2014 Ducru-Beaucaillou La Croix de Beaucaillou
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Tasting notes
Some weight here on the nose. Power. Clean and complete and there is some depth here, a lot going on. Cool lift in the mouth. Meaty. Proper St Julien fruit. Fully ripe and complete. This is right at the top. Excellent.
Critic scores
James Suckling
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
With the 2014 vintage the name changed from La Croix de Beaucaillou to La Croix de Ducru-Beaucaillou. They've also started referring to it as a Grande Réserve though they don't write this on the label. Sweet ink. Round and fresh and on the button. Firm structure and really juicy. Desperately needs food but the finish is also most impressive. (JR)
The 2014 La Croix de Beaucaillou has enjoyed a purple patch in recent vintages. The nose on the 2014 appeared to have closed down after bottling, but the quality is still tangible, almost sedate, but exquisitely defined tertiary red berry fruit gradually opens in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp and energetic, very focused with superb mineralité. There is just a mote of hardness and rigidity on the finish, but that will be abraded by bottle age (and this is one Deuxième Vin that benefits from bottle maturity).
The 2014 Croix de Beaucaillou is a very dark, powerful, concentrated second wine in an especially juicy style. Black cherry, plum, smoke, licorice and dark spice build into the huge, voluptuous finish. Tasted two times.
About the producer
Second Growth estate Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou in Saint-Julien is one of the Super Seconds, an elite group of properties producing wines that regularly compete with the finest in the Médoc.