternating between rain and sunshine, led to strong vegetative growth and increased vine pressure, with early flowering but few grape clusters. The summer was marked by two heatwaves and a hail episode in Crozes-Hermitage, causing some losses. Harvesting, which began early in mid-August, was spread out thanks to late-August rains that refined ripeness levels.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for "Croix de Bois" are hand-harvested at optimal ripeness. After destemming, fermentation takes place exclusively in concrete tanks, with a maceration of about three weeks aimed at polymerizing the tannins. Only free-run juice is retained for this cuvée. Aging then continues in concrete tanks for 14 to 16 months, without any contact with wood, in order to preserve the pure expression of the terroir.

Grape variety

"Croix de Bois" 2025 by M. Chapoutier is made from 100% Grenache.