LA CROIX DE BEAUCAILLOU

The Croix de Beaucaillou 2012 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot delivering 13.10% alcohol. It is being raised in 60% in new oak and the rest in one-year old barrels. It has a fragrant, marine accent on the nose with hints of seaweed coming through. It is nicely defined and well integrated with the oak. The palate is medium-bodied and very sleek and silky on the entry with crisp acidity cutting through. There is certainly good weight here with a sweet seductive finish. Rating: 89-91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2013)

The second wine (also about 50% of the total production), the 2012 Croix du Beaucaillou is composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest mostly Merlot with 2% Petit Verdot. It is a soft, round, attractively endowed effort with a deep ruby/plum color as well as a sweet nose of black currants, dusty, loamy, earthy notes and a touch of lead pencil shavings and vanilla. Well-made and medium-bodied, this attractive 2012 should drink well for 10-12 years. The charismatic Bruno Borie has produced a 2012 Ducru Beaucaillou made from 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot (about 50% of the total production). The harvest began right after the deluge that occurred the weekend of October 7, 8 and 9. A lot of dry tannins were present the day I tasted this wine, but I think they will soften and become manageable as the wine continues its upbringing in barrel for another 12-14 months. 2013 - 2025 Rating: 87-89 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Apr 2013)

The second wine at Ducru is not a blockbuster in 2012, but lovers of old-fashioned Bordeaux won’t have a problem with that. Elegant and refined, with good acidity, notes of cassis, pomegranate and Asian spices, medium-weight tannins and a fresh flourish of a finish. Drink: 2020-28. Rating: 92 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2013)