Winemaker and Vineyard: The wines of La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou come from the vineyard of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou. This exceptional Médoc cru is spread between the river to the East and the centre and West of the AOC Saint-Julien area. The estate owes its name to its "beautiful pebbles", which, due to their quartz predominance, give lean soils. It is precisely this "agrological" poverty, as Professor René Pijassou wrote, that gives them great value for wine production. To the East, the plots occupy Médoc ridges just above the estuary, while those in the epicentre benefit from a microclimate engendered by the small stream of La Mouline, which crosses the appellation in the middle, from west to east, to flow into the Gironde.

Tasting: "The 2015 La Croix de Beaucaillou is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. It has a floral note on the nose: small black cherries, blueberry and wilted violets, the last becoming more intense as the initially tight-fisted wine opens in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin. There is very well-judged acidity and its texture is harmonious and silky smooth. The quality is loaded more in the mouth than on the nose at the moment, but it is a seriously classy "deuxième vin" that just needs a little more persistence on the finish." robertparker.com (28.04.2016)

Service: Serve at room temperature (16-18°C) to accompany tournedos with pear and Roquefort sauce.