Aromas of blackberry, blueberry and blackcurrant with violet and lavender, following through to a full body with very fine tannins and a creamy, beautifully caressing texture. Like the chocolate, walnut and berry aftertaste. Second wine of Ducru. Drink after 2025.

Richly juicy and intense, this wine is massive, with concentrated tannins and dusty texture. The wine has weight and density but is also impressively fresh with acidity. It's a successful combination for this second wine of Ducru-Beaucaillou. Drink from 2027.

The second wine of this great domaine is the 2018 La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou. A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot, this ripe, opulent beauty boasts a dense purple color to go with a sexy, full-bodied style showing loads of blackcurrants, cassis, spice, candied violet, and tobacco-like aromas and flavors. Plush, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, this is one big, sumptuous Saint-Julien that's going to evolve for 15-20 years or more.

The solid core of kirsch and plum sauce flavors is laced with apple wood and graphite notes. Direct and well-built. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Score Range: 90-93

The 2018 La Croix de Beaucaillou is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, aged 12 months in two-third new barriques. It has a pH of 3.75, 15% alcohol and an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 96. Deep garnet-purple colored, it rolls effortlessly out of the glass with vibrant notes of crushed blueberries, baked plums and blackcurrant cordial with hints of bouquet garni, underbrush, clove oil and cast-iron pan. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a sturdy frame of firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing earthy. Not a second wine as such, because it comes from a dedicated part of the vineyard, the blocks for La Croix de Beaucaillou are generally located on the south bank of the La Mouline steam.