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Ducru Beaucaillou

The Winery

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou traces its roots back to the beginning of the 13th century, making it one of the oldest in Saint Julien. The stone-laden vineyard of Ducru Beaucaillou is planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, and the average vine age is 38 years old. They produce two Bordelais wines, the Ducru-Beaucaillou and its little brother, La Croix de Beaucailliou. The accolades are always high (2009 vintage received 100 points from Robert Parker), but what is truly important here is value. In 2006 when the wine was deemed ‘best St. Julien of the year’, proprietor Bruno Borie dropped the price almost 17% making it fly off the rack faster than before (if that was even possible). Perhaps put best by Stephen Browett of Farr Vintners ‘By being cheaper, and with equal or better scores, Ducru has rather trumped Cos this year.’ Commended across the board, vintage to vintage, Ducru-Beaucaillou embodies pedigree, caliber, and value and is the poster child of excellence and over-delivery in St. Julien. Vintages to look out for: 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2005.

www.chateau-ducru-beaucaillou.com

1986
Out of Stock
750ml
VC96
WS95
D95
WA90–94
AP94
JD94
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Tasting Notes

WS95
A monster in its infancy. Almost black in color, with intense cassis, herb and mint aromas and superrich, dense cassis and licorice flavors. May last forever.
WA90
At 16 years of age, this wine continues to taste more like a 5 to7-year-old Bordeaux. The color is a handsome dark ruby with just a bit of pink at the edge. The wine exhibits sweet red and black currant fruit intermixed with wet stones, spice, and flowers. Medium-bodied and still moderately tannic, but very concentrated, this firmly structured, slightly austere wine has tremendous upside to it. By the way, this was the first vintage where I began to notice on some bottles the wet cement/damp cardboard aromas that were far more increasingly evident in the subsequent vintages, 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990. Interestingly, the last five times I have tasted the 1986 Ducru-Beaucaillou, they were totally pristine bottles. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2030. Rating: 90+

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