Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2020

Evocative and moreish, a Ducru that beguiles and delights from the start with a scented nose full of cedar, rose, violets, cherries and damsons — a riot of Cabernet typicity. Vibrant and pulsing on the palate, this has grip and intention from the get-go. Massy, full and wide in the mouth — there’s density and this is broad but it’s delicate too — a sense of weightlessness with such movement and energy and a soft, sweet, succulent grip throughout. Powerful with present tannins that unravel slowly so there’s time to appreciate the details as they come. A thoughtful and intellectual wine that leaves a smile on your face.

Blackcurrants and blueberries with violets and crushed stone. Extremely aromatic. Full-bodied but very tight and reserved, with racy, almost steely tannins. Some subtle sweet fruit in the center palate. Great transparency and clarity. Super precision here. Vertical and polished. Try after 2028.

With a dark hue, you instantly find incense, black cherries, flowers, spice, and a plethora of red and black fruits. The wine is concentrated, full-bodied, ripe, rich, soft, and polished. There is purity to the fruit, silk to the tannins, complexity on the mid-palate, and length in the finish. The fruit is bright, fresh, and pure with a beautiful sensation of elegance from start to finish. This gem should start to really unfurl after its 10th birthday and provide fabulous drinking for 25-35 years after that. This is a stunningly graceful Ducru Beaucaillou. Produced from blending 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot, 13.5% ABV. Picking took place September 11 - September 30. Drink from 2027-2055.

Deep ruby with an opaque core and purple reflections. Savoury notes of cloves, cinnamon and cardamom, floral nuances, dark wild berries, a hint of liquorice, very complex. Juicy on the palate, delicate nuances of blackberry, blueberry and some nougat, ripe, silky tannins, has great length and freshness, good ageing potential, seems light-footed and balanced. A classic Claret of the modern age.

Another legendary Ducru Beaucaillou in the making, the 2020 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou hasn't budged since release. Full-bodied, concentrated, and layered, it has incredible purity in its cassis and darker, almost blue fruits, some classic yet primary tobacco, graphite, and mineral notes, a dense mid-palate, and awesome length on the finish. It's very much in the style of the 2010 and deserves at least a decade of bottle age. I won't be around to taste it, but I suspect this will still be offering pleasure on its 100th birthday.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: (81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 13.5% alc. vol.) Concentrated, deep, complex, very dark bouquet, black cassis, black berries, black currant. Concentrated, multi-layered, elegant palate with powerful, dense black fruit, a concentrated, elegant, finely muscular structure, lots of fine tannin, dense, compressed, dark and varied aromatics, very long, powerful, elegant finish with many dark after-aromas. Can still improve.

(81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 13.5% vol. alcohol) Concentrated, profound, complex, very dark bouquet, black cassis, black berries, black currant. Concentrated, multi-layered, elegant palate with powerful, dense black fruit, a concentrated, elegant, finely muscular structure, lots of fine tannin, dense, compressed, dark and varied aromatics, very long, powerful, elegant finish with many dark lingering notes. Can improve further. 19/20 2029 - 2060

I've tasted this vintage a few times recently, and each time it's proved impossible to resist, showcasing precision and craftsmanship, with concentrated and intense cassis and bilberry fruits, loaded with cigar box, slate, sage, and a delicate caress of crushed roses. Harvest September 11 to 30. Emmanuel Bonneau technical director, Eric Boissenot consultant. Anniversary of the founding in 1720, marriage between Jacques de Bergeron and Marie Dejean, heiress of the vines that would become Ducru Beaucaillou, marking 300 years since the birth of the property.

The 2020 Ducru-Beaucaillou, 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot, is deep garnet-purple in color. Classic notes of cassis, cedar, and graphite open out to nuances of menthol, tilled soil, tobacco, and violets. The medium-bodied palate is refreshing and savory, with grainy tannins and a long minerally finish. This is classic Ducru.

A dark, deep, mysterious bouquet with black aromas of liquorice, ink, charcoal, dried blackcurrant, prune, and violet. The nose unfolds gradually, revealing ever more opulent notes at each stage. On the palate, the wine is serene and caressing; it seems to suspend time. A lovely acidity, with sparkling freshness, leaves a juicy sensation on the finish. A complete wine that sweeps you away.

The 2020 reveals itself with a finesse that underscores the trend of Ducru’s recent vintages. There is such a focus on subtlety and detail that you find yourself looking for the sparkle, on the nose, that one has known at Ducru. Thus, the bouquet unfolds with incredible subtlety, rare relevance, and an obvious link to the terroir. The wine is dense, elegant, powerful, charming, and broad. Its tannins are of great finesse, with a touch of bitterness on the finish that serves to prolong the pleasure, stretch the length, and spotlight the potential. A wine that will require patience. We will have to wait. It’s so wholesome to be reminded that, in the 21st century, at the dawn of the 3rd millennium, some things still demand patience. It’s not only cultural, but societal! In the meantime, we can sip the 2013s and 2017s!

96–98. Barrel Sample. The tannins are dense while the texture shows a dusty suspended character that gives the wine great charm. Yet, having said that, the concentration will give this wine long term aging both from the acidity and the structure.