Croix Ducru Beaucaillou - Saint-Julien 2021

Vinous

93

byAntonio Gallonithe4/2/2024

The 2021 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is a dark, somber wine. Cabernet Sauvignon drives the blend, and that very much comes through in the wine's flavor profile and structural feel. Blue and black fruits, graphite, leather, menthol and spice abound. This is

Vinous

93

byAntonio Gallonithe2/28/2024

The 2021 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is a dark, somber wine. Cabernet Sauvignon drives the blend, and that very much comes through in the wine's flavor profile and structural feel. Blue and black fruits, graphite, leather, menthol and spice abound. This is a very serious Saint-Julien.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

92

byJane Ansonthe1/29/2024

Finessed and precise, with graphite, cassis and blackberry fruits, good lift and structure even if less generosity than you find in most vintages of this excellent wine. Plenty of St Julien character in its balance and grace, will offer a ton of pleasure over the next decade and more. 60% new oak, 27hl/h yield.

matthewjukes.com

17,5

byMatthew Jukesthe8/2/2022

Sourced from central Saint-Julien vineyards south of the D2, this is the finest and most chiselled Croix I have tasted. With approximately 15% more Cabernet in the mix and 2% fewer degrees of alcohol, it could only ever be a very refined creation. I can unequivocally state that regardless of its parentage, as a standalone wine, this flavour would be granted Cru Classé status if the classification was ever rerun. If La Croix can maintain this complexity, class, and refinement level, it will be up there with the finest non-Grand-Vins in the region. In terms of my score – I deliberated long and hard about awarding it an 18, so I hope that this underlines just how much I respect this wine. 17.5+

Jamessuckling.com

93-94

byJames Sucklingthe6/8/2022

Medium body with a compact core of dark fruit, blackcurrants, pine cones, cloves and chocolate. Beautiful depth. Firm, creamy tannins. Dark and firm, yet cool at the end. 64% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot and 4% petit verdot. Serious second wine.

Jeb DUNNUCK

91-94

byJeb Dunnuckthe6/2/2022

I'd put the 2021 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou in the running for the best second wine of the vintage, and it ranks with most Grand Vins. Based on 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot, still resting in two-thirds new oak, it has gorgeous blue fruits, graphite, and some obvious minerality to go with a deep, medium-bodied, concentrated, remarkably pure style on the palate. It's a gorgeous wine.

The Vintage Journal

92-93

byAndrew Caillard MWthe5/17/2022

Deep crimson. Intense blackcurrant, praline, espresso vanilla aromas. Smooth dark berry fruits, fine velvetine tannins and savoury/ vanilla oak notes. Finishes chewy/cedar firm. Very good depth and vigour with bittersweet notes. 64% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, 4% petit verdot. 12 months in 60% new French oak. 12.5% alc

The Wine Cellar Insider

90-92

byJeff Levethe5/16/2022

With a floral and plum filled nose, the wine is soft, silky, fresh and polished, with black cherries, mint leaf, bright, red currants and green olives in the finish. The wine is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. 12.5% ABV, Drink from 2024-2035. 90-92

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

92

byJane Ansonthe5/13/2022

Vinous

91-93

byNeal Martinthe5/12/2022

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.

Vinous

91-93

byAntonio Gallonithe5/11/2022

The 2021 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is packed with super-ripe black cherry, plum, crème de cassis, new leather and bittersweet chocolate, all dialed up in this decidedly exuberant Saint-Julien. There is some firmness in the tannin, but that should soften with time. Deeply pitched aromatics and striking persistence give the 2021 tons of character. This has real potential. Aging is projected to be 12 months in barrel, 50% new.

vvwine

92-94

byAdrian Van Velsenthe5/10/2022

50% Neuholz. 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. Dunkles Rubin. Die Nase ist komplex, offenbart dunkle und rote Beeren, eine feine Würze, florale Töne, Blutorangen, mineralische Noten. Im Gaumen frisch, gut strukturiert, zeigt Rasse, merklich Tannin, eine auf den Punkt gereifte Cabernet-Frucht und einer herrlichen Säure, der Wein ist lebendig, vertikal, hat Zug und eine sehr gute Länge. Sehr gelungen. 2028-2040+ (Verkostet im April 2022. Château Ducru-Beaucaillou)

Wine Advocate

90-92

byWilliam Kelleythe4/29/2022

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.

Decanter.com

92

byGeorgina Hindlethe4/1/2022

Bramble tones, quite fragrant and rich blackberry notes on the nose. A dark soul with depth and intensity, this has such richness and power but restraint also. Concentrated with a directness and focus that drives it from start to finish aided by a linear vein of salinity, liquorice and blackcurrant fruit that all take the fore. Tannins are robust and grippy giving such an impressive structure that is so imposing in the mouth but retains a suave and endearing quality. Such charm and potential.