2006 La Croix du Casse

Tasted at the château, the 2006 La Croix du Casse was a wine that I described as a "dark horse" when I last tasted it in 2010. Six years later it retains an attractive bouquet with cola-tinged red berry fruit, a touch of truffle in the background. The palate is well balanced with fine tannin, plenty of ferrous red berry fruit with crisp acidity, tangy orange peel and bay leaf/dried herbs notes furnishing the finish, which has become a little drier in recent years, but is still pleasurable. Enjoy this Pomerol over the next 6-8 years. Tasted May 2016.

70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, which are hand harvested from vines with an average age of 45 years on the southern part of the Pomerol plateau. A meticulous selection is made before the grapes are gently pressed and fermented in steel tanks for 2 weeks, followed by a maceration period of 3 weeks. Aged in French oak barrels for 24 months. No filtration or fining takes place before bottling. New and exclusive, available 1 June, 55 stores, natural cork. Earth, black cherry, high acid – palate doesn't quite (yet?) deliver the fragrant breadth of the nose. Still pretty good for the price. (RH)