2022 Croix Cardinale
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Tasting notes
The terrific 2022 Château Croix Cardinale comes from a warmer terroir and is based on 68% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon. I loved its overall purity, and it brings medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe red, blue, and black fruits as well as smoked tobacco and chocolate, and an undeniable sense of chalky, salty minerality on the finish. This pure, focused, precise 2022 has ample mid-palate depth, ripe tannins, and a terrific mix of richness and elegance. Drink bottles over the coming two decades.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
More reviews and scores
The 2022 Croix Cardinale retains the pretty strawberry and raspberry scents on the nose that is more floral than it showed from barrel. The palate is medium-bodied and elegant in style, with fine tannins and just the right amount of dryness on the finish. This has meliorated in barrel and is now worth seeking out.
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2022 Croix Cardinale sashays out with suggestions of black raspberries, black cherry compote, and stewed plums, plus touches of licorice, tar, and dried roses. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is velvety and juicy with compelling freshness and a perfumed finish. Croix Cardinale is a small, 8.5-hectare vineyard composed of limestone and clay. The blend this year is 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.