Château Les Cruzelles, Lalande de Pomerol, 2022

Name: Château Les Cruzelles, Lalande de Pomerol
Brand: Château Les Cruzelles
Price: 191.12 GBP

Available Vintages

all 2017 2021 2022 2023 2024

justerini & brooks tasting note

This is the third vintage made by Noémie Durantou and Olivier Gautrat, and for us the most successful range to date. From the juicy griotte character of the Saintayme to the imperious L'Eglise Clinet, every wine displays its distinctive terroir signature with aplomb. The blend is exactly the same as La Chenade, with the same harvest dates for the Merlot (1st-7th Sept) and the Cabernet Franc harvested just three days later than its sister property (12th Sept), but that's were similarities end... Aromatically this is quite lifted with touches of leaf and tobacco with dark cherry, red fruits and spice. On the palate this is denser and more on the fruit than Chenade. There are some of those sweet, floral cherries found in Saintayme mixed with bristling dark hedgerow and touches of cocoa. This is layered, concentrated and textural; a very serious Lalande a Pomerol, but perhaps not as bright and charming as its compatriot.

critic reviews

93/100Chris Kissack,The Wine Independent

This is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, and the élevage was in 50% new oak. A beautifully perfumed nose, showing a little more spicy complexity than La Chenade, with rosehips, leather, peony and currant, laced with a crystalline, mineral edge. This leads to a precisely defined and pointed character, on the palate, with a finely polished surface of fruit, and a focused backbone of finely grained tannins. Deliciously bright and pure, with a focus and delineation not seen in La Chenade (or in Saintayme, for that matter). The alcohol is 14.6% on analysis.

DRINKING WINDOW 2025 - 2040

date of review 06/2025

93/100Jane Anson,Inside Bordeaux

A vintage that captures the spirit of this beautiful wine. Great lift and kick of sweet baking spice, chalky tannins that give texture alongside a kick of salinity and crushed rocks, soy and cocoa-dusted almonds, fennel, great stuff. 50% new oak, less vintage impact than its sibling estate La Chenade.

DRINKING WINDOW 2026 - 2036

date of review 03/2025

93/100Neal Martin,Vinous

As I wrote during primeur, the 2022 Les Cruzelles has plenty of fruit on the nose, especially following the more tightly coiled La Chenade. A black cherry note, a touch of cassis and a sprig of wild mint come through with time. This is quite exuberant and captivating. The palate is medium-bodied with a powerful entry that lacquers the mouth. Saturated tannins and fine acidity create a luxuriant Lalande-de-Pomerol with immense purity toward the finish. This delightful, slightly hedonistic wine from the Durantou stable should be tempered by time.

DRINKING WINDOW 2028 - 2050

date of review 02/2025

90-92/100William Kelley,Robert Parker Wine Advocate

More serious and structured than La Chenade, the 2022 Les Cruzelles unwinds in the glass with aromas of cherries and blackberries mingled with hints of licorice and mint. Medium to full-bodied, lively and layered, it's built around powdery structuring tannins that gently assert themselves on the finish.

date of review 06/2023