Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Madame de Beaucaillou Haut-Médoc 2022 is a premium second label red wine from the prestigious Château Ducru-Beaucaillou. Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is an elite 2nd Grand Cru Estate in the Saint-Julien appellation of Bordeaux, France. 

A second label wine, by definition, is a premium wine, most often produced by a Bordeaux winery using grapes from the same estate as their top-tier wines, but for various reasons are not used in their Grand Vin bottling. Second label wines offer an opportunity to experience the same technical precision in winemaking and dedication to quality that the estates’ winemakers apply to their Grand Cru, but at a much lower price point. These wines tend to be very approachable and can be enjoyed in their youth. I strongly suggest researching this category of wine and exploring the possibilities they afford to investigate a niche in Bordeaux you haven’t considered available to you until now. 

The following is my review of Madame de Beaucaillou Haut-Médoc 2022. 

It is a fine example of a Saint-Julien wine. A blend predominantly of Merlot (66%) supported by Cabernet Sauvignon (23%) and Petite Verdot (11%). A bewitching dark purple color in the glass, with notes of blackberry, followed by flavors of blackberry, plum, and French oak, all carried on a well-structured, medium-bodied frame and perfectly balanced acidity. Supple, fine-grained tannins carry through a long, lingering finish with a hint of spice. Pairs well with roasted red meat, especially lamb.

I highly recommend this wine. It has also scored impressively with these well-known experts. James Suckling 93 pts, Wine Enthusiast 93 pts, Jeb Dunnuck 92 pts, and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate 91 pts, just to name a few. Second label wines offer a treasure trove of value that you can easily discover if you follow the map to where X marks the spot.