92pts Wine Advocate

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Croix Cardinale needs a little coaxing to begin, opening out to offer notes of plum preserves, black raspberries, tar and fragrant earth with nuances of smoked meats and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has impressive freshness with a solid backbone of rounded tannins and delicately played black fruit layers, finishing earthy.

92pts Wine Spectator

Rich in texture, this glides through suavely, with crushed plum, warmed cassis, humus, black tea and singed alder notes all seamlessly layered together. Ends with a late mineral twinge, which adds a nice hint of needed energy. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2036.

91pts Jeb Dunnuck

The 2019 Château Croix Cardinale is solid, with good ripeness levels in its candied cherry, currant, tobacco, iron, and chocolate-driven aromatics. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Saint-Emilion that has notable purity, ripe yet present tannins, good balance, and a great finish.

91pts James Suckling

Aromas of plums, raspberries, orange zest, mocha and iron. It’s medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. Supple and succulent with a fresh, mineral finish. 82% merlot and 18% cabernet franc. Drink after 2023.

91pts Wine Enthusiast

A ripe and smoothly delicious wine, this wood-aged wine is finely balanced. Its black fruits are fully integrated with the spice and the velvet texture. Drink the wine from 2024.

Winemaker Notes

Blend: 82% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc