La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou 2019, Grande Réserve Saint-Julien - Parker 91+

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

Tasting: Rich aromas of cassis, licorice, cigar wrapper, loamy soil and creamy new oak introduce Bruno Borie's 2019 La Croix de Beaucaillou, a full-bodied, deep and concentrated wine that's rich and lively, with a fleshy core of fruit and plenty of fine, chalky tannin. Like for example Clos du Marquis and Les Forts de Latour, La Croix de Beaucaillou isn't a second wine per se, but rather a cuvée produced from dedicated parcels. (robertparker.com, 04.07.2022)

Service: Serve at room temperature (16-18°) to accompany a leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary.