Appellations

Croix Ducru Beaucaillou (2nd label of Ducru) 2017

St Julien, Second wine

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Tasting Notes

The 2017 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is bold, juicy and super expressive. A rush of blackberry jam, chocolate, licorice and spice all build in a Saint-Julien loaded with resonance and volume. Readers will have a hard time keeping their hands off this jewel of a wine.

Score: 92 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2020-2032 Date: 01 March 2020

The 2017 Croix de Beaucaillou is aged in around 80% new oak and was bottled in June. The nose reflects my remarks out of barrel with gorgeous red berry fruit laced with fresh fig and wild mint, very well defined, a Croix de Beaucaillou with panache to spare. The palate is medium-bodied with supple and fine tannins married with a fine bead of acidity. It is not a dense or particularly concentrated wine, but nimble and "athletic", fresh as a daisy on the finish. Classic Saint-Julien!

Score: 91 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2022-2045 Date: 01 February 2020

This is not a second wine per se, as it consistently comes from a separate vineyard in Saint-Julien. The blend is usually around 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, but this year it has a high percentage of Merlot: 58%, with 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 La Croix de Beaucaillou has quite a spicy nose sporting cloves, anise, black pepper and fenugreek with a core of crushed blackberries and black currants plus wafts of underbrush and potpourri. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, grainy tannins and great freshness supporting the vivacious fruit, finishing long and earthy.

Score: 89 - 91 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Date: 27 April 2018

Deep crimson. Again that scented cherry fruit that I tasted in Lalande Borie with just a hint of char. Savoury as well as sweet-fruited – definite red fruit on the silky mid palate. Firmer on the finish but lots of fruit in the middle and a long, juicy, fresh finish. Fine tannins and just a hint of chocolate-sweet tannins on the finish.

Score: 16 - 17 Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2024-2035 Date: 27 April 2018

A blend of 58% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Petit Verdot, 60% new oak, the deep ruby-colored 2017 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou from the charismatic winemaker Bruno Borie is another elegant, seamless wine from this vintage. It’s certainly a high-quality second wine. (It’s more like a second cuvée as it comes from a designated sector of vines.) Crème de cassis, crushed flowers, violets, and forest floor notes all flow to a medium-bodied, silky 2017 that has fine, fine tannin and plenty of length. Drink it while you wait on the Grand Vin.

Score: 90 - 92 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Date: 23 April 2018

This is very fresh and minerally with a salty and oyster shell character. Full body, tight and bright. Plenty of currant flavors too.

Score: 92 - 93 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Date: 06 April 2018

Solid, with a fresh beam of plum, black currant and anise flavors riding along a racy graphite edge. Clear and focused. Not big but a textbook St.-Julien.

Score: 89 - 92 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator Date: 04 April 2018

The Merlot here is grown on sandy-gravel soils and brings both freshness and structure. There's good balance, plush autumnal berry fruits and lovely spice, supported by well placed, delicate tannins. It's a clear Médoc twist on the varietal, even though this is a little lusher and more approachable than in recent years where Cabernet Sauvignon has been higher in the blend - last year it was at 66%, but vintage conditions in 2017 affected some of the crop. It's a little different in expression from 2016, but is an extremely high quality, great drinking wine. 3.74pH. IPT 75.

Score: 91 Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2025-2038 Date: 01 April 2018