Needs a long time to open up. Well worth the wait though as it displays what mature Bordeaux is all about. Fruit is great, tannins are smooth and the hint of sweetness with all the layers of black fruit, smoky wood notes and cigar box. Chocolate notes in the finish. This is great.
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Cork was perfect. Pulled at 5pm. Color is ruby red, medium to full bodied, turning slightly brick like but no clearness at the edges. First 30 minutes: nose is oozing stink and smelly barnyard (5:30). Pallet showing wood, good texture, tannins melted away, ever so slight watery ness at the very end. Very good. 6:30-7: barnyard is less present, still lingering, dark brooding fruits are permeating. Meaty. Good pair with rib steak. 9:30: last few sips from the glass and it’s going down like fresh water on a hot summer day. Delicious. 1/3 left for tomorrow. Conclusion: it was good, nothing mind blowing but I think a 4 hour decant might help. Updated on night 2: Tasting much more like aged Bordeaux. Perfumey and luscious nose of dark cherries and cooked prunes and plums, and the lingering meatyness from last night is gone. Hints of green pepper and chocolate on the nose that also comes across in the mouth and finish. Much better tonight - last night it was barely a 90, tonight closer to 93.
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A very positive experience! Fully mature or very close. YEs its light and the finish is quite short. But eveything is in place. good balance. Lesser Chateau in a great vintage. nice :- )
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Mature Bordeaux is simply hard to beat. This one is medium bodied and has a lot of elegance. A bit of mineral on the finish with layers of mature fruit. Soft and smooth, some caramel notes and some orange cest to lift it up. Love it.
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At wine makers dinner. Paired with mushroom soup. Starting to turn a bit tawny; notes of cherry and little bit of earth on the nose. Front a muted sweetness of cherry, pomegranate and currants. Turning a little sour in the back with cola and spice lingering on the finish. I don't think this wine has much longer. Drink what you have.
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Drinking through coravin. Vibrant color with a bit of bricking on the edges. Moderately opaque. Terrific nose of red fruit with some cigar box or cedar. It follows in the mouth with more of the same, medium bodied. Quite long. Tannins are soft, acidity still holding this up. This is a 5th growth, and actually drinks like it- it's better than your average unclassified wine, but not quite up to the level higher growths. Well done for this Chateau.
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This was one of those bottles which one studiously avoids having to drink: there's always something better. Eventually, on a rainy weekday evening in February, one thinks "Why not?", pulling out another wine in case this one goes straight into the sink.
The cork was in good condition for once and the colour was promising, still quite strong and vibrant with only tinges of brown at the edges. The nose was good too, neither pepper nor rust, just classic Pauillac cigar-box and cassis, with hints of cherry. In the mouth, a sigh of relief at first because again, no obvious flaws: a clean, spherical attack of dark cherry, before a rising middle section of blackcurrant and a finish which lent towards blackberry and even elderberry. The finish lingered agreeably and all in all, a pleasant surprise. Above all, it reminded me of just why I can't help liking Croizet-Bages: the cool, broad flavour of cassis and blackberry. It doesn't try too hard, there's no oak, it isn't too strong, it couldn't have come from anywhere than Pauillac.
But it was also a reminder of why I have given up: the sheer frustration. It's a perfectly decent effort, if not as good as the surprising 02, but it could have been so much better. The basic taste which I love is 30% of what it could be. The fruit is great, but it's curiously muted compared to so many of its peers and just a bit more effort, a bit more care and a bit more competence could produce something so very much better. It's worth 87 points, because it's a very decent, enjoyable wine, but no more, whereas with such vintage conditions it should be worth at least 5 points more.
So no more Croizet-Bages for me. Many of us mourn the days when CCs were mostly family-owned estates: this is one which I would actually be happy to see bought by an anonymous pension fund.
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After the last two this was almost a nice surprise. Less green pepper and a modicum of fruit, with decent body and length. It will never deliver the promise it showed a decade ago, but it is quite enjoyable. I wouldn't wait too long, though.
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From a bottle that was stored well from release. Double decanted about two hours before service. Thin and acidic upon initial opening, but it took on weight in both color and palate in the two hours it sat before service. However, it's pretty clear that this wine is on the downhill side of life already. Not a lot of fruit left, but there's still a good deal of tannins showing. Drink up in a hurry.
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Not profound but proper. Good fruit, some tobacco or pencil lead on the nose and palate. Ripe enough but not sweet in any way. I don't think this will benefit from more time but probably has a 5-10 years left without worrying about decline.
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Popped and poured. Drinking very well now. Black currant and oak notes on nose. Palate has fleshed out, and is firm and smooth with drying tannins. Drink now and over next two years.
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From 750ml, decanted and served. Consistent with my previous notes, although colour a fraction more red brick than a year ago. Nose still relatively oaky and the palate has some bitterness and stalkiness as noted before. Matched lamb shanks stew very well as the fat in the meat balanced the hard edges in the glass. Still drinking fine but not improving.
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Dark garnet to rim. Shy nose of black current and oak. Very smooth when first opened. Not fading or showing oxidative notes after 2 nites in fridge. But somewhat hollow mid-palate. Still, a nice 2000 Pauillac. Might last to 2017.
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Aromatics: Black currant and cedar. Very smooth and approachable with the first sip. Elegant, and most the fruit is gone, but still nice. Herbal character is proper and correct for the vintage, nothing unripe here. This isn't California after all. Would pair this with game, poultry or pork dishes. Drink up within the next year.
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I was pleasantly surprised by this wine given some of the recent reviews.
My bottle has been stored in a passive cellar varying from about 52-65 degrees through the year since original purchase.
I did not find this wine to be dried out or over the hill whatsoever. The wine is a nice garnet with a little bit of bricking around the edges. I would describe it as having a classic Pauillac nose. The fruit is still fresh, the tannins have softened substantially. This is not a particularly complex wine, but it is drinking very well right now. Smooth with a longer finish than I expected. Medium-bodied. If I had to quibble I would say that the oak is still a bit more pronounced than I'd like.
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From 750ml. From same case. Not decanted but opened and poured within 30 miniutes and drunk over 1+ hour. Consistent with previous notes but no sign of any greeness this time.
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From 750ml. Opened and consumed over 2hrs. Colour is light brick red, not deep but clear. Nose is cedar, some blackcurrant but with a hint of cherry. Palate is forceful, more cedar but not much fruit and some finishing tannins that tend to bitterness. Over time the bitterness began to overwhelm the scant fruit to make a drying mouthful. Really needs rich or fatty food to balance this. Not a bad wine per se and undoubtedly fair value given it cost little more than £10 a bottle in 2012 (auction). Perhaps this wine reflects the 2000 vintage as it isn't as fresh as 2005 or as voluptuous as 2009. Nonetheless, 2000 is a good year and Croizet-Baget probably should have done better given the terrior and the year. I'm not sure this is going to get better and should be drunk now.
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Good cherry and blackcurrant start, a big, rich mouthful, but marred increasingly by a strong bell pepper taste that eventually overcame and spoiled the rest. Not over optimistic for the future.
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An easy afternoon with close friends. 2010-03: Pauillac & Pessac-Léognan. (@ My place): This domain finally found the way back up. This is the second good experience in the last few months. Pleasant bit of barnyard in the bouquet just after uncorking. Cassis and good oak as well. Dark cassis juice. Soft and round tannin and fresh acidity. An excellent wine. In its young maturity stage now, but surely can last for 3 - 5 more years.
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3/25/2024 - Lord Rodney wrote: 85 Points
Going down in flames - drink up
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3/27/2022 - pilatus88 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Needs a long time to open up. Well worth the wait though as it displays what mature Bordeaux is all about. Fruit is great, tannins are smooth and the hint of sweetness with all the layers of black fruit, smoky wood notes and cigar box. Chocolate notes in the finish. This is great.
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1/19/2022 - Pubu Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fully matured. Drink now. Well balanced.
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12/31/2021 - FabesMTL Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cork was perfect. Pulled at 5pm. Color is ruby red, medium to full bodied, turning slightly brick like but no clearness at the edges.
First 30 minutes: nose is oozing stink and smelly barnyard (5:30). Pallet showing wood, good texture, tannins melted away, ever so slight watery ness at the very end. Very good.
6:30-7: barnyard is less present, still lingering, dark brooding fruits are permeating. Meaty. Good pair with rib steak.
9:30: last few sips from the glass and it’s going down like fresh water on a hot summer day. Delicious. 1/3 left for tomorrow.
Conclusion: it was good, nothing mind blowing but I think a 4 hour decant might help.
Updated on night 2:
Tasting much more like aged Bordeaux. Perfumey and luscious nose of dark cherries and cooked prunes and plums, and the lingering meatyness from last night is gone. Hints of green pepper and chocolate on the nose that also comes across in the mouth and finish. Much better tonight - last night it was barely a 90, tonight closer to 93.
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4/7/2021 - Lord Rodney wrote: 89 Points
A very positive experience! Fully mature or very close. YEs its light and the finish is quite short. But eveything is in place. good balance. Lesser Chateau in a great vintage. nice :- )
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4/25/2020 - pilatus88 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mature Bordeaux is simply hard to beat. This one is medium bodied and has a lot of elegance. A bit of mineral on the finish with layers of mature fruit. Soft and smooth, some caramel notes and some orange cest to lift it up. Love it.
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2/16/2020 - pilatus88 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fantastic nose of dark fermented fruit. Medium body dark fruit, muddy swamp, pine forest. Long smooth finish with minerals and a bit of saltiness.
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1/24/2020 - novocane wrote: 91 Points
At wine makers dinner. Paired with mushroom soup. Starting to turn a bit tawny; notes of cherry and little bit of earth on the nose. Front a muted sweetness of cherry, pomegranate and currants. Turning a little sour in the back with cola and spice lingering on the finish. I don't think this wine has much longer. Drink what you have.
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11/28/2019 - boston617 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nice light flavor at first with hint of cola and spice. Meant to pair with lamb kofta. Very mild. Opens up with blue cheese notes
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11/9/2019 - Ericsson wrote: 91 Points
Bordal au restaurant Régence Balavaud (Canon la Gaffelière, Clos des Grives, etc) (Vétroz): Restaurant. Comme « dessert ».
Grenat foncé avec quelques traces d’évolution.
Joli nez frais sur les cassis et la boîte à cigares.
En bouche aussi, belle fraîcheur globale, corps plutôt léger, digeste.
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11/6/2019 - grossie wrote: 92 Points
Drinking through coravin.
Vibrant color with a bit of bricking on the edges. Moderately opaque. Terrific nose of red fruit with some cigar box or cedar. It follows in the mouth with more of the same, medium bodied. Quite long. Tannins are soft, acidity still holding this up. This is a 5th growth, and actually drinks like it- it's better than your average unclassified wine, but not quite up to the level higher growths. Well done for this Chateau.
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12/29/2018 - vinkarl wrote: flawed
Slightly tca, but enjoyable. Good with dry aged Tomahawk
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2/16/2018 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 87 Points
This was one of those bottles which one studiously avoids having to drink: there's always something better. Eventually, on a rainy weekday evening in February, one thinks "Why not?", pulling out another wine in case this one goes straight into the sink.
The cork was in good condition for once and the colour was promising, still quite strong and vibrant with only tinges of brown at the edges. The nose was good too, neither pepper nor rust, just classic Pauillac cigar-box and cassis, with hints of cherry. In the mouth, a sigh of relief at first because again, no obvious flaws: a clean, spherical attack of dark cherry, before a rising middle section of blackcurrant and a finish which lent towards blackberry and even elderberry. The finish lingered agreeably and all in all, a pleasant surprise.
Above all, it reminded me of just why I can't help liking Croizet-Bages: the cool, broad flavour of cassis and blackberry. It doesn't try too hard, there's no oak, it isn't too strong, it couldn't have come from anywhere than Pauillac.
But it was also a reminder of why I have given up: the sheer frustration. It's a perfectly decent effort, if not as good as the surprising 02, but it could have been so much better. The basic taste which I love is 30% of what it could be. The fruit is great, but it's curiously muted compared to so many of its peers and just a bit more effort, a bit more care and a bit more competence could produce something so very much better. It's worth 87 points, because it's a very decent, enjoyable wine, but no more, whereas with such vintage conditions it should be worth at least 5 points more.
So no more Croizet-Bages for me. Many of us mourn the days when CCs were mostly family-owned estates: this is one which I would actually be happy to see bought by an anonymous pension fund.
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1/4/2016 - Julian Marshall wrote: 86 Points
After the last two this was almost a nice surprise. Less green pepper and a modicum of fruit, with decent body and length. It will never deliver the promise it showed a decade ago, but it is quite enjoyable. I wouldn't wait too long, though.
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12/30/2015 - Border Boss wrote: 83 Points
From a bottle that was stored well from release. Double decanted about two hours before service. Thin and acidic upon initial opening, but it took on weight in both color and palate in the two hours it sat before service. However, it's pretty clear that this wine is on the downhill side of life already. Not a lot of fruit left, but there's still a good deal of tannins showing. Drink up in a hurry.
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4/11/2015 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nose old world and pleasant although passing. Probably better the first hour than after decant. Solid but a little thin.
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3/17/2015 - grossie wrote: 88 Points
Not profound but proper. Good fruit, some tobacco or pencil lead on the nose and palate. Ripe enough but not sweet in any way. I don't think this will benefit from more time but probably has a 5-10 years left without worrying about decline.
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6/10/2014 - Hawk94 wrote: 85 Points
Not much to write home about it. Plain and simple than I expected, a bit earthy though.
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7/22/2013 - ArtF Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Drinking very well now. Black currant and oak notes on nose. Palate has fleshed out, and is firm and smooth with drying tannins. Drink now and over next two years.
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5/13/2013 - JamesTye wrote: 84 Points
From 750ml, decanted and served. Consistent with my previous notes, although colour a fraction more red brick than a year ago. Nose still relatively oaky and the palate has some bitterness and stalkiness as noted before. Matched lamb shanks stew very well as the fat in the meat balanced the hard edges in the glass. Still drinking fine but not improving.
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3/8/2013 - ArtF wrote: 88 Points
Dark garnet to rim. Shy nose of black current and oak. Very smooth when first opened. Not fading or showing oxidative notes after 2 nites in fridge. But somewhat hollow mid-palate. Still, a nice 2000 Pauillac. Might last to 2017.
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3/6/2013 - khmark7 wrote: 88 Points
Aromatics: Black currant and cedar. Very smooth and approachable with the first sip. Elegant, and most the fruit is gone, but still nice. Herbal character is proper and correct for the vintage, nothing unripe here. This isn't California after all. Would pair this with game, poultry or pork dishes. Drink up within the next year.
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12/10/2012 - jdbooth Likes this wine: 88 Points
I was pleasantly surprised by this wine given some of the recent reviews.
My bottle has been stored in a passive cellar varying from about 52-65 degrees through the year since original purchase.
I did not find this wine to be dried out or over the hill whatsoever. The wine is a nice garnet with a little bit of bricking around the edges. I would describe it as having a classic Pauillac nose. The fruit is still fresh, the tannins have softened substantially. This is not a particularly complex wine, but it is drinking very well right now. Smooth with a longer finish than I expected. Medium-bodied. If I had to quibble I would say that the oak is still a bit more pronounced than I'd like.
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10/24/2012 - Julian Marshall wrote:
Horrible. The strong bell pepper taste identified a year ago has now taken over completely, the wine is undrinkable unless you're a masochist.
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5/5/2012 - JamesTye wrote: 84 Points
From 750ml. From same case. Not decanted but opened and poured within 30 miniutes and drunk over 1+ hour. Consistent with previous notes but no sign of any greeness this time.
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4/11/2012 - JamesTye wrote: 84 Points
From 750ml. Opened and consumed over 2hrs. Colour is light brick red, not deep but clear. Nose is cedar, some blackcurrant but with a hint of cherry. Palate is forceful, more cedar but not much fruit and some finishing tannins that tend to bitterness. Over time the bitterness began to overwhelm the scant fruit to make a drying mouthful. Really needs rich or fatty food to balance this. Not a bad wine per se and undoubtedly fair value given it cost little more than £10 a bottle in 2012 (auction). Perhaps this wine reflects the 2000 vintage as it isn't as fresh as 2005 or as voluptuous as 2009. Nonetheless, 2000 is a good year and Croizet-Baget probably should have done better given the terrior and the year. I'm not sure this is going to get better and should be drunk now.
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11/1/2011 - Julian Marshall wrote:
Good cherry and blackcurrant start, a big, rich mouthful, but marred increasingly by a strong bell pepper taste that eventually overcame and spoiled the rest. Not over optimistic for the future.
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12/17/2010 - Zweder wrote: 86 Points
This bottle was less impressive than the previous ones. Ok wine, but a bit unripe tannin and paprika. See also previous notes.
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9/30/2010 - Zweder wrote: 88 Points
Consistant notes compared to previous ones.
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3/13/2010 - Zweder wrote: 88 Points
An easy afternoon with close friends. 2010-03: Pauillac & Pessac-Léognan. (@ My place): This domain finally found the way back up. This is the second good experience in the last few months. Pleasant bit of barnyard in the bouquet just after uncorking. Cassis and good oak as well. Dark cassis juice. Soft and round tannin and fresh acidity. An excellent wine. In its young maturity stage now, but surely can last for 3 - 5 more years.
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1/15/2010 - Zweder wrote: 86 Points
Juicy and ok wine with pleasant tannin, acidity and bitterness. Nothing wrong with it, but just good cru bourgeois level wine.
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