La Croix de Beaucaillou Saint Julien 2019

VM94-96: The 2019 La Croix Ducru Beaucaillou is endowed with a gorgeous, quite sumptuous bouquet loaded with black plum, tobacco, smoke and Earl Grey aromas that burst from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very pliant tannin, harmonious and velvety in texture, gradually building towards a detailed and mineral-driven finish. Maybe less opulent than the 2018 by comparison, yet a Deuxième Vin full of breeding.

JD93-95: The second wine of Ducru-Beaucaillou, the 2019 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is based on 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot that was brought up in 60% new French oak. Tasting more like a grand vin than a second wine, its deep purple hue gives way to a deep, rich, beautifully concentrated, full-bodied Saint-Julien with awesome purity of fruit, lots of graphite, chocolate, and crushed stone, building tannins, and a great finish. It's going to need 5-7 years of bottle age to hit maturity and is going to keep for two decades. It's a serious bottle of wine.