La Croix Ducru Beaucaillou 2020 (750ML)

95 DE / 95 JS / 94 JD / 92-94 VM

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