Croix de Beaucaillou - Saint-Julien 2009

Wine Advocate

92 / 100

byNeal Martinthe1/1/2013

Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. What a superb second wine this is! It is very pure and feminine on the nose with lifted wild strawberry and redcurrant scents that lend it a Burgundy-like allure. The oak is present but finely sutured. The palate is very well balanced with sappy red fruit on the entry. Fleshier than its peers, this is approachable, but its harmony and focus belie a firm backbone. Excellent. Tasted January 2013.(92+ point)

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/29/2012

The grand vin is the result of an increasingly strict selection process, with approximately 50% of the production going into the final wine and the balance used in the Croix de Beaucaillou. The 2009 may be the finest example of this cuvee I have yet tasted. Up-front, precocious and generous, it possesses a dense purple color, a big, broad, unctuous texture and abundant notes of creme de cassis and black cherry fruit intertwined with hints of wood smoke, vanillin and earth. This nearly viscous-styled wine can be drunk in 2-3 years or cellared for 15+. Bruno Borie has done a remarkable job at Ducru Beaucaillou.

Jamessuckling.com

93 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/15/2012

Aromas of blackberry and blueberries, with Chinese spices, follow through to a full body, with firm tannins and a mineral, floral and chewy finish. Beautiful already, but needs at least three or four years to soften and open.

Le Figaro

91-93 / 100

byBernard Burtschythe6/30/2010

Elaboré par Ducru-Beaucaillou. Robe grenat et nez discret pour le moment. En bouche, un vin frais, ferme, de bonne longueur avec un beau cabernet-sauvignon. Ce vin est dorénavant issu d’un terroir spécifique. Les jeunes vignes sont vendues sous de « private label » à des négociants, ce qui explique la qualité de ce vin. 70 % cabernet-sauvignon, 30 % merlot.

timatkin.com

94 / 100

byTim Atkin MWthe6/30/2010

13.5% alcohol. 75CS, 25M Yet another top château whose second wine isn’t so far behind the grand vin in terms of quality, Ducru has produced a stunner here. It’s very much a Cabernetbased style, with muscular structure and fresh acidity, but the tannins are beautifully handled, enveloped by notes of dark chocolate, plum and sweet blackberries. 15+ years.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

87-90 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe6/30/2010

(a blend of 75% cabernet sauvignon and 25% merlot; pH 3.69; 60% new oak) Very deep purple. Fresh cabernet sauvignon-dominated nose shows floral, cassis and graphite aromas. Also vibrant on entry, with ripe, soft black fruit and mineral flavors that resonate through the smooth finish. This very well-made wine shows much more complexity, depth and freshness than usual; while there's a hint of slightly drying tannins, this looks to be the best Croix ever. Owner Bruno Borie told me that beginning in 2005 this became a wine of terroir too: rather than including grapes from Ducru's youngest or less favorably situated vines (fruit that now goes into private labels), the Croix is made only with the grapes of certain specific parcels.

Le Point

15 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/6/2010

75% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot. Fruits noirs, épices, assez mûr, bouche fraîche, élégante, assez tendue ; vin assez élancé, frais. O=2013 G=10 ans

Falstaff

91-93 / 100

byPeter Moserthe4/30/2010

Feine Zwetschkenfrucht, zart nach Heidelbeeren, Orangenzesten, Nougat-Karamell. Elegant, seidige Tannine, frische süße Beerenfrucht, bleibt sehr gut haften, zitroniger Nachhall.

TAST

18 / 20

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/30/2010

Cet « autre » vin de Beaucaillou est particulièrement impressionnant cette année, avec une matière très riche, un tanin extrait avec une précision et une adresse remarquables, une classe de très grand cru classé, et probablement une capacité à vieillir aussi grande que le « premier » vin de la même source.

Wine Advocate

91-93 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2010

Tasted at the château. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot, matured in 60% new oak and the rest, one-year old, coming in with 13.35% alcohol and pH of 3.69, this has a lifted, quite minty nose, blackberry, a touch of cedar, taking its time to unfurl and then later, a touch of black olive tapenade. The palate is full-bodied, quite smooth and sensuous, very pure, quite feminine, small black cherries, a touch of plum and a nice citrus-led finish. Almost understated at first, but growing all the time in the glass. Silky smooth finish. Tasted March 2010.

Wine Advocate

88-90 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/28/2010

Ducru’s second wine, the 2009 Croix de Beaucaillou, is a thrill to taste. Made from a single vineyard, it exhibits a dense purple color along with a creamy texture and loads of creme de cassis fruit intertwined with notions of charcoal, incense, and spice. Round, generous, and opulent, it can be drunk now or cellared for 15+ years. (Tasted once.)

Periodic Review of Wine

91-93 / 100

byAlan Duranthe4/28/2010

The saturated ruby colored La Croix de Beaucaillou offers complex wet-stone, eucalyptus, blackberry, blueberry, and cassis aromas. This lingers with delicious extract and complexity. Additionally, it offers a more intricate fruit of blackberry and savory mushroom flavor, a full-body, density, and more muscle and structure than usual. It adds up to a wine with greater degree of longevity. So good in 2009! Maturity period 2015-2028.

Anthony Rose

91-93 / 100

byAnthony Rosethe4/26/2010

75% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot, 13.4% alcohol, 35% new oak. Dense colour, fine nose, lovely sweet intense red fruits quality, very generously ripe succulently textured cherryish fruit with fine tannins and fresh acidity and excellent overall balance, lovely finesse with excellent savoury acidity, fine precision and freshness.

Wine Spectator

89-92 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/9/2010

Rose, mineral, currant and berries on the nose. Full-bodied, with firm and chewy tannins and a long finish. Polished and pretty. Could use a little bit more in the center palate, but very good indeed. Second wine of Ducru.

Decanter Magazine

17 / 20

bySteven Spurrierthe4/9/2010

Black red, really good depth of fruit and totally polished Saint-Julien style with spice and grip due to high proportion of ripe Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink 2014-22.

Jancis Robinson

16,5 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/7/2010

75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot. From the centre of the appellation area and all the young vines too. Deep crimson. Lively and fresh on the nose. Sleek, polished, very sweet and frank – black fruits on the palate. 60% new oak. Dries out a bit on the finish. A little exaggerated. Cool and drying on the finish. Drink 2017-2028