Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 'Madame de Beaucaillou' Haut-Médoc 2019

Really floral and pretty with currants, cherries and some violets and stones. Medium-bodied with a creamy texture. Attractive tannins and stony undertones. A large percentage of merlot with the cabernet, making it fresh and firm. Sophisticated. - James Suckling, 92 pts

Entirely new wine this year from Ducru Beaucaillou plots in Haut-Medoc (in Cussac Fort Médoc, just over the border). This has a juicy balance, and round supple tannins, approachable but with ageing potential if you want to wait four or five years before opening. High levels of Petit Verdot help add spice and deepen the feel of the wine. 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. - Decanter, 91 pts

Coming from the Haut- Médoc and bottled in May, the 2019 Madame De Beaucaillou reveals a deep ruby/purple as well as a great nose of red and black cherries, leafy herbs, damp earth, and flowers. Medium-bodied, mouth-filling, and balanced, it has the vintage's purity and focus front and center yet still brings plenty of fruit, texture, and pleasure. Drink this beauty over the coming 4-6 years. Best After 2022. - Jeb Dunnuck, 90 pts

A new wine in the range, made from the vineyards that Ducru-Beaucaillou owns in the Haut-Medoc, the 2019 Madame de Beaucaillou is a blend of 68% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The alcohol is 13.92% and the pH is 3.62. It is set to age for 12 months in French oak barrels, 20% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sails out of the glass with notions of plums preserves, blueberry pie and Morello cherries plus hints of cinnamon stick, clove oil and candied violets plus a waft of Sichuan pepper. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with rich black fruit and a plush texture, offering oodles of freshness to lift the spicy nuances to a long finish. - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 90 pts