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Château Ducru-Beaucaillou La Croix Saint-Julien 2018

Reviews

94 -Jeb Dunnuck -

The second wine of this great domaine is the 2018 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou. A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot, this ripe, opulent beauty boasts a dense purple color to go with a sexy, full-bodied style showing loads of blackcurrants, cassis, spice, candied violet, and tobacco-like aromas and flavors. Plush, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, this is one big, sumptuous Saint-Julien that's going to evolve for 15-20 years or more.

94 -James Suckling -

94 -Wine Enthusiast -

93 -Vinous -

Just as it was en primeur, the 2018 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is rich, sensual and enveloping. Silky tannins wrap around a core of blackberry jam, chocolate, spice, lavender and new leather. All the elements are so well balanced in this sumptuous, racy Saint-Julien. A warm growing season yielded small berries and heady, concentrated flavors. This is such a gorgeous wine. The blend is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot.

93 -Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider -

93 -Falstaff -

92 -Robert Parker's Wine Advocate -

The 2018 La Croix de Beaucaillou is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, aged 12 months in two-third new barriques. It has a pH of 3.75, 15% alcohol and an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 96. Deep garnet-purple colored, it rolls effortlessly out of the glass with vibrant notes of crushed blueberries, baked plums and blackcurrant cordial with hints of bouquet garni, underbrush, clove oil and cast-iron pan. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a sturdy frame of firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing earthy. Not a second wine as such, because it comes from a dedicated part of the vineyard, the blocks for La Croix de Beaucaillou are generally located on the south bank of the La Mouline steam.

91 -The Wine Independent -

90 -Decanter -

In 2018, La Croix is a rumbustious, powerful St-Julien weighing in with 15% alcohol. This feels very New World in character, in a blind-tasting it could almost be mistaken for a Napa Valley wine. Impressive in its heft, the fleshy fruit is plump and ripe but the palate finishes rather hot, with edgy tannins reflecting the challenges of the vintage. Impressive but not as refreshing as I'd like my Bordeaux to be.

90-93 -Wine Spectator -

Technical Details

Blend 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot
Winemaker René Lusseau & Bruno Borie
Country France
Region Bordeaux
Sub Region Left Bank
Appellation Saint-Julien
Vineyard Estate Vineyards of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Second-Growth (2ème Grand Cru Classé)
Farming Method High Environmental Value (HVE) Level 3 & ISO 14001 Certified
Oak 2/3 new French oak barriques
Fermentation Pre-fermentation maceration over 7 days, followed by fermentation in wooden tronconique tanks
Aging / Cooperage 12 months
Alcohol 15%

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou La Croix Saint-Julien 2018

Name: Château Ducru-Beaucaillou La Croix Saint-Julien 2018
Brand: First Bottle
SKU: 1014756
Price: 49.95 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

Bordeaux Blends | Bordeaux

JD94, JS94, WE94, VN93, JL93, FS93, WA92, TWI91, DC90, WS90-93

High Environmental Value (HVE) Level 3 & ISO 14001 Certified

$100.00

$49.95

750ML

50% OFF RETAIL!

La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is not a second wine in the traditional sense. It comes from a distinct, separately vinified set of terroir blocks within the Ducru-Beaucaillou estate, under proprietor Bruno Borie's exacting approach: organically farmed at 10,000 vines per hectare, macerations in long-seasoned new oak, and a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. The 2018 drew 94 from Jeb Dunnuck, James Suckling, and Wine Enthusiast, 93 from Vinous and James Lawther, and 92 from Wine Advocate. Jeb Dunnuck called it ripe, opulent, and plush, with loads of blackcurrant, cassis, violet, and tobacco-like depth, and the structure to evolve over 15 to 20 years. It significantly outpunches its price relative to the grand vin of this legendary Saint-Julien estate, and the price here makes it an even more compelling proposition. Don't sleep on it.

About The Producer

One of Bordeaux’s most iconic Second Growths, Château Ducru-Beaucaillou has a history dating back to the 18th century and is renowned for its gravel-rich terroir overlooking the Gironde. Under the stewardship of the Borie family, the estate has undergone significant investment in vineyards and cellar technology. Today, Ducru-Beaucaillou produces wines that marry classical Saint-Julien structure with modern precision and polish.

$100.00

$49.95

750ML

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