Chateau Croix Mouton 2006: Prize Bordeaux from Wonder Boy Jean-Philippe Janoueix
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Sorting grapes at Chateau Croix Mouton. Jean-Philippe is at the far left.
Don't let this wine get underneath something in your cellar. Just leave it right on top of the stack. Take my word for it, you will go after it time and time again and then you'll want more.
Jean-Philippe Janoueix is the winemaking genius in his winemaking family that has been in the business for 100 years. I think he must have wine running in his veins instead of blood. He is such a natural when it comes to making wine.
His name is on La Confession (95 Parker rating in 2005), La Croix St-Georges (another 95 in 2006), de Chambrun, and Croix Mouton. They all get the 90s. Yes, these are all his wines and they are some of the best out there. But, the great thing about Chateau Croix Mouton is getting "garagiste" perfection in a bottle for a Cru Bourgeois price.
Garagiste perfection means such strict selection that no green, unripe grapes are allowed into the final mix. It means throwing out grapes that are flawed, which is tantamount to taking euros and tossing them into the wind. For some growers the thought is just too painful, but for the great growers, there is no hesitation - it is the only way. That's why year after year, garagistes coax great wines from their terroirs. That is why Jean-Philippe has the reputation he has.
Chateau Croix Mouton is a wine that will give you immense pleasure, the more so for not having emptied your wallet. It will give you immense pleasure because it is not a wine you will see on anyone else's table and when it's obvious your guests want you to open another one, you can afford to be generous.
Jean-Philippe snagged the title of Wine Grower of the Year a few years back, which is not an achievement to be dismissed lightly in Bordeaux where the standards of winemaking are the highest in the world.
Chateau Croix Mouton comes from a vineyard west of Saint-Emilion, on the right bank in Bordeaux. The cepage is 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc with a small amount of Petit Verdot thrown in for elegance. There are only about 2000 cases of this wine made.
Chateau Croix Mouton has the rounded texture I adore in a red wine. This comes from well-integrated wood that does not obscure the delicious red and black, curranty fruit.
Croix Mouton is a wine you do not have to stare at as it sits dormant in your cellar waiting to become something. Chateau Croix Mouton already is something! Get that corkscrew out and twist away. It's ready. Okay, sure, if you can summon the self-discipline, save a bottle or two to savor several years down the road. This wine is not a short-hitter either. It will easily close down the first decade of the century.
So, if you're in the market for a great petit chateau (and could you ever complain about having too much of that in your cellar?), this is one of those wines that you can buy with your eyes...er, mouth closed. Jean-Philippe is brilliant and if you need more evidence - he rarely has any wine to sell. I can tell you. This will go fast. Don't miss it! Cynthia Hurley
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