Croix Ducru Beaucaillou - Saint-Julien 2019

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe7/15/2020

The 2019 La Croix de Beaucaillou is composed of 46% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. It has 14.3% alcohol and a pH of 3.78 with an IPT of 88. It is set to age for 12 months in French oak barrels, 60% new. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notes of crushed blackcurrants, baked blackberries and wild blueberries plus hints of woodsmoke, chargrill, black truffles and lilacs with a waft of fertile loam. Medium to full-bodied, the palate quivers with energetic black fruits, framed by bold freshness and ripe, rounded tannins, finishing on a lingering mineral note.

WeinWisser

17,5 / 20

the7/7/2020

Bettane & Desseauve

93-94 / 100

by Bettane & Desseauvethe7/3/2020

16,5-17

Vinous

89-91 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe6/18/2020

The 2019 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is a dark, sumptuous wine. Black cherry, plum, leather, spice and licorice all flesh out in a gorgeous, inviting second Saint-Julien. All of the personality of the Grand Vin comes through nicely. La Croix has plenty to offer, but like all of the 2019s from Ducru, there is an edginess in the tannins that is impossible to fully look past. According to Bruno Borie, ideal weather in September balanced the heat of the previous summer months. Readers will note a re-alignment of the range, with the two Listracs now gone and two new wines in the lineup. I tasted all of the 2019s in 100ml bottles that arrived in a very attractive package in less than 48 hours from Bordeaux. I applaud the desire to be respectful of the environment and not wasteful of wine, but I am not convinced this bottling system works yet. I found the 2019s all very hard, something that time did not help, with less of the fleshy and sumptuousness I am used to finding in these wines. I won't be surprised if the wines show better from a full bottle, but at the same time, I can only review and comment on the wines that were sent to me.

Jeb DUNNUCK

93-95 / 100

byJeb Dunnuckthe6/18/2020

The second wine of Ducru-Beaucaillou, the 2019 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is based on 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot that was brought up in 60% new French oak. Tasting more like a grand vin than a second wine, its deep purple hue gives way to a deep, rich, beautifully concentrated, full-bodied Saint-Julien with awesome purity of fruit, lots of graphite, chocolate, and crushed stone, building tannins, and a great finish. It's going to need 5-7 years of bottle age to hit maturity and is going to keep for two decades. It's a serious bottle of wine.

Vinous

94-96 / 100

byNeal Martinthe6/16/2020

The 2019 La Croix Ducru Beaucaillou is endowed with a gorgeous, quite sumptuous bouquet loaded with black plum, tobacco, smoke and Earl Grey aromas that burst from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very pliant tannin, harmonious and velvety in texture, gradually building towards a detailed and mineral-driven finish. Maybe less opulent than the 2018 by comparison, yet a Deuxième Vin full of breeding.

The Wine Cellar Insider

92-94 / 100

byJeff Levethe6/10/2020

Black currants, flowers, vanilla, dried cherry and blackberry aromas come through loud and clear on the nose. Fresh, vibrant, silky, long and juicy, the currants and blackberries continue flowing in the creamy, medium/full-bodied finish. This could be the finest vintage of La Croix Ducru--Beaucaillou produced at the estate. Clearly, this is a wine of Classified Growth quality. From a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 14.3% alcohol and is aging in 60% new, French oak barrels for 12 months. 92-94 Pts

Jamessuckling.com

93-94 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe6/4/2020

A young red with very pretty blackberries, blueberries and stone. Hints of currant leaf. Full with firm yet polished tannins. Slightly austere, in a good sense. Persistent at the end. Linear and bright.