Tasted ex-château and single blind in Southwold. This has a lovely classic undergrowth scented bouquet with some fine black earthy fruit with overt cedar notes almost Saint Estèphe-like. The palate is medium-bodied with strong tobacco notes on the entry good depth a little coarse and rustic and charming on its spicy finish. Very fine but surprisingly austere for La Croix. Tasted January 2012.

The grand vin is the result of an increasingly strict selection process with approximately 50% of the production going into the final wine and the balance used in the Croix de Beaucaillou. The 2009 may be the finest example of this cuvee I have yet tasted. Up-front precocious and generous it possesses a dense purple color a big broad unctuous texture and abundant notes of creme de cassis and black cherry fruit intertwined with hints of wood smoke vanillin and earth. This nearly viscous-styled wine can be drunk in 2-3 years or cellared for 15+.