2009 La Croix de Beaucaillou, Saint-Julien 1x750ml

Robert Parker 92

Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. What a superb second wine this is! It is very pure and feminine on the nose with lifted wild strawberry and redcurrant scents that lend it a Burgundy-like allure. The oak is present but finely sutured. The palate is very well balanced with sappy red fruit on the entry. Fleshier than its peers, this is approachable, but its harmony and focus belie a firm backbone. Excellent. Tasted January 2013. [Neal Martin, 01/01/2013]

Vinous 87-90

(a blend of 75% cabernet sauvignon and 25% merlot; pH 3.69; 60% new oak) Very deep purple. Fresh cabernet sauvignon-dominated nose shows floral, cassis and graphite aromas. Also vibrant on entry, with ripe, soft black fruit and mineral flavors that resonate through the smooth finish. This very well-made wine shows much more complexity, depth and freshness than usual; while there’s a hint of slightly drying tannins, this looks to be the best Croix ever. Owner Bruno Borie told me that beginning in 2005 this became a wine of terroir too: rather than including grapes from Ducru’s youngest or less favorably situated vines (fruit that now goes into private labels), the Croix is made only with the grapes of certain specific parcels. [Ian D’Agata, 01/05/2010]