2021 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou (St-Julien)

Complex aromas of dark berries, sweet spices, licorice, cigar wrapper and loamy soil introduce the 2021 La Croix de Beaucaillou, a medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered wine that exhibits promising depth, concentration and structure in this challenging vintage. It`s a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot—in other words, it contains at lot more Cabernet than usual. 90-92 points

The 2021 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou has a very seductive bouquet of plush black cherry and raspberry preserves and a touch of Earl Grey. This is very nuanced and poised, showing a touch of cedar in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, and again, a little stricter than previous vintages thanks to the higher Cabernet Sauvignon. Classic in style, displaying fine sapidity, a touch of piquancy toward the finish and a persistent saline aftertaste. Very fine. 91-93 points

The 2021 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is packed with super-ripe black cherry, plum, crème de cassis, new leather and bittersweet chocolate, all dialed up in this decidedly exuberant Saint-Julien. There is some firmness in the tannin, but that should soften with time. Deeply pitched aromatics and striking persistence give the 2021 tons of character. This has real potential. Aging is projected to be 12 months in barrel, 50% new. 91-93 points

Clear graphite, pencil lead, finessed black fruit that is lean and precise. Impressive, more structured than the past few years of La Croix, more vertical rise through the palate, and will benefit from softening not only over ageing but with a few years in bottle to tame the severe tannins. Higher levels of Cabernet Sauvignon, because the Merlot did less well over the growing season, and it makes it feel more in the spirit of the 1st wine. 60% new oak, 27hl/h yield. 92 points