![Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou "La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou" Saint Julien 2011 (Bordeaux, France) - [TA 93] [DM 92] [WE 92]](http://artisan.wine/cdn/shop/files/Lacroiducru_{width}x.jpg?v=1696952551)
Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou "La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou" Saint Julien 2011
(Bordeaux, France) - [TA 93] [DM 92] [WE 92]
Regular price $135.00 Sale price $99.97 Save $35.03
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About the Winery:
Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou owes its name to its "beautiful pebbles" ("beaux Cailloux", in French) that geologists refer to less romantically as Gunzian gravel. These quartz pebbles were deposited by the ancient Garonne at the beginning of the early Quaternary period, some two million years ago. It suffices to take a walk through the vineyards to make rich lithological finds. Lydian jasper from the Pyrenees, flint, quartz, agatoids... These Gunzian gravels make for soils that are poor in plant nutrients. But it is their very agrological paucity that guarantees the qualitative excellence of the wines. A choice of nature.
About the Wine:
The wines of La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou come from the vineyard of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou. This exceptional Médoc terroir is situated between the Gironde River to the east, the centre and the west of the Saint-Julien appellation. The estate owes its name to its “beautiful pebbles” ("beaux cailloux", in French) which, because of their high quartz content, make for soils that are poor in plant nutrients.
It is precisely this “agrological” paucity, as the late Bordeaux professor and geographer, René Pijassou, described it, that makes them so well-suited to the production of fine wine. In the east, the plots are planted along the rolling Médoc ridges, just above the estuary, while those at the epicentre benefit from a microclimate nurtured by the little La Mouline stream that meanders through the middle of the appellation from west to east before disappearing into the Gironde.
La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is an original expression of the terroirs of Ducru-Beaucaillou, a blend that is one of a kind. Ducru-Beaucaillou’s elitist approach is fully at work here. As is a passion, that of a team dedicated to excellence.
A high-flying wine that perfectly expresses its terroir of exception. This wine blends a high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon (around 60% each year), completed with Merlot Noir (35% to 37%) as well as a subtly spicy touch of Petit Verdot (3% to 5%).
Powerful, silky, very aromatic, La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou beguiles with its bouquet, its balance, its remarkable finesse and its lengthy finish. A great cuvée that stimulates, then captivates the senses; it is the perfect introduction to the Borie signature.
Ratings & Reviews
93 Points - Tim Atkin:"This is the second wine of Ducru, but it's an impressive effort in a year like 2011, benefiting from the addition of Petit Verdot. Vibrantly coloured with violets and Asian spices on the nose, sweet oak, plush, yet grippy tannins and structured flavours of liquorice and blackberry." (Apr 2012)
92 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"A little leaner than some vintages of La Croix, although with lovely concentration still at 10 years. It has maintained a fresh core, plenty of grip and spice. The Petit Verdot is making its presence felt and this is full of signature St-Julien character, with a twist of smoke. 60% new oak. First vintage with the Jade Jagger label, and really the time that they began to put the emphasis on this as its own separate entity. (Drink between 2021-2032)" - Jane Anson (Feb 2021)
92 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"No longer a second wine of Ducru Beaucaillou but a growth in its own right, this is a powerful wine, very dense and muscular. Rich berry fruits push through the firm structure to give a wine that will become opulent as it develops. Drink from 2018." - Roger Voss (May 2014)