Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou Croix de Beaucaillou Saint-Julien 2010 - 6L

94pts James Suckling

I love the aromas of minerals, flowers, blackberries and blueberries. Full body with a fabulous texture of polished and integrated tannins. It goes on for minutes. Spicy, subtle fruit and a long and marvelous finish. Currant bush undertones. A whole and beautiful wine.

93pts Decanter

More closed than the 2009, this is less ready to go but has huge potential. It's richly layered, with black pepper and extremely concentrated cassis and black truffle notes. From its own specific plots since 2005, this is rich and stately, signature St Julien. It needs time from here to open, but it's a clear indication of just how good the Ducru terroir is across all its sites.

93pts Wine Enthusiast

No longer a second wine of Ducru-Beaucaillou, but a wine from its own separate vineyard, Croix de Beaucaillou is impressive. Firm while also rich, it is firmly tannic, superripe and packed with great dark plum and berry fruits. Fruit and structure well balanced together. 

92pts John Gilman

The team at Ducru-Beaucaillou has fashioned a pair of outstanding 2010s. The La Croix de Beaucaillou is a stellar example of the vintage- poised, concentrated and impressively light on its feet for this powerhouse vintage. The bouquet offers up a fine blend of cassis, black cherries, cigar smoke, a lovely base of soil, a touch of graphite and a topnote of cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with beautiful balance, ripe, well-integrated tannins and very good length and grip on the ripe and pure finish. An impressive effort.

92pts Vinous

The 2010 Croix de Beaucaillou has fragrant brambly red berry fruit on the nose, plenty of undergrowth/woodland scents coming through, although it does not quite clock into fifth gear. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. Certainly one of the more approachable 2010 Médoc crus, this has a satisfying harmonious, lightly spiced finish. I observed this improving over the course of 10-15 minutes. Drink over the next decade. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.

91pts Wine Spectator

Ripe and enticing, with mesquite, steeped plum, lightly mulled blackberry and bittersweet ganache notes all seamlessly layered and carrying through the charcoal-tinged finish. Shows good grip, but on track to be approachable soon. 

90pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Coming from a totally separate vineyard, this blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot sports a dramatic label designed by Jade Jagger, the daughter of rock legend Mick. The wine is richly fruity, lush, fleshy, very flamboyant, and seems to have more in common with the 2009 vintage than the more structured, backward and restrained 2010s. The wine is medium to full-bodied, luscious and best drunk over the next 10-15 years.