Château Croix de Labrie - St. Émilion Grand Cru 2018

The first wine, Château Croix de Labrie, dominated by Merlot, and then Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc produces around 800 to 1000 cs. The second wine, Chapelle de Labrie, produces between 300 cs and 500 cs depending on the vintage.

Château Croix de Labrie, Classified Grand Cru, is among the Best Bordeaux wines. It is considered today as one of the rarest and greatest wines of Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion. 

Rare and unique, the wines of Château Croix de Labrie are rich, dense, very fruity, with perfect ripeness of the grapes. With a deep, elegant color with a lot of finesse, the wines, in their youth, express freshness, power and balance. They also have an aging capacity of more than 15 years.

The fruit is picked by hand and carried in wooden crates. Pickers go down each row several times. The fruit is manipulated using gravity only and is vinified in small tanks. Temperatures are fully controlled. After de-stemming, the fruit is screened on a vibrating sorting table, then sorted manually. Aged in new barrels for at least 18 months.

"This could be better than the excellent 2015. Very dense palate of currants, dark chocolate and hazelnuts. Full and velvety yet fresh with a firm texture. The center palate is really impressive. 90 per cent merlot, seven per cent cabernet sauvignon and three per hundred cabernet franc." - 96 Points, James Suckling

"Axelle and Pierre Courdurié’s 50-year-old, 3.79-hectare vineyard consists of a mix of clay and limestone soils, a portion of which are in Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes and another portion of which are located at the foot of the Pavie slope in Saint-Émilion. 2018 yields were just 24 hectoliters per hectare after selection. Aging is to occur in 100% new oak barrels for an anticipated 18 months. The blend is 90% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc and the wine has 14% alcohol. Deep purple-black colored, the 2018 Croix de Labrie gives up expressive baked black cherries, warm mulberries and plum preserves with kirsch and raspberry tart sparks plus hints of smoked meats, tar and dried herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has lovely freshness and a chewy texture with bags of bright red and black fruit, finishing with an herbal lift." - 94 Points, Wine Advocate 

"The 2018 Croix de Labrie is super-ripe, dense and concentrated. Inky, jammy red fruit, mocha and sweet spice develop in the glass. Unctuous and richly textured to the core, Croix de Labrie shows the riper side of the vintage off to great effect. This is an especially sumptuous, overt style, and yet all the elements are in the right place. Croix de Labrie is 90% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc. Consulting winemakers Hubert de Boüard and Jean-Philippe Fort are a formidable duo here. Tasted two times." - 92 Points, Vinous

Producer: Château Croix de Labrie

Country: France

Region: Bordeaux

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Appellation: St. Émilion Grand Cru

Vintage: 2018

Size: 750ml