Ducru Beaucaillou 2005

St Julien, Second Growth

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Tasting Notes
The 2005 Ducru Beaucaillou is a 10,000-case blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot (they used to produce 18,000-20,000 cases). It is an exceptionally powerful wine with a dense purple color, superb intensity, and a beautiful, sweet nose of spring flowers, raspberries, blueberries, graphite, and creme de cassis. Full-bodied with fabulous concentration, exceptionally high tannin, good acidity, and massive layers of richness that build incrementally on the palate, this monumental effort is more structured than their outstanding 2003. It may be the finest wine produced at this estate since the 1982 and 1961 Ducrus. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2050. Score: 97 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2018-2050 30 April 2008
Another St.-Julien that has put on significant weight since I tasted it last year, Bruno Borie’s blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot (10,000 cases rather than the typical 18,000-20,000) is a powerful effort boasting 13.6% alcohol. Its inky/purple color is followed by an extraordinary nose of violets, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Full-bodied with fabulous intensity, great acidity, and huge tannins, it is an amazingly vivid, full-bodied wine with monster levels of richness and tannin. Although made in a totally different style, it ranks alongside the monumental 2003. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050. Score: 95 - 97 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2015-2050 30 April 2007
Bruno Borie has done a fabulous job at Ducru Beaucaillou. The 2003 may be the greatest Ducru produced in the last 3-4 decades, and the 2005 is not far behind. A more backward style of wine with higher tannin, more elevated acids, and extremely high alcohol (13.6%) for this estate, its inky/purple color is followed by notes of sweet cassis and plums intermixed with licorice, crushed rocks, and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied and structured with a whoppingly long finish, it needs 8-10 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2030+. It is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot. Score: 92 - 94 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 30 April 2006
More Merlot this year (33 per cent) than usual. Dark, brooding purple crimson. Spicy, almost brûlée nose. Lots of acidity - very pronounced. Very dry tannins on the finish too, so a wine for the very long term. Dry, rather Las Cases-like! Should not be touched for ages. Much more brutal than the Latour tasted immediately before it, even though convention would dictate that the Pauillac would be more long term than the St-Julien. Very intense. There are many wines this dry on the finish but not many with the intensity of fruit to support the tannins. Score: 18 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2018-2030 10 April 2006
Made from yields of 38hl/ha, the 2005 is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot. This estate has been owned by the Borie family for more than 60 years. Now managed by Bruno Borie and his sister the very elegant Sabine Coiffe, they say that this prodigious 2005 is more complex than the 1982 or 2000, and those that say remember say compare it to the 1945 here. Certainly the 2005 is a wine of startling proportions and layers. Compelling on the nose with hints of ink, blueberry and ash. Very big, broad-shouldered and dense in the mouth with brooding black fruit and a polished texture and huge structure. Sleek and powerful with very suave tannins, this tingles and vibrates with acidity and authority. This is an amazing Ducru. Score: - Albany Vintners, - 10 April 2006
Intense exotic aromas of crushed blackberries, lilacs and hints of vanilla. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and big, silky tannins. This is extremely layered, with a polished caressing texture. Long, long finish. Builds on the palate. Will it be better than 2003? Time will tell. Score: 95 - 100 James Suckling, Wine Spectator 01 April 2006

Tasting Notes

The 2005 Ducru Beaucaillou is a 10,000-case blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot (they used to produce 18,000-20,000 cases). It is an exceptionally powerful wine with a dense purple color, superb intensity, and a beautiful, sweet nose of spring flowers, raspberries, blueberries, graphite, and creme de cassis. Full-bodied with fabulous concentration, exceptionally high tannin, good acidity, and massive layers of richness that build incrementally on the palate, this monumental effort is more structured than their outstanding 2003. It may be the finest wine produced at this estate since the 1982 and 1961 Ducrus. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2050.

Score: 97

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2018-2050 30 April 2008

Another St.-Julien that has put on significant weight since I tasted it last year, Bruno Borie’s blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot (10,000 cases rather than the typical 18,000-20,000) is a powerful effort boasting 13.6% alcohol. Its inky/purple color is followed by an extraordinary nose of violets, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Full-bodied with fabulous intensity, great acidity, and huge tannins, it is an amazingly vivid, full-bodied wine with monster levels of richness and tannin. Although made in a totally different style, it ranks alongside the monumental 2003. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050.

Score: 95 - 97

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2015-2050 30 April 2007

Bruno Borie has done a fabulous job at Ducru Beaucaillou. The 2003 may be the greatest Ducru produced in the last 3-4 decades, and the 2005 is not far behind. A more backward style of wine with higher tannin, more elevated acids, and extremely high alcohol (13.6%) for this estate, its inky/purple color is followed by notes of sweet cassis and plums intermixed with licorice, crushed rocks, and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied and structured with a whoppingly long finish, it needs 8-10 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2030+. It is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot.

Score: 92 - 94

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 30 April 2006

More Merlot this year (33 per cent) than usual. Dark, brooding purple crimson. Spicy, almost brûlée nose. Lots of acidity - very pronounced. Very dry tannins on the finish too, so a wine for the very long term. Dry, rather Las Cases-like! Should not be touched for ages. Much more brutal than the Latour tasted immediately before it, even though convention would dictate that the Pauillac would be more long term than the St-Julien. Very intense. There are many wines this dry on the finish but not many with the intensity of fruit to support the tannins.

Score: 18

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2018-2030 10 April 2006

Made from yields of 38hl/ha, the 2005 is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot. This estate has been owned by the Borie family for more than 60 years. Now managed by Bruno Borie and his sister the very elegant Sabine Coiffe, they say that this prodigious 2005 is more complex than the 1982 or 2000, and those that say remember say compare it to the 1945 here. Certainly the 2005 is a wine of startling proportions and layers. Compelling on the nose with hints of ink, blueberry and ash. Very big, broad-shouldered and dense in the mouth with brooding black fruit and a polished texture and huge structure. Sleek and powerful with very suave tannins, this tingles and vibrates with acidity and authority. This is an amazing Ducru.

Score: -

Albany Vintners, - 10 April 2006

Intense exotic aromas of crushed blackberries, lilacs and hints of vanilla. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and big, silky tannins. This is extremely layered, with a polished caressing texture. Long, long finish. Builds on the palate. Will it be better than 2003? Time will tell.

Score: 95 - 100

James Suckling, Wine Spectator 01 April 2006

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