In the glass
Aroma: blackcurrant, crushed limestone, tobacco leaf, iris
Palate: cassis, chalk, graphite, dried bay
Limestone-grown Cabernet Franc from the highest, latest-ripening parcel at Cravant. Denser, more vertical and slower-developing than Les Grezeaux, with chalky minerality and high-toned cassis fruit.
What it pairs with
-
Roast saddle of venison
Full body and chalky tannin frame gamey red meat; the cassis core lifts the jus. -
Beef cheek braised in red wine
Long-cooked beef and a wine reduction echo the wine's iron and dried herb register. -
Aged Comte
Nutty hard cheese sharpens the wine's flinty minerality. -
Stuffed pigeon with truffle
Pigeon's iron-rich flesh and earthy truffle meet the wine's graphite spine.
History
Bernard and Matthieu Baudry bottled the first vintage of La Croix Boissee in 1999 from a south-facing limestone parcel at the top of the Cravant slope. The plot's clay-limestone soils produce a slower, denser wine than the river-terrace cuvees.
- 1999 — First vintage of La Croix Boissee
- 2014 — Full organic certification confirmed
Facts
- Producer
- Domaine Bernard Baudry
- Grapes
- Cabernet Franc (100%)
- Classification
- Chinon AOC
- Oak
- 18 months in 300L oak demi-muids, 10 percent new
- ABV
- 13.5%
- Price
- EUR 28 to 45 at retail
- Drinking window
- 8 to 25 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1999
- Organic
- ORGANIC CERTIFIED
- Vegan
- Yes (no animal-derived fining)
Scores
- Vinous 93 (2019 vintage, reviewed 2021)
- Wine Advocate 93 (2020 vintage, reviewed 2022)
Frequently asked about La Croix Boissee
What does La Croix Boissee taste like?
Blackcurrant, crushed limestone, tobacco leaf and iris on the nose; cassis, chalk, graphite and dried bay on the palate. Full-bodied with firm tannins and high acidity, long chalky finish.
When should I drink La Croix Boissee?
Drink between 8 and 25 years from vintage. Decant 60 to 90 minutes for younger vintages; the limestone structure rewards 10 years of cellaring.
What food pairs with La Croix Boissee?
Roast saddle of venison and beef cheek braised in red wine are canonical matches; aged Comte and stuffed pigeon with truffle also pair well.
Where is La Croix Boissee made?
From a single south-facing clay-limestone parcel at the top of the Cravant-les-Coteaux slope, the highest and latest-ripening site at Domaine Bernard Baudry.