La Croix Ducru Beaucaillou 2020 (750ML)

95 DE / 95 JS / 94 JD / 92-94 VM / 92-94 WCI / 93 FS / 92 WI / 91 WA

So much purity and definition, this is a beautiful wine with clarity of flavour. Touches of grilled almond and rosemary, mocha, smoke and coffee bean, there is so much freshness, with juice rushing in between the muscles and a mint leaf finish. 3.78pH, 60% new oak. Yields were 25-30hl/ha. In a year where second wines in the Médoc have sometimes suffered from over-concentration, La Croix de Beaucaillou is a standout success. - Jane Anson, Decanter

Aromas of currants, orange peel and dried flowers. Minerals. Medium to full body, fine and lightly chewy tannins, and a long and linear finish. Hints of salt. Crushed stone. Flavorful and bright. A little closed. Needs time to open. 53% cabernet sauvignon, 44% merlot, and 3% petit verdot. Better after 2027. - James Suckling

The second wine of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou matches many châteaux's Grand Vins. Their 2020 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou (52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot) reveals a dense purple hue as well as full-bodied array of cassis, graphite, liquid violets, and tobacco. It has tons of minerality, a stacked mid-palate, and ripe tannins. Give bottles 2-4 years in the cellar and enjoy over the following two decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

The 2020 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou, matured in 60% new oak for an expected 12 months, is pleasantly reduced on the nose, opening up in the glass with intense black fruit laced with black olive and subtle estuarine scents. The palate is medium-bodied with an appealing powdery texture. A structured Saint-Julien with tangible backbone and grip on the finish. Yet, there is exquisite balance and impressive salinity on the aftertaste. Excellent. -- Neal Martin, Vinous Media

Tobacco, cedar, mint leaf, cigar box and black currants come together on the nose. The wine is refined, soft and supple with silky tannins, ripe, sweet, fruits, lift and freshness. The elegant finish with its black cherry, mocha and spice nuances tastes as good as it feels. Hold this for 3-5 years before opening a bottle and it will really start showing its essence. The wine is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon , 44% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot . 92-94- Jeff Leve, Wine Cellar Insider

Deep ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, faint brightening on rim. Delicate noble wood nuances, black wild berries, cassis, ripe plum, candied orange zest. Juicy, elegant, fresh red cherry, lively acidity, fine nougat, silky tannins, shows good length, pleasant minerality, good ageing potential.-Falstaff

The 2020 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is composed of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a little swirling to bring out notes of plum preserves, warm cassis, and underbrush with touches of clove oil, cedar chest, and black olives. The medium to full-bodied palate is chock full of juicy black fruits, supported by velvety tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and spicy.-Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent

Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, plums, violets and licorice, the 2020 La Croix de Beaucaillou is medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, with a pure core of perfumed fruit and a charming, precise profile.-William Kelley, The Wine Advocate