2022 Château Les Cruzelles En Primeur
Released this morning, there is so much to say about the Durantou wines, Montlandrie, Saintayme, Les Cruzelles and La Chenade, but the critics' outstanding notes and reviews speak for them. Any doubts about Denis Durantou's legacy are dispelled and it is clear that Noémie Durantou is a talented and brilliant winemaker, putting her own stamp on her family's petits châteaux.
We tasted the new vintage with Noémie and her sister Constance, who both have an understated intensity about them, echoed in the wines.
Just one kilometre away from the Durantou's flagship Pomerol micro-château L'Eglise Clinet, their Lalande-de-Pomerol estate Les Cruzelles (£238 per dozen) has produced a 2022 which is taut and almost austere, with dark, intense fruit. With some time in bottle, this will be a serious and potentially best-ever Cruzelles. Neal Martin agrees, scoring it 92-94 points.
Offered en primeur, landing spring 2025.
Magnums available with £15 ex-VAT bottling surcharge, please enquire re other formats.
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 | 2022 | Château Les Cruzelles | 75cl | £238 per case of 12 | Château Les Cruzelles 2022 / / 75cl £238 per case of 12 |
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Tasting Notes"More clay in the soils here and there is a lovely balance, fleshy in texture and high impact, but with a ton of interest, dark deep chocolate, gunsmoke, aniseed, fennel, black cherry, lovely fresh acidities. Harvest September 1 to 12, 28hl/h, 50% new oak, Noemie Durantou winemaker. 93 points" janeanson.com------"The 2022 Les Cruzelles is a wine of notable breadth and texture. Older vines and clay-rich soils yield a Lalande de Pomerol that offers notable resonance. Dark-toned fruit, leather, tobacco, incense, licorice and lavender infuse the 2022 with considerable nuance to match its virile, rather somber feel. Drinking Window: 2025-2037. 92-94 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"Another gorgeous Lalande de Pomerol, the 2022 Château Les Cruzelles is deep ruby/purple and boasts a great nose of ripe darker cherries, cassis, graphite, and flowers. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, it's medium-bodied, stays lively and elegant, and has silky tannins as well as a great finish. It's going to be a hidden gem in the vintage that readers will love to have in the cellar. 92-94 points" Jebdunnuck.com------"The 2022 Les Cruzelles was picked between 1 and 12 September and matured in 50% new oak. This has plenty of fruité on the nose: small red cherries, redcurrant and wild strawberry fruit, a touch of cedar in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with wonderfu definition and mineralité, dark fruit, hints of black tea and spices, really harmonious and sappy on the finish. Possibly the best Les Cruzelles that I have tasted at this stage and sure to be an unbeatable value-for-money. Drinking Window: 2028 - 2050. 92-94 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"A solid red with blackberry, chocolate, walnut and hazelnut. Medium to full body. Smily face here, thanks to the ripe seeds. 93-94 points" jamessuckling.com |
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