Croix de Bois (0.75 L)

The 2015 Châteauneuf du Pape Croix de Bois possesses a more fruit forward and exuberant character compared to the Barbe Rac and dishes out tons of blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, violets and spice characteristics. Beautifully pure and fresh on the palate, with full-bodied richness, building, sweet tannin and blockbuster length, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this be the best vintage for this cuvée to date.While I’ve always preferred the Barbe Rac cuvée in the past, the quality of the Croix de Bois cuvée continues to soar, and today I find these two wines – while very different in style – generally equal in terms of overall quality.