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! — a day ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.3

2018 vintage. — 12 days ago

"Odedi"

9.0

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let's bring Merlot back!

Pretty color of ruby with a wide reddish rim.

Fruity nose with red and black fruits, light wood, tobacco and chocolate notes.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with blueberries, black plums, currants, light wood, spices, coffee and peppercorn.

Medium plus in length on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty second wine from this Grand Cru Estate in Saint Emilion. Soft and elegant.

Balanced and fruit forward with nice complexity.

Drinking at its peak now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next few years.

Easy drinking and good by itself or with food. A nice sipping wine.

A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. Aged for 15 months in used French oak barrels.

13% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$30. — 3 months ago

Dave

9.1

Delectable, this is Chateau Saint-Roch's Kerbuccio grenache blend. Nice wine that's full bodied and heavy. Good for this evening's cool temps. Plum, blueberry, tobacco, spice. Soft and short finish, but very enjoyable. I had the cheaper counterpart the other night, and this one scores a point higher. Also 65% Grenache 35% Syrah.
Listening to Local H — 14 days 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

Jim Stehli

9.3

Happiness is drinking a wine that is simply delicious . It’s simply good. No need to talk about it. — 2 months ago

Jessi Campos

9.5

Paris 2025.. brought back. — 2 months ago

Dave

9.0

My goodness, this is very delicious. 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah. Each grape pulls its weight in this blend, to great effect. Dark, brooding fruit with smoke and heat, but soft in the mouth. A short finish, maybe a little flabby, but it just tastes so good. I'm enjoying it with a hedonistic little charcuterie for one, and Ken Burns' country music documentary. — 16 days ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.0

We took no notes. Very modern but not overdone, we actually liked it a lot. — a month ago

with Jose, veronique and 1 other

K Brooks

9.0

Wonderful with pork tenderloin. Smooth and fruity — 2 months ago