Reviews
October 2026 94 Points Wine Spectator
Rich and detailed, with tiers of apple, strawberry, hazelnut and brioche flavors that build opulence on the long finish. Drink now.
October 2026 94 Points Wine Spectator
There’s plenty of volume in this dark, brooding version, unveiling layers of warm cassis, violet and dried garrigue set against a wall of crushed iron and alder smoke. Broad and creamy through the briny, smoky finish, where polished tannins hold firm for a long life ahead in the cellar. Drink now through 2040.
October 2026 94 Points Wine Spectator
Creamy and rich in feel, with a streaming mix of plum coulis, incense smoke, sweet leafiness and cured meat for a complex, salty impression. Bolts of iron ground the finish, with a thread of worn cedar and fine-grained tannins guiding the long finish, perked up with a jolt of mineral freshness. Very appealing. Drink now through 2040. 1,500 cases made, 150 cases imported.
October 2026 95 Points Wine Spectator
There’s loads of aromatic depth and range to this complex, stunning red. Cast iron wraps around supple notes of ripe currant, plum and juniper, plus a tug of tar, all swirling with incense smoke. Texturally beautiful, with creamy bacon lard adding richness. Tension runs throughout; this offers a lengthy, complex finish. Drink now through 2040. 600 cases made, 60 cases imported.
October 2026 96 Points Decanter
From the first year of the Vinotèque programme, the bottle tasted of this classic, balanced vintage for Cristal was disgorged in 2010 after a period of lees ageing that included six years of 'poignetage', or shaking. It's a perfumed, charming Cristal more marked by Chardonnay glide and delicacy than many, with sweet orange citrus fruit, white peach and sweet-sour cooked apricots sitting under a delicious aromatic ageing complexity which throws up everything from Turkish delight to apricot kernel, sweet hazelnuts and milk chocolate. This is a complete, serene wine built more on beautiful fruit and ageing complexity than the salinity and tension of modern Cristal, although it has aged with beautiful integrity.