The wine

Château La Croizille

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

A resolutely modern wine

The low yield of the oldest vines in the vineyard, followed by drastic selection throughout the year, guarantee a wine like no other Saint-Émilion. The very unusual blend at Château la Croizille consists of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. The blend may vary from one vintage to the next, with up to 50% Cabernet Sauvignon in the 2010 and 2012 vintages.

Vinification and Ageing

The grapes are manually sorted twice, followed by mechanical and optical sorting. They are then cooled before transfer to temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats via gravity flow. The wine is fermented in small vats for closer monitoring of individual grape varieties and vineyard plots.

The wine stays on the skins for 3 to 5 weeks: cold pre-fermentation maceration, followed by alcoholic fermentation and maceration with regular pumping over.

It is then aged for 18 to 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels from 10 different cooperages.

Tasting Note

This remarkable wine is an inky colour, and has an attractive black fruit nose with toasty overtones. Rich, complex and delicious, it offers an impressive balance between great substance, smooth, elegant tannin, and intense, attractive flavours.

AWARDS AND MEDALS

2018

JAMES PETER MOSER, FALSTAFF

93

Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Zart rauchig unterlegtes frisches Waldbeerkonfit, rote Herzkirschen, feine Edelholzwürze. Saftig, rote Herzkirschen, dezente Extraktsüße, reife, tragende Tannine, kalkig-mineralisch im Abgang, zeigt gute Länge, verfügt über Entwicklungspotenzial.

JAMES SUCKLING

92/93 pts

Very pretty depth and intensity to this medium-to full-bodied red. Soft and silky tannins. Flavorful finish. Another complete and pretty 2018. (en Primeurs)

BERNARD BURTSCHY, LE FIGARO

90-91

Le vin est élaboré avec 70% merlot et 30% cabernet-sauvignon pour ce vin très noir avec de jolis arômes élégants. Le vin est ferme et élégant, doté d'une belle trame tannique avec de la pureté. Il lui faudra un peu de temps pour absorber son cabernet-sauvignon. (en Primeurs)

terre de vin

90

Déjà ouvert et généreux, ce vin profond et voluptueux s'exprime sur un fruit mûr, encadré dans les tanins d'un bois neuf soigneusement intégré, pour un style opulent pour une expression riche du millésime 2018. (en Primeurs)

2017

JAMES SUCKLING

93 pts

This has a bold, upbeat feel with plenty of rich, toasty oak, played into fresh red and dark plums. The palate texture is quite smooth and the balance is good here, too. Drink or hold.

2016

James Suckling

93 pts

Tight and focused, polished tannins and a flavorful finish. (en Primeurs)

2015

Coupe des Crus de Saint-Emilion 2018

Coup de Cœur

2015

Yves Beck

92-93

Pourpre violacé. Notes de lard fumé. Myrtille, menthe. Thé noir. Attaque suave révélant du fruit et des notes de craie. Finale fruitée. Le vin a du gras et du jus. Les tannins sont granuleux et en symbiose avec la structure acide. Je relève un peu d'amertume en fin de bouche, mais le fruit parvient à prendre le dessus. Finale fruitée, de bonne intensité. 2022-2037 (avril 2016)

Bernard Burtschy, Le Figaro

16/20

La robe de La Croizille est noire avec un nez intense, réglisse et boisé. Le vin est ample, droit, bien constitué avec une belle rondeur qui masque sa structure tannique. 3-12 ans. (en Primeurs)

2005

Decanter.com

5 stars/5 Outstanding

Rich, charred oak. Pleasing notes of fruitcake and dried fruit, good Saint-Emilion typicity. Very direct on palate, great purity of fruit. Lovely freshness, grainy tannins. Lasts forever, an exceptional wine. Drink 2013-23.

The winery THE WINEMAKER SPEAKS

"Oak should be the wine's best friend – it should show off its best qualities, rather than overpowering it"

We go one step further in our barrel ageing techniques, making every effort to achieve the perfect balance between fruit and oak.

We work with around ten coopers and each grape variety is divided equally among 5 to 7 different barrels for ageing. We aim to work in close partnership with all of our coopers. While a certain barrel may be perfectly suited to Merlot wines grown on sandy soils, it may be less appropriate for Château La Croizille wines, grown primarily on clay-limestone soils. Likewise, while another barrel might be ideal for wines from warm, sunny vintages, it may be less appropriate for those produced in wet years. We therefore decided to compile a database of vintages, coopers, toasting levels, grape varieties and terroirs. We place our orders as early as July, when we have a good indication of the upcoming vintage, but the toast is only decided once the grapes are in vat.

Once the wines have finished ageing, a tasting panel fine-tunes the blend according to the wine's particular characteristics. Château La Croizille wines are aged in 100% new oak barrels to fully express their personality.

While this ageing technique is expensive and complicated, it enhances our wines, making the most of their inherent qualities. With an impressive range of potential combinations, deciding on the final blend is not a straightforward process for winemakers. The aim is not simply to make a wine, but also to preserve its natural character, unlike Champagne houses that produce the same blends each year. Our main mission is to ensure that the end product expresses both terroir and vintage.

TECHNICAL SHEET