2002 Château Croizet-Bages

Community Tasting Notes (13) Avg Score: 85.9 points

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  12/26/2023 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 90 Points

  Soft red fruits, with a tinge of black fruit developing, and lovely cassis too on the nose. I was very impressed by the juicy acidity despite this being a 2002 vintage.. Yes, 21 years!
  
  Tannins are resolved with a medium to medium-full body, and very pleasant mouthfeel. Polished leather comes across clearly, with a nice mineral-driven finish too. The finish was circa 20 to 30 seconds, with a slight drying touch.
  
  62% Cab, 28% Merlot, 6% PV, and 4% Cab Franc. Aged in 50-55% new French oak, 12 months. Vinified in traditional cement vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in tank.
  
  I was very impressed by how this showed, for a Chateau I had known little about (Despite being a 5th growth), and this being a lesser vintage. The red fruit and the acidity with those leather secondaries made this special!
  
  At USD 65 for such an aged bottle, this was a very good purchase indeed!
  
  Vines are close to 35 years of age. The vineyard has a terroir of gravel and sand soil on the Bages plateau. It is located not that far from Chateau Lynch Bages and Grand Puy Lacoste too.
  
  The vineyard of Croizet Bages is unusual in Pauillac because the vineyard is situated on one large, contiguous parcel. The vineyard can be subdivided into at least 20 different parcels of vines.
  
  Yields can be higher here than at most other classified, Pauillac estates as they are on average 55 hectoliters per hectare at Chateau Croizet Bages. Something else to consider, 50% of the Croizet Bages vineyard is harvested by machine.
  
  This Chateau was bought by a Bordeaux negociant in the late 1940s, by Paul Quie and since 1968, his son Jean-Michel Quie has taken care of the Pauillac property. The Quie family also owns Chateau Rauzan-Gassies in the Margaux appellation, and began a massive renovation of the Croizet Bages estate, wine-making facilities, and vineyards in 2013.
  
  2002 vintage:
  Mild winter transitioned into a cool spring but heavy rains caused flowering to be uneven.
  
  The summer then failed to warm up and August arrived bringing downpours, Merlot found it particularly difficult to ripen.
  A wave of intense heat finally swept through late summer and continue through September and October. This helped elevate the small harvest from being potentially poor to one of surprisingly high quality, especially for those who practiced rigorous selection.
  
  Wines of the left bank generally performed better than those of the right and the wines from the Médoc were particularly good.
  
  The wines of St Emilion and Pomerol suffered more due to the greater percentage of Merlot in the blends and could be slightly green in character.
  
  Public House by Vintry, Bangsar South, Malaysia
  26th Dec 2023 (Boxing Day)

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  4/27/2018 - JerM wrote: 91 Points

  China Conservatory Dinner (meizhou restaurant): Roasted peppers, soft red and black fruit, cassis, gentle spice. Bright juicy acidity, resolved tannins, pleasant body. Layered, transparent, easy and resolved. Drinking nicely with our signature meicai-kourou (braised pork belly with pickled mustard green) and green-szechuan-pepper beef!

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  7/3/2016 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 90 Points

  The Quié family are obviously a bunch of loonies. They routinely mess up the great vintages, repeatedly missing the opportunity of making the sort of wine which would restore Croizet-Bages' reputation, but then every so often they get an off vintage absolutely right - but which nobody knows about because the vintage's reputation is such that nobody cares. 2002 is a perfect example.
  After the first bottle tasted in 2014 I wasn't surprised to find that this is still drinking beautifully, at least as well as before. A beguiling blend of red cherry and blackberry on the nose, with an attack of the same, then a surprisingly voluminous middle section and a lingering, satisfying finish. Perhaps slightly drier than before, but also more distinguished. This is a good Pauillac which would show well against any of its peers - and in 2002 completely outclasses Lynch (at 4 times cheaper).

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  2/27/2014 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 90 Points

  A real surprise. I was expecting something short, hard and barren, whereas I found a wine full of depth and power. Delicious aromas of cassis and red cherry, with a bright attack of the same, followed by a surprisingly powerful wave of blackberry and a long, persistent finish. One of the best Croizets ever tasted, which is not difficult, all the more surprising in the context of the vintage.

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  1/18/2014 - Whitelion Likes this wine: 87 Points

  nice 5th GCC left bank Bordeaux straight up... can be kept 3 yrs more

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