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Croix Ducru Beaucaillou 2021

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Petit Verdot

This wine has been made since 1995, but the name has recently changed from “Croix de Beaucaillou” to “La Croix Ducru Beaucaillou”. Originally a second wine of Ducru, it has been produced since 2005 from a specific vineyard site situated on the opposite side of the D2 road from Ducru itself, between Châteaux Saint Pierre and Léoville Barton. It is regarded as being of classed growth quality but in an approachable style thanks to a higher than average proportion of Merlot for Saint Julien.

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Label

Tasting Notes

Complex aromas of dark berries, sweet spices, licorice, cigar wrapper and loamy soil introduce the 2021 La Croix de Beaucaillou, a medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered wine that exhibits promising depth, concentration and structure in this challenging vintage. It's a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot—in other words, it contains at lot more Cabernet than usual.

90/92
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (260), April 2022

The 201 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou has a very seductive bouquet of plush black cherry and raspberry preserves and a touch of Earl Grey. This is very nuanced and poised, showing a touch of cedar in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, and again, a little stricter than previous vintages thanks to the higher Cabernet Sauvignon. Classic in style, displaying fine sapidity, a touch of piquancy toward the finish and a persistent saline aftertaste. Very fine.

91/93
Neal Martin, vinous.com, May 2022

The 2021 is made from 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot aged in two thirds new oak. Vibrant purple colour. Quite a sweet blue-fruited pastry nose. The palate is silky in blue fruit but framed by quite persistent and firm tannins. Grip and savour build on the mid palate, the airy blue and red fruit remaining gently in the middle. This is a wine of linear depth for now, but the intensity of fruit suggests it will flesh out with elevage and in bottle.

90/92
Thomas Parker MW, Farr Vintners, April 2022

The 2021 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is made from 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, to be aged in 60% new oak. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it comes skipping out of the glass with cheery scents of black and red cherries, mulberries, and fresh plums, followed by hints of lilacs and powdered cinnamon with a waft of bay leaves. Light-bodied, the palate is elegantly played with a lively backbone and soft tannins, finishing on a peppery note. pH 3.84. IPT 92.
2025-2035

87/89
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, May 2022

Clear graphite, pencil lead, finessed black fruit that is lean and precise. Impressive, more structured than the past few years of La Croix, more vertical rise through the palate, and will benefit from softening not only over ageing but with a few years in bottle to tame the severe tannins. Higher levels of Cabernet Sauvignon, because the Merlot did less well over the growing season, and it makes it feel more in the spirit of the 1st wine. 60% new oak, 27hl/h yield.

92
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com, April 2022

64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. Cask sample.
Ripe, dark and very pure with a certain opulence due to the core of generous fruit. Structured and fresh, though, with plenty of fine tannin giving punch and length on the finish. (JL) 12.5%
Drink 2028 – 2038

16.5
James Lawther MW, JancisRobinson.com, May 2022
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.