Dehours & Fils Lieu-dit La Croix Joly

The Wine Advocate
RP 95

Reviewed by: Kristaps Karklins

From a historic site in Troissy, planted with Pinot Meunier in the 1960s on land previously used for fruit trees, the Lieu-dit La Croix Joly has once again delivered excellent results. The grapes come from low-yielding, north-east-facing vines halfway up the slope, and gain their delicate pink hue through infusion, with the grapes macerating with the bunches in the press for a whole day.

Disgorged in October 2023 with just 1.1 grams per litre dosage, it conveys a palpable, almost chewy sucrosity from the fruit. It opens with a bouquet of red cherry, tangerine peel, wild raspberry, rose petals and Timut pepper, with subtle nuances of rye bread and rooibos. Medium to full-bodied, with a concentrated core of fruit, it's supported by vibrant acidity and ends with a long, savoury finish.

Like Brisefer, this single perpetual cuvée (started in 2013 and kept in wooden tanks) is refreshed after each bottling with the latest vintage (2019 for this release). The 2019 wine, having already had eight months' élevage in small oak barrels, then spends another year marrying with the existing blend, which now includes vintages from 2013 to 2019, before bottling.