La Croix Ducru Beaucaillou, Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou, Saint Julien, Bordeaux, France, 2018 

Grape Blend: 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. Yield 35hl/ha. Hand sorted grapes cooled with dry ice before fermentation! Twelve months' ageing in oak (two thirds new wood each year)

The La Croix vineyards form part of the 300 year old "Second Growth" estate now owned by Bruno Borie.

Powerful, silky, and very aromatic, La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou beguiles with its bouquet, its balance, its remarkable finesse and its lengthy finish.

"The 2018 La Croix de Beaucaillou is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, aged 12 months in two-third new barriques. It has a pH of 3.75, 15% alcohol and an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 96. Deep garnet-purple colored, it rolls effortlessly out of the glass with vibrant notes of crushed blueberries, baked plums and blackcurrant cordial with hints of bouquet garni, underbrush, clove oil and cast-iron pan. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a sturdy frame of firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing earthy. Not a second wine as such, because it comes from a dedicated part of the vineyard, the blocks for La Croix de Beaucaillou are generally located on the south bank of the La Mouline steam."

92/100 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate, March 2021