Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is one of the best young Lalande de Pomerols I have had. It is very deep and complex on the palate, with pure fruit, spice and chocolate. Lovely tannins, too. 80% merlot and 20% cabernet sauvignon.
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Decanter
A Lalande-de-Pomerol that offers not only pleasure but sophistication, as this wine delivers not only ripe fresh red and black fruit but also beguiling wet stone minerality - in spades - along with minty lift from the Cabernet Franc in the blend. component. I also admire the juicy mid palate (a fleshy wine) and a long finish marked by damson and seashell freshness. The ageing in 55% new oak will only broaden the palate. I am a buyer - and you should be, too.
Barrel Sample: 94 -
Jeb Dunnuck
Smoky black fruits, spring flowers, violets, graphite, and chocolaty oak all emerge from the 2023 Château Les Cruzelles, a deeper ruby-hued, slightly more serious and age-worthy effort based on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc that was aged in 55% new French oak. It would do just fine in a lineup of impressive Pomerol! Medium to full-bodied, it has nicely integrated oak, a balanced, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Les Cruzelles initially presents a slightly oaky aroma, which transitions to a more floral essence upon aeration. Then it evokes aromas of dark wild berries, spices and mulberries. Medium-bodied, round and charming, it has velvety tannins and a dense, elegant mid-palate, with a long, rich and fruity finish. It's a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc matured in 55% new oak.
Barrel Sample: 90-92
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
On the northern border of the acclaimed Pomerol region, Lalande de Pomerol is an incredible source of impressive Merlot-based wines, but at a fraction of the price compared to its southern neighbor. The region has the potential to offer the same concentration of the finest in Pomerol, but typically not without a touch of appealing rusticity.