La Croix Ducru Beaucaillou 2022 (750ML)

94-95 JS / 93-95 JD / 93-95 VM / 94 DE / 93 JA / 90-92 WI / 90-92 WA

A chewy and polished red with blackberry and blueberry character. Full to medium body. Fine and tensioned. Excellent finish. Salty. Blackcurrants at the end. 66% merlot, 32% cabernet sauvignon, and 2% petit verdot. - James Suckling

The second wine of this great château, the 2022 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is based on two-thirds Merlot with the balance mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, raised in 80% new French oak. Hitting 14% natural alcohol, its vivid purple hue is followed by stunning aromatics of cassis, blueberries, tobacco, graphite, and chalky minerality. Full-bodied on the palate, it brings plenty of concentration and structure yet is balanced and has a great mid-palate and outstanding length. If there was a ranking for the top second wines in Bordeaux, this would be in the top handful of releases. - Jeb Dunnuck

The 2022 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou contains a lot more Merlot this year as they were compensating for the lack of Cabernet Sauvignon, this Deuxième Vin raised in 80% new oak. It has a delineated bouquet with a mixture of red and black fruit. The briary and smoky aromas feel more understated compared to its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and seamlessly integrated oak that lends a silky texture. Very harmonious with an insistent grip (the IPT is 93), it lacquers the mouth long after it has departed. That Pauillac tincture is displayed and defines its precise finish. Excellent, but be warned that the oak will require several years to assimilate fully. Not so far behind the Grand Vin because of the growing season. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

Bramble tones; fragrant and rich blackberry notes on the nose. A dark soul with depth and intensity, this has such richness and power, but restraint also. Concentrated with a directness and focus that drives it from start to finish aided by a linear vein of salinity, liquorice and blackcurrant. Tannins are robust and grippy, giving an impressive structure that is imposing in the mouth but retains a suave and endearing quality. Such charm and potential. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

Sculpted, with muscular tannins, keeps things strictly controlled on the opening beats, then opens to show creamy damson and blackberry fruits, grilled vanilla bean, peony, iris, bitter chocolate, lifted aromatics of peony and crushed rose petals, and clear salinity on the finish. This is intense and impressive, aged in 80% new oak. Harvest September 7 to October 4, almost an entire month of harvesting, unusual for the vintage. Tasted twice - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

The 2022 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is a blend of 66% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a swirl or two to reveal very pure, evocative notes of baked plums, boysenberries, and pencil shavings, leading to suggestions of sauteed herbs and forest floor. The medium-bodied palate is intensely fruity and tightly wound with loads of savory layers and a firm backbone of grainy tannins, leading to a long, mineral-laced finish. This is impressive! pH 3.75, TPI 93. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent

The 2022 La Croix de Beaucaillou opens in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cigar wrapper and fresh mint, framed by creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a deep core of fruit framed by chunky tannins, it's a blend of 66% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate