| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
The second wine (also about 50% of the total production), the 2012 Croix du Beaucaillou is composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest mostly Merlot with 2% Petit Verdot. It is a soft, round, attractively endowed effort with a deep ruby/plum color as well as a sweet nose of black currants, dusty, loamy, earthy notes and a touch of lead pencil shavings and vanilla. Well-made and medium-bodied, this attractive 2012 should drink well for 10-12 years.
The charismatic Bruno Borie has produced a 2012 Ducru Beaucaillou made from 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot (about 50% of the total production). The harvest began right after the deluge that occurred the weekend of October 7, 8 and 9. A lot of dry tannins were present the day I tasted this wine, but I think they will soften and become manageable as the wine continues its upbringing in barrel for another 12-14 months.
Tasted blind at the Bordeaux 2012 Southwold tasting. The 2012 La Croix de Beaucaillou has a reserved but clean and focused bouquet of earthy black fruit, tobacco and a touch of bay leaf. It just needs a little more vigor. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. There is an attractive pencil lead note, fine balance with quite a long tail on the finish. This is another very satisfying deuxième vin from Bruno Borie, if not quite up there with the very best that he has produced in recent years. Tasted January 2016.
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot; two-thirds new oak. The Jade Jagger bottle. Bright crimson - no blue. Jazzy and lively and lots of zest and fruit. Very light tannins, and correct but not much density or tannin. This is for fun early drinking and lots of pleasure. I could drink this tonight. So pretty!
The second wine at Ducru is not a blockbuster in 2012, but lovers of old-fashioned Bordeaux
won't have a problem with that. Elegant and refined, with good acidity, notes of cassis,
pomegranate and Asian spices, medium-weight tannins and a fresh flourish of a finish.
Drink: 2020-28
The Croix de Beaucaillou 2012 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot delivering 13.10% alcohol. It is being raised in 60% in new oak and the rest in one-year old barrels. It has a fragrant, marine accent on the nose with hints of seaweed coming through. It is nicely defined and well integrated with the oak. The palate is medium-bodied and very sleek and silky on the entry with crisp acidity cutting through. There is certainly good weight here with a sweet seductive finish. Tasted April 2013.
