Ducru Beaucaillou 2019

St Julien, Second Growth

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Tasting Notes
The 2019 Ducru Beaucaillou has a pastille-like purity on the nose - black cherries, blueberry, quite floral and Margaux-like in style. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, showy and opulent, yet undeniably there is real backbone behind this Saint-Julien. Velvety smooth on the finish, this is the right way to produce decadent Left Bank Bordeaux. Fabulous. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Score: 95 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2026-2060 01 February 2023
The 2019 Ducru Beaucaillou, which was matured in 100% new oak for 12 months, has a glorious bouquet of cigar humidor, cedar, black fruit and a touch of black truffle, very complex and quite compelling. The palate is still very Pauillac-inspired in style, and finely proportioned, with chiseled tannins. Displaying superb clarity and salinity on the finish, this feels very persistent and utterly charming. It will repay a decade in bottle and then last several more. I believe this will outperform the 2018 in the long run. Score: 98 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2030 - 2070 01 February 2022
I tasted the 2019 Ducru Beaucaillou four times in 12-hour intervals from opening. It has a splendid bouquet centered around black fruit laced with graphite, Montecristo cigars and hints of sage and cedar. This is one of the most Pauillac-like Ducrus that I have encountered at this stage. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins, pitch perfect acidity and a sensual, satin-like texture that could seduce from miles away. There is a sense of completeness surrounding this Second Growth, charming you surfeit with nobility and outstanding in terms of persistence. Fabulous. Score: 96 - 98 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2026-2060 01 June 2020
Powerful and muscular, the 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou offers up aromas of cassis, raspberries and cherries mingled with notions of violets and iris, framed by a generous application of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, it's rich but lively, with a deep core of fruit and an ample endowment of ripe, powdery tannins. Fuller maturity and a more rigorous selection over the last two decades have brought what proprietor Bruno Borie characterizes as additional "punch" to this wine, in the form of unprecedented levels of anthocyanins and tannins, but all that substance and structure will require some patience before we'll see if Ducru is still Saint-Julien's most elegant wine. Score: 96 William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2029 - 2065 07 April 2022
This is so seductive on the nose, with perfumes of violets, blackcurrants, raspberries, and orange peel. Subtle. Ethereal. Full-bodied with such fine tannins and delicacy, with great length and beauty. Sophisticated and refined. Really amazing purity and depth. Great length, too. 80% cabernet sauvignon and 20% merlot. Leave this for at least five or six years. Score: 98 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Maturity: 2027+ 10 February 2022
A very powerful Ducru with intense tannins and backbone, showing blue fruit, black tea and tobacco. Full-bodied with impressive structure and so much tannin. It goes on for minutes. Very traditional. Owner Bruno Borie said it is a wine to last forever and I have to agree. 80% cabernet sauvignon and 20% merlot. Score: 99 - 100 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 28 May 2020
The 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a seriously impressive wine. Seamless and yet potent, the 2019 is so alluring. Even so, readers should not plan on opening a bottle anytime soon. A wine of tremendous gravitas and power, the 2019 possesses explosive energy to play off its seamless personality. I can't wait to watch the 2019 develop over the coming years and decades, as it possesses notable energy and a compelling interplay of opulence and elegance. Score: 97 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2029 - 2059 01 February 2022
The 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou is fabulous. Inky and beautifully textured to the core, the 2019 possesses tremendous density and volume. Crème de cassis, chocolate, licorice, spice, menthol and lavender all build in the glass. A wine of noble beauty and depth, the 2019 Ducru has so much to offer. The 2019 is a bit higher in Merlot than has often been the case. It will see about 18 months in new French oak. According to Bruno Borie, ideal weather in September balanced the heat of the previous summer months. Readers will note a re-alignment of the range, with the two Listracs now gone and two new wines in the lineup. I tasted all of the 2019s in 100ml bottles that arrived in a very attractive package in less than 48 hours from Bordeaux. I applaud the desire to be respectful of the environment and not wasteful of wine, but I am not convinced this bottling system works yet. I found the 2019s all very hard, something that time did not help, with less of the fleshy and sumptuousness I am used to finding in these wines. I won't be surprised if the wines show better from a full bottle, but at the same time, I can only review and comment on the wines that were sent to me. Score: 94 - 96 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 June 2020
This is brimming with personality, with inky depths to the colour and clear austerity on the opening beats. As it opens, the concententrated cassis and blueberry fruits switch from being stretched taut to a softer creamy texture. Full of precision and skillful blending of liquorice, cigar box and bitter dark chocolate with fresh acidities that hold right through the core of the wine. Signature St Julien elegance but with uncompromising swagger, one of the wines of the vintage. Blends are exactly as they were during En Primeur, with even the press wines added before the En Primeur tastings, and it is delivering on promise. 100% new oak (with the staves unusually seasoned for six years before being made into barrels), 3.8ph. 300th vintage of Ducru. Score: 98 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2029-2046 12 January 2022
Inky depths to the concentrated ruby colour, the Cabernet Sauvignon imposes itself strongly from the first moment. No question that we are slap-bang in St Julien here, in the heart of this appellation's signature, with its elegance, balance and hidden power. At first the wine feels taut and austere, but performs the trick of changing as it travels through the palate, and by the end of play the texture is almost creamy, with blackberry, bilberry, black chocolate, cigar box, slate and liquorice. A big accomplishment, making this an unmissable Ducru. Score: 98 Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2029 - 2045 13 May 2020
Just as concentrated yet more elegant, the flagship 2019 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou checks in as a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot raised in new French oak. It offers a gorgeous bouquet of pure crème de cassis and blueberry fruit that just screams of Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep purple-hued, with plenty of lead pencil, graphite, and floral notes, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, straight-up awesome tannins, and a monster of a finish. It's another magical wine in the making from this château. Give bottles a decade in the cellar if you can (it's going to be incredibly enjoyable in its youth as well), and it will evolve for 40-50 years or more. Score: 97 - 100 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2020-2070 06 November 2020
This year the blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. The alcohol weighed in at 14.2%, while the pH is 3.8 and the IPT is 88. It will mature for 18 months in French oak barrels, 100% new. Opaque purple-black in color, the 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou explodes from the glass with bombastic notes of crème de cassis, blueberry pie and plum preserves plus hints of candied violets, dark chocolate, licorice, wild fungi, crushed rocks and tilled soil with a touch of mossy bark. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is a tightly wound coil poised to spring out with layer upon layer of minerals, rich black fruits and floral notes, framed by very firm, exquisitely ripe tannins and electric freshness, finishing long and incredibly layered. WOW! Score: 97 - 100 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 18 June 2020

Tasting Notes

The 2019 Ducru Beaucaillou has a pastille-like purity on the nose - black cherries, blueberry, quite floral and Margaux-like in style. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, showy and opulent, yet undeniably there is real backbone behind this Saint-Julien. Velvety smooth on the finish, this is the right way to produce decadent Left Bank Bordeaux. Fabulous. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.

Score: 95

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2026-2060 01 February 2023

The 2019 Ducru Beaucaillou, which was matured in 100% new oak for 12 months, has a glorious bouquet of cigar humidor, cedar, black fruit and a touch of black truffle, very complex and quite compelling. The palate is still very Pauillac-inspired in style, and finely proportioned, with chiseled tannins. Displaying superb clarity and salinity on the finish, this feels very persistent and utterly charming. It will repay a decade in bottle and then last several more. I believe this will outperform the 2018 in the long run.

Score: 98

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2030 - 2070 01 February 2022

I tasted the 2019 Ducru Beaucaillou four times in 12-hour intervals from opening. It has a splendid bouquet centered around black fruit laced with graphite, Montecristo cigars and hints of sage and cedar. This is one of the most Pauillac-like Ducrus that I have encountered at this stage. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins, pitch perfect acidity and a sensual, satin-like texture that could seduce from miles away. There is a sense of completeness surrounding this Second Growth, charming you surfeit with nobility and outstanding in terms of persistence. Fabulous.

Score: 96 - 98

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2026-2060 01 June 2020

Powerful and muscular, the 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou offers up aromas of cassis, raspberries and cherries mingled with notions of violets and iris, framed by a generous application of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, it's rich but lively, with a deep core of fruit and an ample endowment of ripe, powdery tannins. Fuller maturity and a more rigorous selection over the last two decades have brought what proprietor Bruno Borie characterizes as additional "punch" to this wine, in the form of unprecedented levels of anthocyanins and tannins, but all that substance and structure will require some patience before we'll see if Ducru is still Saint-Julien's most elegant wine.

Score: 96

William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2029 - 2065 07 April 2022

This is so seductive on the nose, with perfumes of violets, blackcurrants, raspberries, and orange peel. Subtle. Ethereal. Full-bodied with such fine tannins and delicacy, with great length and beauty. Sophisticated and refined. Really amazing purity and depth. Great length, too. 80% cabernet sauvignon and 20% merlot. Leave this for at least five or six years.

Score: 98

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Maturity: 2027+ 10 February 2022

A very powerful Ducru with intense tannins and backbone, showing blue fruit, black tea and tobacco. Full-bodied with impressive structure and so much tannin. It goes on for minutes. Very traditional. Owner Bruno Borie said it is a wine to last forever and I have to agree. 80% cabernet sauvignon and 20% merlot.

Score: 99 - 100

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 28 May 2020

The 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a seriously impressive wine. Seamless and yet potent, the 2019 is so alluring. Even so, readers should not plan on opening a bottle anytime soon. A wine of tremendous gravitas and power, the 2019 possesses explosive energy to play off its seamless personality. I can't wait to watch the 2019 develop over the coming years and decades, as it possesses notable energy and a compelling interplay of opulence and elegance.

Score: 97

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2029 - 2059 01 February 2022

The 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou is fabulous. Inky and beautifully textured to the core, the 2019 possesses tremendous density and volume. Crème de cassis, chocolate, licorice, spice, menthol and lavender all build in the glass. A wine of noble beauty and depth, the 2019 Ducru has so much to offer. The 2019 is a bit higher in Merlot than has often been the case. It will see about 18 months in new French oak. According to Bruno Borie, ideal weather in September balanced the heat of the previous summer months. Readers will note a re-alignment of the range, with the two Listracs now gone and two new wines in the lineup. I tasted all of the 2019s in 100ml bottles that arrived in a very attractive package in less than 48 hours from Bordeaux. I applaud the desire to be respectful of the environment and not wasteful of wine, but I am not convinced this bottling system works yet. I found the 2019s all very hard, something that time did not help, with less of the fleshy and sumptuousness I am used to finding in these wines. I won't be surprised if the wines show better from a full bottle, but at the same time, I can only review and comment on the wines that were sent to me.

Score: 94 - 96

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 June 2020

This is brimming with personality, with inky depths to the colour and clear austerity on the opening beats. As it opens, the concententrated cassis and blueberry fruits switch from being stretched taut to a softer creamy texture. Full of precision and skillful blending of liquorice, cigar box and bitter dark chocolate with fresh acidities that hold right through the core of the wine. Signature St Julien elegance but with uncompromising swagger, one of the wines of the vintage. Blends are exactly as they were during En Primeur, with even the press wines added before the En Primeur tastings, and it is delivering on promise. 100% new oak (with the staves unusually seasoned for six years before being made into barrels), 3.8ph. 300th vintage of Ducru.

Score: 98

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2029-2046 12 January 2022

Inky depths to the concentrated ruby colour, the Cabernet Sauvignon imposes itself strongly from the first moment. No question that we are slap-bang in St Julien here, in the heart of this appellation's signature, with its elegance, balance and hidden power. At first the wine feels taut and austere, but performs the trick of changing as it travels through the palate, and by the end of play the texture is almost creamy, with blackberry, bilberry, black chocolate, cigar box, slate and liquorice. A big accomplishment, making this an unmissable Ducru.

Score: 98

Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2029 - 2045 13 May 2020

Just as concentrated yet more elegant, the flagship 2019 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou checks in as a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot raised in new French oak. It offers a gorgeous bouquet of pure crème de cassis and blueberry fruit that just screams of Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep purple-hued, with plenty of lead pencil, graphite, and floral notes, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, straight-up awesome tannins, and a monster of a finish. It's another magical wine in the making from this château. Give bottles a decade in the cellar if you can (it's going to be incredibly enjoyable in its youth as well), and it will evolve for 40-50 years or more.

Score: 97 - 100

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2020-2070 06 November 2020

This year the blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. The alcohol weighed in at 14.2%, while the pH is 3.8 and the IPT is 88. It will mature for 18 months in French oak barrels, 100% new. Opaque purple-black in color, the 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou explodes from the glass with bombastic notes of crème de cassis, blueberry pie and plum preserves plus hints of candied violets, dark chocolate, licorice, wild fungi, crushed rocks and tilled soil with a touch of mossy bark. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is a tightly wound coil poised to spring out with layer upon layer of minerals, rich black fruits and floral notes, framed by very firm, exquisitely ripe tannins and electric freshness, finishing long and incredibly layered. WOW!

Score: 97 - 100

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 18 June 2020

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