La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou 2021

Deep dark ruby fading to purple at the narrow rim. Black forest berries, hints of dark cherries, subtle nougat, fine herbal savouriness. Taut, lean, fresh, red berries, a salty touch; a very lively, light-footed food companion.

The 2021 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is a more serious effort offering solid concentration in a vintage that yielded mostly mid-weight, elegant wines. Cassis, darker berries, spice, and graphite all define this nicely balanced, medium- to full-bodied second wine. The blend is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, which is more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual for this cuvée. It's a focused, elegant wine to drink over the coming 10-15 years.

(64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 12.5% vol. alcohol) Off-dry, medium-bodied, floral bouquet, cherries, blackcurrants, cedar. Elegant, refined palate with fresh fruit, good tannins, delicate structure, powerful, sweet aromatics, long, fresh, slightly off-dry finish. 17/20 2028 - 2040

Finessed and precise, with graphite, cassis and blackberry fruit, good lift and structure even if less generosity than you find in most vintages of this excellent wine. Plenty of St-Julien character in its balance and grace, it will offer a ton of pleasure over the next decade and beyond. 60% new oak, 27 hl/ha yield.

A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou 2021 has a deep garnet-purple color. It slowly emerges from the glass offering notes of fresh blackberries and blackcurrants, with hints of raspberries and pencil shavings in the undercurrent, plus a waft of bay leaves. The light-bodied palate is light on its feet and refreshing, with a slight, pleasant chewiness to the tannins and a mineral-laced finish.

A crystalline, shimmering bouquet, set with dark fruits and intense floral notes. Beneath polished tannins, pure dark fruit and cocoa bean come together in a delicately lace‑like texture.