Tasting Notes
Robert Parker 96
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. [10/03/2022]
Anticipated maturity: 2029-2065
Vinous 95
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. [Antonio Galloni, 18/06/2020]
