Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (90)

Medium red. Bright aromas of cherry, blackberry, minerals and chocolatey oak. Fat and fruity, with mineral and tobacco notes complicating the wine's currant and cherry flavors. This offers early accessibility.

Wine Advocate (92+)

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Croix de Labrie offers scents of wild blueberries, Black Forest cake and kirsch with touches of garrigue and tilled soil plus a waft of stewed tea. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and with a firm frame of grainy tannins, it has a lovely line of freshness taking the opulent fruit to a long finish.

Jeb Dunnuck (94)

This estate continues to fire on all cylinders, and their 2017 Chateau Croix De Labrie is stunning stuff. Loaded with notions of creme de cassis, graphite, crushed violets, chocolate, and a kiss of classic Saint-Emilion minerality, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, polished tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great finish. It's another killer wine from this tiny, family-run estate that readers should snatch up. I suspect it will be even better with 2-4 years of bottle age and cruise for two decades.

Jeb Dunnuck (96)

The 2019 Château Croix De Labrie is gorgeous and jumps out in the vintage. Almost all Merlot brought up in new barrels, it offers a beautiful bouquet of red and black currants, spicy oak, dried herbs, and flowers, with a beautiful loamy earth and chalky minerality emerging with time in the glass. With remarkable purity and finesse, it's full-bodied, has a great mid-palate, silky tannins, and a great finish. It could be drunk today with a decant but will ideally be given 4-5 years of bottle age. I suspect it will have 20-25 years of overall longevity.

James Suckling (98-99)

The focus and texture of this wine is really something. It’s totally transparent with blackberries, blueberries, earth, stone and mushrooms. Flowers too. Full-bodied with firm tannins that give super form and length to this. Freshness. Almost all merlot with a tiny dash of cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon. Perhaps the best ever? Certainly at the same level as the 2019. About 14,000 bottles made.

James Suckling (95-96)

So much cool blue fruit and flowers here with minerals and subtle clove notes. Black licorice and black pepper, too. Medium body with very fine yet firm tannins. Focused and linear. Vibrant. The energy keeps going. 87% merlot, 8% cabernet sauvignon and 5% cabernet franc. From biodynamically grown grapes.

James Suckling (97-98)

This is very unique and spicy, with white pepper, salt, iodine and oyster shell. Blackberry and black licorice, too. Medium to full body with great freshness, but it’s very structured with fine and chewy tannins, before finishing fresh and energetic. Crunchy. 3.41 pH and 14.2% alcohol. 85% merlot, 10% cabernet sauvignon and 5% cabernet franc. All biodynamically grown grapes. Better than 2022?

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (90-92)

The 2020 Pierre 1er is nicely done. In fact, this is one of the better recent vintages I can remember tasting. Inky and voluptuous, the 2020 offers quite a bit of richness, but with better balance than has been the case in the last few years. Dark fruit, chocolate, new leather, licorice and cloves add to the wine's somber yet beguiling personality. This extroverted Saint-Émilion has quite a bit to offer.

The 20 Mille 2018 is a superb insinuation of fine wine production. Tracing its roots to the esteemed vineyards in Bordeaux, the prowess of its renowned producer Chateau 20 Mille is charmingly evident. The wine undergoes meticulous vinification, starting with a hand-harvested selection of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc grapes. The fermentation, which is careful to facilitate optimal extraction of tannins and aromatics, is followed by an 18-month maturation in oak barrels, enhancing depth and complexity.

On the palate, the 20 Mille 2018 encapsulates an exquisite balance of blackcurrant and dark cherry notes, intertwined with hints of vanilla and spice. Its silky tannins add to a lasting finish, exemplifying an eloquent expression of its terroir. The bottle's seductive charm proves why this Bordeaux wine is worth collecting, drawing accolades from connoisseurs globally. Honouring its namesake, the 20 Mille 2018 is a shining testament to the mastery of viticulture and the art of winemaking.

The '20 Mille 2019' exudes unsurpassed elegance and finesse, the handiwork of Jérome Mathieu, a fourth-generation winemaker helming Domaine de la Bégude in the Bandol region of Southern France. Utilising organic and biodynamic methods, this eminent Provençal rosé embodies the terroir's inherent characteristics. Its production elicits a delicate ballet of traditional and modern techniques, including harvesting by hand, slow press and cold fermentation.

The 2019 vintage offers an exquisite balance of Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, and Mourvèdre grape varieties, contributing to its vibrant pink hue and astounding complexity of flavours. The '20 Mille 2019' captivates with an abundance of red fruits, discernible grapefruit undercurrent, and a hint of dried herbs, culminating in a fresh, robust finish.

Whether you're a comrade of old-world wines or a seeker of new experiences, '20 Mille 2019' remains an unrivalled choice, perched confidently on the pinnacle of refined refreshment.

Vinous - Neal Martin (86)

The 2019 Croix-Mouton has a more refined and understated nose compared to previous vintages, featuring delicate blackberry, briary and undergrowth scents. The palate is sharp on the entry with a slight bitterness, moderate depth and a little hardness on the finish.

Revelling in its prestigious heritage, the Croizet-Bages 2006 hails from the eminent Pauillac region of Bordeaux, France – revered worldwide for superb wine craftsmanship. This vintner's offering telegraphs a deep ruby hue, a testament to its blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc grapes. Intricately matured in seasoned oak barrels, exceptional ageing lends robust tannins, opulent notes of black fruits, and subtle hints of spice to the Croizet-Bages 2006.

The house of Croizet-Bages, part of the lineage of the Grand Cru Classé, remain custodians of traditional wine making values. Their 2006 vintage epitomises these virtues. Harvesting grapes from a splendid 26-hectare vineyard, they patiently coax the nectar into becoming a sophisticated wine. Echoing the finesse of distinct terroir, each sip of Croizet-Bages 2006 engulfs the palate with layers of complex flavours, embodying pure Pauillac nuance. A sublime addition to any discerning fine wine collection.