Château Croix des Rouzes, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France 2018

A bottle or a glass of Pomerol should always be a treat -- and this one is. It’s still a dark black-purple in colour, as you’d expect from the supremely generous 2018 vintage, with svelte, sweetly defined fresh plum and black cherry fruits billowing from the glass. On the palate, it is concentrated and deep with ample black fruit flavours (more plum than cherry now), sustaining though unforced acidity and plenty of ripe skin tannins in soft, tongue-coating style. This amiable, affable and ample wine is open and welcoming already -- indeed it’s hard to resist. But there’d be no harm, either, in keeping it for up to a decade: there’s plenty in its rucksack, and much fun to be had along the way.

Back to 2021 DWWA Best in Shows: Top 50 wines to try