2021 Château Les Cruzelles En Primeur
Released yesterday afternoon, 2021 Les Cruzelles, La Chenade, Montlandrie and Saintayme from the Durantou family are right up amongst the best value wines we know of from Bordeaux. This is the first year we have visited since Denis Durantou passed away in 2020 and we were delighted to see that his daughters Alix, Noemie and Constance, along with oenologist Oliver Gautrat, continue to run this as a family business.
We tasted with Constance Durantou, who has recently returned to the domaine after working in the diplomatic service in London. With hilarious wit and a command of English which extends to a 'Sarf London' accent (for comic effect), she also exuded an intense focus and impressive attention to detail when it came to the wines. Constance's sister Noémie is the winemaker, working with Gautrat, who worked with Denis Durantou for two decades.
The style of all four wines in 2021 is less about power and offers more perfumed aroma and mineral, saline energy than recent vintages, which is no bad thing. Once again, we suggest going 'deep' on all four estates, we doubt you will be anything other than delighted as you enjoy the wines over the coming decade.
Landing in spring 2024.
Limited availability. To order, e-mail us at sales@richardkihl.ltd.uk
Producer Profile
Château Les Cruzelles, Lalande de Pomerol
Château Les Cruzelles is an estate in Lalande de Pomerol which was bought in 2000 by the late Denis Durantou, owner of L'Eglise Clinet in Pomerol. He bought the 10.5-hectare vineyard having noticed the similarity with the terroir at L'Eglise Clinet, which is only 1km away.
Durantou passed away in 2020 and the wines are now made by his daughters. La Chenade also comes from the same estate and is effectively its second wine. The fruit for Les Cruzelles is grown on soils with a higher clay content than La Chenade, with slightly more Merlot in the blend, giving darker, more intense wines.
| RED | 2021 | 1 case | Château Les Cruzelles | 75cl | £210 per case of 12 | Château Les Cruzelles 2021 / 1 case / 75cl £210 per case of 12 |
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Tasting Notes"65% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Outstanding for the year. Lovely, floral notes on the nose and density on the palate. A velvety texture to the plentiful tannins. Full and long from beginning to end. Doesn’t miss a beat. 13.5% Drink 2026 – 2036 16.5+ points" jancisrobinson.com (JL)------"The 2021 Les Cruzelles is showing considerable promise, wafting from the glass with aromas of plums, sweet spices, wild berries and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, layered and impressively deep and concentrated, with lively acids and a saline finish, it's a terrific effort and as usual a benchmark for what is possible in Lalande-de-Pomerol. The 2021 is a blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc. 89-91 points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com------"Gunsmoke reduction, clears quickly, and this is a successful interpretation of the vintage, with cooling and precise savoury blue fruits, and a whisp of violet aromatics. Fine tannins, well balanced, working with an unsual blend because higher levels of Cabernet Franc than normal. 45hl/h yields from early-ripening terroir. Look out for it. Harvest September 23 to 30. 91 points" janeanson.com------"This vintage, Noemie Durantou decided that one lot of Cabernet Franc was so good that she took it out of La Chenade and blended it into the 2021 Les Cruzelles. It has a lovely nose with blackberry, redcurrant, undergrowth and hints of bell pepper, that Cabernet lending more complexity. The palate is very well balanced with good depth and freshness, spicier than usual with a persistent finish. This would be my pick for Durantou if their Pomerol wines are out of reach. 90-92 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"The 2021 Les Cruzelles is gorgeous. A high amount of Cabernet Franc in the blend lends notable aromatic presence and complexity. All the elements are so well balanced Naturally, the 2021 doesn't have the body of some recent years, but this style is so appealing. Rose petal, sage, mint, sweet spice and crushed raspberry fruit all grace this wonderfully nuanced wine. The 2021 is a bit shy. All it needs is time to emerge. 91-93 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com |
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