Château La Croix de Beaucaillou 2016
Château La Croix de Beaucaillou 2016 is a red wine from Saint-Julien in Bordeaux, produced by Château Ducru Beaucaillou. As the estate's second wine, the blend combines Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. The Wine Advocate awards it 92/100 and recommends drinking from 2020 to 2035; James Suckling gives it 94-95/100. Critics describe a concentrated and precise wine, underpinned by black fruits, a mineral framework, and firm, grained tannins.
La bouteille proposée
- Size
- Bottle (75cl)
- Packaging
- Loose
- Label Condition
- Perfect
- Fill Level
- Perfect
- Capsule Condition
- Perfect
Identité du vin
- Couleur
- Red
- Pays
- France
- Région
- Bordeaux
- Appellation
- Saint Julien
- Producteur / Domaine
- Château Ducru Beaucaillou
- Cuvée
- La Croix de Beaucaillou
- Millésime
- 2016
Cépage et assemblage
- Grape Variety
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
Château Ducru Beaucaillou
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is a wine estate in Saint-Julien, in the Médoc, classified as a Second Growth in 1855. Its vineyard covers 105 hectares and is owned by Bruno-Eugène Borie, representing the third generation of the Borie family at the helm of the estate. The name Beaucaillou refers to the gravelly soil of its terroir, situated near the Gironde estuary.
- Owner
- Bruno-Eugène Borie
- Maître de chais
- Emmanuel Bonneau et Cécile Dupuis
- Surface (ha)
- 105.00 ha
Histoire du domaine
The documented history of Ducru-Beaucaillou dates back to 1720, when Jacques de Bergeron married Marie Dejean, heiress to the vineyard. The Bergeron family retained ownership of the estate until 1797, when it was acquired by the Béarn wine merchant Bertrand Ducru. He invested in the vineyard and cellars, and his name was subsequently associated with that of Beaucaillou. In 1855, the château was classified as a Second Growth in the Imperial Classification of Médoc wines. The estate was sold in 1866 to Lucie-Caroline Dassier, wife of the wine merchant Nathaniel Johnston. Under the impetus of Nathaniel Johnston, the estate underwent architectural transformations and, together with the estate manager Ernest David and the scientist Alexis Millardet, played a part in the research that led to the development of Bordeaux mixture in 1884. The Johnstons sold the château in 1928 to Fernand Odon Desbarats and Mary Butler de Burke. In 1942, Francis Borie took Ducru-Beaucaillou on a life lease, before his son Jean-Eugène Borie began restoring the vineyard and cellars in 1959. Bruno-Eugène Borie, son of Jean-Eugène and the resident owner, now heads Ducru-Beaucaillou SA. Technical management is in the hands of Emmanuel Bonneau and Cécile Dupuis.
La Croix de Beaucaillou
La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou is a blended red cuvée from the Château Ducru-Beaucaillou vineyard in the AOC Saint-Julien. Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by Merlot and Petit Verdot, it is a distinct expression of the estate's terroirs. Since 2005, it has come from wine-growing sectors specifically dedicated to it.
- Cuvée creation year
- 1995
- Style of the cuvée
- A generally powerful, silky, and highly aromatic wine, seeking the balance, finesse, and persistence characteristic of Saint-Julien.
- Position within the range
- An intermediate cuvée between the grand vin Ducru-Beaucaillou and Le Petit Ducru, with its own distinct identity and terroirs.
Histoire de la cuvée
The cuvée has been bottled at the estate since the 1995 vintage and was long presented as the second wine of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou. Since the 2005 vintage, it has been crafted from vines and terroirs specifically allocated to its production, thereby asserting a unique identity within the range.
