2021 Chateau Croix Mouton Cuvée Joseph Bordeaux Superieur

Merlot dominant blend, giving rich and Juicy red berry characteristics which work well with the new oak nuances of this wine, easy drinking style.

Previously known as Chateau Mouton, Croix Mouton has a long history in the Bordeaux region. The property was written about in the 1881 Ferret edition, next to many well-known Bordeaux wine producers of the time. However, the estate has a much longer history dating back to the ancient Romans who planted vines on the property thousands of years ago. The Gallo-Romains remains found in their vineyards are proof of an ancient Bordeaux wine-producing past. Chateau Croix Mouton was purchased by Jean-Philippe Janoueix in 1997. At the time of the purchase, the estate and vineyards were in poor condition, as the previous owner had abandoned the vineyards. At first, Jean Philippe Janoueix wanted to sell the wines under the original name of Chateau Mouton. A lawsuit was filed by Chateau Mouton Rothschild and the property changed its name to Croix Mouton. Starting in 1998, extensive renovations on all the winemaking facilities and work in the vineyards began taking place. Chateau Croix-Mouton is a serious candidate for one of the best Bordeaux wine value producers today. The Chateau is located not far from the Fronsac appellation, close to the Dordogne river, next to Lugon. The special architecture of the buildings at Croix Mouton is a unique feature of the estate, with its 17th century style. The large 78-hectare Bordeaux Superieur vineyard is planted to 97% Merlot, 2.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. This shows an increase in Merlot over the past several years. On average, usually, 70 hectares are under vine. The vineyard has a terroir of clay, alluvial, and limestone soils. Over the years, the estate has expanded to almost 4 times its original size. Located just north and west of Fronsac, the vineyard has old vines. On average, the vines are a surprising 43 years of age! Those old vines add a lot of concentration and complexity to the wine. When you factor how labor-intensive this wine is to produce, it’s easy to see why this is such a good Bordeaux value wine. To produce the wine of Croix Mouton, the grapes are whole berry fermented in oak vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in 50% new, French barrels. The wine of Croix Mouton is aged in 50% new, French oak barrels for 9 months before bottling.