LA CROIX DUCRU-BEAUCAILLOU
2023 Saint Julien
| Grapes | Merlot, Cab Sauv, Petit Verdot |
| Colour | Red |
| Origin | France, Bordeaux |
| Sub-district | Haut Médoc |
| Village | Saint Julien |
| ABV | 13.5% |
58 Merlot, 40 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2 Petit Verdot: 13.5% alc: 3.71 pH: 91 IPT: Harvested from 8 September - 3 October While Le Petit has some unpolished wildness due to its chunky Merlot content, it is still an impressive wine. But when this wine hits the glass, it is clear there is a big step up to La Croix on both the nose and palate. The fruit is adroit, upright and thrilling, and the tannins made me grin from ear to ear. There is trademark Ducru exoticism here, and it is delivered with aplomb. A chiselled jawline and confident stance make ’23 La Croix seem slightly more civilised and self-assured than the imposing 2022. This is a more athletic wine than I expected. It has a rangy, loping gait and a fair amount of swagger - there is much to admire. A slightly odd equilibrium is found mid-way along the palate when the intense fruit notes encounter sublime freshness coming in the other direction. This is shocking and pleasing in equal measure. La Croix is a superb wine, and while it gains the same score as the 2022, in many ways, I prefer it. It again shows that human intervention and decision-making made the wines of Ducru truly impressive in 2023. 18+/20 Rating: 18+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2024)
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Inky plum colour, high tannic count (91IPT) but with a cushion of air running underneath, this delivers a contrast of light and shade, and captures an effortless St Julien character, coulpled with floral and savoury Cabernet, and the kick of gourmet cocoa bean that is a signature of the wine. 60% new oak. Drinking range: 2025 - 2032 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)
The 2023 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou marries sophistication with the textural richness that is such a signature here. All the elements are so well balanced. Jammy dark red fruit, pomegranate, blood orange, spice and mocha infuse the 2023 with tons of nuance. Supple tannins wrap it all together. This Saint-Julien screams with character. Drinking range: 2025 - 2035 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)
The blend is 58% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot, sourced from a cluster of inland vineyards south of La Mouline. A beautifully perfumed expression on the nose, floral with layers of dark chocolate, violets and roses. It has great pencil-drawn linearity, and correspondingly the palate has the beautiful poise of the vintage, with sweet and linear fruits, dressed with floral notes like the nose, but with a firm backbone of dark and finely grained tannins. Dark, yet floral and precise, with the tannic grip of the vintage, long and lightly puckering in the finish. A very impressive character, with great potential, this is a fine La Croix, with huge tannic grip in the end. One for the cellar, for sure. The alcohol level is about 13.5%. Rating: 92-94 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)
Château Ducru Beaucaillou
St Julien Deuxième cru 1855 When the Beychevelle estate was broken up in 1642, in order to pay off the debts of the deceased owner, it gave birth to three Châteaux - Beychevelle, Branaire-Ducru and Ducru-Beaucaillou. Château Ducru Beaucaillou was so named because of the quality lent to the wine by the large pebbles in the soil - the "good pebbles" being "beau caillou" (although it was originally "Maucaillou", "bad pebbles" not being much use for any other kind of agriculture). In 1795, the estate was purchased by Bertrand Ducru, and the name was complete. The early years on the 20th Century were not kind to Ducru-Beaucaillou, but salvation was on hand with its purchase by Francis Borie in 1941. Apart from some problems with TCA during the late 1980's, the tenure of the Borie family has been a time of continuing improvement at Ducru-Beaucaillou. Today, Francis' grandson Bruno Borie heads up the estate. The Borie family also own Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste and Château Haut Batailley. The 75ha of vineyard are planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot have, apparently, left the blend. The Grand Vin spends 18 to 20 months in wood, with the proportion of new wood varying between vintages. A second wine was introduced in 1995 - La Croix de Beaucaillou. Also produced at Ducru-Beaucaillou is Château Lalande-Borie from vineyard purchased from Château Lagrange in 1970 which, although it could perfectly legally be absorbed into Château Ducru Beaucaillou, has always been produced as a seperate wine.
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