NOSE: expressive; typical pyrazine note (medium strength); plummy blackberry; stony; light, sweet black licorice note on the first pour, after somehow surviving in my glass for a full hour; tightened-up about 4 hrs. after opening, but make no mistake about it: simply awesome aromatics on display here!
BODY: garnet-violet color of great depth; medium body.
TASTE: tannic; very high acidity; plums and blackberries and dark, juicy, red berries; some garrigue pushes forward on the finish; noticeable pyrazine; tightened-up on the palate, too, after being open for about 4 hrs… This was my first check-in with this vintage. I’m going to try to keep my hands OFF for the next few years. This is an extremely impressive vintage for this bottling.
Dammit Brian you are such a tease! After that note, I couldn’t resist, I ended up popping one tonight.
This is a very fresh, aromatic wine. While I’m picking up some pyrazine, the aromatics lean more to me on the green apple peel side, with some dry earth, brambly fruits, and other savory notes. The acid on this wine is fantastic, keeps everything so beautifully lifted. Such remarkable freshness. Big structure, lots of chewiness, but with a sweetness and tartness about it that is really intoxicating. A push and pull. Still exceedingly young to me, this wine has a long runway in front of it, but it is definitely a fun drink right now. If you only have a couple, or a few of this, sit patiently. If you pulled a bozo move like me and triple ordered it, drink away. It’s delicious.
Great note, Robert! Thanks for pulling a cork – I know I speak for not-just-myself when I say it’s always nice to have your opinion included in any discussion of our beloved C.F…
Had this off a restaurant list a few weeks ago and it showed wonderfully with just a 30 minute decant. Beautiful wine, among the very best young CF I’ve had. Ours did not show much pyrazine, but certainly other lovely savory aspects.
I was a bit uncertain about drinking it young but the somm was dead certain it was in a good zone.
We did not make it nearly to 4 hours, so never experienced the tightening.
I only started buying Baudry LCB in '18. Slowly backfilling older vintages when I can, always on the lookout for more, but unfortunately no '16 in the cellar just yet.
Baudry is one of my bigger annual buys, across all the cuvees. They do no wrong. The 2018 vintage in Loire CF is too ripe for my country palate, but the Baudry lineup is still excellent. I love Baudry on this classic years, with 2014 being such a killer example.
@Pat_Martin Patrick, Check your bottle of 2026 LCB for possible counterfeit situ. I may not be in tune with latest from Baudry, but afaik they usually bottle and release La Croix Boissee at about 3 to 4 years from vintage.
That’s right, the 2026 is presumably a typo given the OP was discussing 2016 (and the Baudrys aren’t in the habit of bottling the wines before picking the fruit ). These days La Croix Boissée is the only cuvée to be aged in barrel and it can remain there for two years, after which it will sit “en masse” in concrete cuve for a few months before bottling, e.g. I bought the 2022 at the first opportunity when I swung by the domaine in October 2025. I guess it is shipped to other markets after this at 3+ years.
). These days La Croix Boissée is the only cuvée to be aged in barrel and it can remain there for two years, after which it will sit “en masse” in concrete cuve for a few months before bottling, e.g. I bought the 2022 at the first opportunity when I swung by the domaine in October 2025. I guess it is shipped to other markets after this at 3+ years.