La Croix de Beaucaillou, St Julien, 2015
Bruno's informative fiche technique recounts some rather bloodthirsty dates in our history, all ending in '15. Quite what the relevance of Agincourt, Waterloo, the Great war and the mindless act of terrorism in Paris have to do with this 'exceptional' vintage, we don't really know... Anyway, confused but intrigued we pressed on. The Croix de Beaucaillou 2015 is a big step up from Lalande Borie. Produced from 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot from an in-land site situated on Günz terroir. Decadent plums, clove and notes of sweet briar leap from the glass. This is a really fragrant and enticing. The palate is packed with aromatic sweet fruits, Prucia, loganberry and hints of wild strawberry. It is open knit with some good gravelly tannins. It probably won't be a long term wine, but it is charming and will be a lot of fun.
critic reviews
The 2015 Croix de Beaucaillou is decidedly powerful and dense, but it is also quite monolithic today. It will be interesting to see if the 2015 acquires more finesse in bottle. The lovely fruit that came through in the barrel samples is presently covered by coarse tannins.
The 2015 La Croix de Beaucaillou is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. It has a floral note on the nose: small black cherries, blueberry and wilted violets, the last becoming more intense as the initially tight-fisted wine opens in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin. There is very well-judged acidity and its texture is harmonious and silky smooth. The quality is loaded more in the mouth than on the nose at the moment, but it is a seriously classy "deuxieme vin" that just needs a little more persistence on the finish.