The 2022 Croix Mouton offers up a deep bouquet ripe dark berries, spices and pencil shavings, framed by toasty oaks. Juicy and concentrated, it’s medium-bodied with firm structuring tannins that assert themselves on the finish. This is a blend of 80% Merlot and a combined 20% of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

A solid performance from this humble appellation, the 2021 Croix Mouton exhibits aromas of sweet berries, spices and licorice, followed by a medium-bodied, fleshy and atypically rich, generous palate. It's a blend of Merlot with a mere 2% Cabernet Sauvignon.

A strong value proposition, the 2020 Croix Mouton offers up aromas of cassis, cherries, cigar wrapper and violet. Medium-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a sweet core of fruit and powdery tannin, it outperforms its humble appellation.

The 2017 Croix Mouton is deep garnet-purple colored and scented of dried herbs and mulberries with a plummy undercurrent and a touch of garrigue. The palate is very firm and chewy with a tart line and rather lean mid-palate, finishing on an herbal note.

The 2016 Croix Mouton has an attractive, perfumed, floral bouquet with crushed violet petals infusing the ripe black cherry and cassis fruit. I appreciate the elegance on display here. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, well judged acidity, a pleasant saline and black olive note surfacing towards the fresh finish. This Bordeaux Supérieur from Jean-Philippe Janoueix can often punch above its class and the 2016 is one of those.