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DECANTER: "Darkly fruited and scented on the nose, with violets, blackcurrants, rose petals and strawberries - deep and concentrated. Expressive and smooth but also with tension on the palate - with a vein of fruit-forward blackcurrants and black cherries laced in a perfumed, creamy, chalky, pencil lead element that’s so appealing. It’s classic in the sense that it’s in such high definition - there’s no hiding here and it's all the better for it. A beautiful expression, graceful and elegant but still with concentration. A lovely wine. Aged in 50% new oak. 21,000 bottles produced."
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JAMES SUCKLING: "Very pretty blend of 65% merlot and 35% cabernet franc with a medium body, fine tannins and a fresh finish. Shows brightness and refinement."
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JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2021 Château Les Cruzelles comes from a single parcel and is 65% Merlot and 35% Merlot. The parcel is more gravelly clay soils, and the high Cabernet Franc component in the wine gives it a style all its own. Sporting a deep purple hue as well as beautiful cassis fruits and notes of chalky mineral, graphite, and violets, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness and has good acidity, fine tannins, and outstanding length. It's another beautiful wine I'd happily drink any time over the coming 10-12 years. The élevage here is 50% new barrels, and it's not showing a hint of oak."
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THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Medium-bodied, fresh, sweet, ripe, vibrant plums with a dash of chocolate mint on the nose and on the bright, crisp, soft-textured, chalky palate. The wine is a blend of 65% Merlot with 35% Cabernet Franc. The high portion of Cab Franc really works with the 2021 vintage. 13.5% ABV. Picking took place September 23-September 30. Drink from 2024-2037."
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THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2021 Les Cruzelles is showing considerable promise, wafting from the glass with aromas of plums, sweet spices, wild berries and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, layered and impressively deep and concentrated, with lively acids and a saline finish, it's a terrific effort and as usual a benchmark for what is possible in Lalande-de-Pomerol. The 2021 is a blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc."
