Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Saint Julien, Médoc (Burgundy, France) 2011

 In 1995, as part of his upgrading of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Jean-Eugène Borie introduced a “second” wine, Croix de Beaucaillou, which since 2005 has been a separate wine made from a separate vineyard that lies half-way between Lalande-Borie and Ducru-Beaucaillou itself.  Croix is still technically a second wine because some of the lesser lots from Ducru find their way into Croix, but Bruno Borie, the current managing director at Ducru, emphasizes that 90 percent of Croix comes from its own discrete vineyard. With a seductive glossy texture, the 2011, an excellent vintage, is showing beautifully now.  Complexity shows as it sits in the glass as layers of savory nuances emerge.  Supple tannins add to its refinement.  With release prices of Ducru hovering at $200 a bottle, the 2011 Croix is a bargain.