La Croix Bonis is an obvious economy-class cellar alternative to the prestige wines of the Left Bank.
The wine comes from Château Phélan-Ségur, and this is the château’s value-for-money wine, made exclusively with the château’s own grapes, in the same winery and with the same expertise as the top wine.
Since 2010, the castle has shown a strongly rising form curve, and this results in wines that perform on a par with the more expensive wines of its neighbours.
Saint-Estèphe is a commune whose young wines are notorious for a low charm factor via solid tannins and tight fruit that usually require many years of aging to then take their revenge. However, a large proportion of merlot in combination with careful extraction and the excellent 2016 vintage make La Croix Bonis a delightful drinking experience already.
The blend consists of 50/50 merlot and cabernet sauvignon, vinified separately. The maceration took place in temperature-regulated steel tanks, while 12 months of subsequent storage in barriques of varying age have micro-oxidized the wine and given off slightly barrel-derived aromas.
La Croix Bonis is a serious and well-made wine that exemplifies the property’s gravelly terroir. Elegant, red berries are not drowned out by blackcurrants, dark cherries, fresh bay leaves and a little menthol. It does not have the concentration of the great Médoc wines, but is a wine with personality that appears so harmonious that you can either drink it now or put it away for approx. 10 years, given good storage conditions.
Enjoy it now, well-oxygenated, or lay it down if you are looking for elegant aging aromas; the wine can do both.
