Freddy R. Troya

9.3

La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou – 2021
AOC Saint-Julien – Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
The second wine of the famed 2nd Growth Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, crafted under the stewardship of the Borie family. The 2021 vintage carries the estate’s signature terroir of deep gravel soils (“beaux cailloux” meaning “beautiful stones”), producing wines with elegance, depth, and longevity. Typical blend leans on Cabernet Sauvignon 64%, Merlot 32% and Petit Verdot 4% for a compelling profile.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackcurrant, blackberry, and dark plum layered with graphite, tobacco, and cedar. Secondary notes of violets, cocoa powder, and subtle spice add depth and intrigue.

Mouthfeel
Firm tannic backbone with a silky texture emerging mid-palate. Medium to full-bodied, offering precision and finesse over sheer power. Fresh acidity frames the fruit, finishing long with mineral-driven elegance.

Food Pairings
Ribeye steak, venison, or duck confit, gourmet burgers, grilled portobello mushrooms, or truffle pizza. Aged Comté, Ossau-Iraty, or sharp Cheddar.

Verdict
A true Saint-Julien expression, structured yet polished, approachable in youth but built to evolve. This second wine offers a taste of Ducru’s pedigree without the grand vin price tag.

Did You Know?
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou earned its name from the large “beautiful stones” (cailloux) that dominate the vineyard’s gravel soils, perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon, which thrives in heat-retentive terroir.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight: For lovers of Left Bank Bordeaux, this is a perfect introduction to Ducru’s magic, refined, powerful, and unmistakably Saint-Julien at a very affordable price point. Cheers! — 5 days ago

Sean Townley

9.3

Wonderful nose. Slightly muted / past prime but still very enjoyable — 7 days ago

Robert Ahlstrom

9.2

Ruby medium opacity, well balanced tannins with red fruits and leather, opened up over time to reveal subtle notes of currants and cherries, great St Estephe! — 20 days ago

Ron Siegel

9.2

Surprised how well this was showing with its polished mouthfeel with mostly black fruit, graphite, leather, earth, subtle spice & tobacco. From a case purchased on release — 8 days ago

GaryWEdwards

9.5

With a short decant , drinking with long finish after a fragrant nose. — 9 days ago

Jol

9.1

Surprenant 2014 du fruit et de la longueur — 11 days ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

Vintage 2018 | much cassis, excellent taste with great structure | paired with duck breast | at Les Rousses — a month ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.1

Merlot dominates this blend but there is some Cabernet Sauvignon and some Cabernet Franc blended in. Medium ruby color with a slight clear meniscus. Fruit forward aromas and flavors of blackberry, black cherry, dark plum, baking spices and cedar. Medium-plus finish. Medium body and very silky tannins. Well balanced/layered acidity and a very silky texture. A bit more austere than a traditional Medoc red blend. At peak. — a month ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.0

2021 vintage. A bit less body and oak than the last few vintages. Some bright frontal cherry and really good value along with (generally) being atypical of St. Estèphe as it comes across as softer. 10.8.25. — 21 days ago

JKT

9.1

Nicely aged balanced satisfying Bordeaux. Mari Jack visit lunch with cheesesteak — 15 days ago