Gorgeous boysenberry and blackberry aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied yet very tight and poised, with firm and racy tannins and a fresh finish. Orange peel and pure ripe fruit. Just right. 94% merlot and 6% cabernet franc. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2020 La Croix du Casse is ripe and generous on the nose, presenting a mixture of blackberry and blueberry fruit, quite high-toned and floral. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and a fine bead of acidity, well balanced and displaying more mineralité on the finish than I have noticed in recent vintages. Classic in style, this should drink well for 15–20 years.Vinous Media | 89-91 VMRipe and super perfumed, you can smell the warmth of the vintage on the nose, dark plum, fig, pomegranate, some molasses, baked patisserie but soft flecks of florality too. Plump, ripe and round, tannins are chewy and chunky, mouth coating and nicely weighted but the fruit flavours are a bit strict and severe - a touch astringent and dry on the mid-palate, the salinity and minerality coming through strongly with pencil lead and liquorice shutting down some of the fruit and the oak restricting the palate somewhat. It’s all very overt at the moment but the tannins are good and this well settle. Power over poise, muscular, confident and bold. Ageing 16 months in barrels, 55% new oak.Decanter | 90 DEC
