2016 Château Les Cruzelles

The 2016 Les Cruzelles has quite a high-toned bouquet compared to the La Chenade, featuring black cherries, lavender, balsamic and light cedar aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and a fine bead of acidity. Compared to previous showings, I found this a little angular in style, although with age, it will coalesce. Give this two or three years in bottle. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. - Neal Martin (2020)

Decadent and rich aromas of dark berries and chocolate with some meat, following through to a medium to full body, round and juicy tannins and a fine, flavorful finish. Drink now. (2019)

From more clay soils, the 2016 Château Cruzelles is a darker, more structured effort and offers plenty of blackcurrant fruit, notes of smoked earth, gravelly minerality, and underbrush, medium to full body, and a balanced, beautifully layered style. The 2016 vintage is loaded with high-quality wines that represent terrific values and this is one of them. Drink it over the coming 10-15 years. (2019)

Friendly, with soft-edged plum and black cherry fruit gliding through easily, infused liberally with black tea and vanilla notes. Drink now through 2024. 2,200 cases made.- J.M. (2019)

The medium garnet-purple colored 2016 Les Cruzelles gives up notes of raspberry preserves and chocolate-covered cherries with touches of unsmoked cigars and tilled soil. Medium-bodied and softly textured, the palate delivers loads of red and black fruits with a velvety texture and lively finish.- Lisa Perrotti-Brown (2018)