Le Petit Ducru de Ducru Beaucaillou, St Julien, 2022

The blend is unchanged, being 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. The élevage here was in one-third new oak, the rest second- and third-fill, the usual Bordeaux model, for 12 months. This is elegant and open on the nose, with bright cranberry and strawberry suggestions, the Merlot showing through, with a touch of red pepper and cedar. The palate is gently polished, with a supple and broad texture, filled with lightly powdery tannins, with red cherry, strawberry and pepper notes closely mirroring the nose. The structure feels firm but correct, adding bite rather than an overbearing structure which demands cellar time. This will be drinking before too long. The alcohol on the label is 14%.

DRINKING WINDOW 2026 - 2040

date of review 06/2025

Good structure and concentration without being too much, this is an excellent Petit Ducru that is easy to recommend. Cocoa bean and damson, attractive fennel spice, a note I am finding a lot in 2022, reflection of the intensity and small berries, where bitterness replaces acidity in many cases for the balance of the wine.

DRINKING WINDOW 2026 - 2040

date of review 03/2025

The 2022 Le Petit Ducru de Ducru-Beaucaillou has an open bouquet with touches of chalk infusing the black fruit. Aeration uncovers more red fruit tones with hints of graphite. The palate is medium-bodied with quite strict tannins, a clear level up from the "Madame" cuvée. It has more precision and tension emanating from the finish. This is very fine.

DRINKING WINDOW 2026 - 2040

date of review 02/2025