When to drink a Sainte-Croix-du-Mont?
Bordeaux · indicative values: the producer, the vintage and storage conditions come first.
Sainte-Croix-du-Mont
Sweet and fortified: the drinking window
Recommended ageing: 5 to 20 years after the vintage.
For example, a 2020 Sainte-Croix-du-Mont drinks best between 2025 and 2040, with a peak plateau around 2030-2037.
Vintage by vintage
A great year outlives an average one: the window moves with the vintage. The most recent rated years in Bordeaux, applied to the ageing for Sainte-Croix-du-Mont given above.
| Vintage | Rating | Drink |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Great | 2027–2044 |
| 2021 | Great | 2026–2043 |
| 2020 | Good | 2025–2040 |
| 2019 | Great | 2024–2041 |
| 2018 | Good | 2023–2038 |
| 2017 | Great | 2022–2039 |
| 2016 | Great | 2021–2038 |
| 2015 | Great | 2020–2037 |
| 2013 | Good | 2018–2033 |
| 2011 | Great | 2016–2033 |
| 2010 | Great | 2015–2032 |
| 2009 | Great | 2014–2031 |
The full history, back to the older vintages: Sauternes and sweet Bordeaux.
How to read this window
Before the window opens, the wine is in its youth: fruit dominates, tannins or acidity can feel stern. During the peak plateau, everything falls into balance: this is the moment ageing prepares. Beyond it, the wine slowly declines: nothing unsafe, but the emotion fades. These are general benchmarks for the appellation, not a verdict on your bottle.
Curious where these numbers come from? The method is published in full: five levels from the estate down to the grape, corrected by the vintage and the bottle format.
From the same region
Other appellations in Bordeaux, each with its own window:
- Côtes de Bourg
- Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux
- Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
- Canon-Fronsac
- Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé
- Cérons
- Francs Côtes de Bordeaux
- Sainte-Foy Côtes de Bordeaux
What about your bottles?
Caviste computes this window for every bottle in your cellar: photograph the label, the sheet fills itself in (estate, vintage, appellation) and the app tells you when a bottle reaches its peak. Discover Caviste.
