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2013-CHÂTEAU-DUCRU-BEAUCAILLOU-2ème-Cru-Classé-Saint-Julien

CHÂTEAU DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU

2015 2ème Cru Classé Saint Julien

Colour Red
Origin France, Bordeaux
Sub-district Haut Médoc
Village Saint Julien
Classification 2ème Cru Classé
ABV 14%

95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot. Rich nose, showing some spice and complexity. Creamy rich and dense, chalky tannins and all shot through with fruit, very tightly woven cottony texture. Altogether excellent. Rating: 94-95 L&S (Apr 2016)


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The 2015 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a vintage that requires more time to settle and decide what it wants to be. The nose needs just a little more cohesion and focus, quite upfront and overtly floral, perhaps more than it needs to be and it just slightly occludes the terroir expression at the moment. The palate is smooth and velvety, with moderate depth and fine acidity. I sometimes find this a little lactic on the finish, as I do here; perhaps I might actually prefer the 2017 tasted alongside which shows more tension on the finish. A fine Ducru-Beaucaillou rather than a truly great one. Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château. Drinking range: 2027 - 2046 Rating: 94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jul 2022)

The 2015 Ducru-Beaucaillou is maybe a little more understated than its peers; it doesn’t grab you by your lapels and demand your attention. It is attractive, but I would have liked more vigor. The medium-bodied palate presents grainy tannin, gentle grip, more freshness in the mouth than on the nose, and a pastille-like purity toward the sweet, candied finish. Lovely, but it has certainly retreated into its shell and will require extended cellaring vis-à-vis its peers. [Another bottle tasted at the château and afforded a long decanting showed better.] Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting. Rating: 94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jul 2019)

Aromas of oyster shell, iron and currants. Hints of iodine. Full-bodied, very tight and focused. Love the finish of sandalwood, cinnamon, violets and lavender. Wonderful tannin texture. Linear and driven. Drink in 2022. Drinking range: 2022 - Rating: 97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2018)

Château Ducru Beaucaillou

St Julien Deuxième cru 1855 When the Beychevelle estate was broken up in 1642, in order to pay off the debts of the deceased owner, it gave birth to three Châteaux - Beychevelle, Branaire-Ducru and Ducru-Beaucaillou. Château Ducru Beaucaillou was so named because of the quality lent to the wine by the large pebbles in the soil - the "good pebbles" being "beau caillou" (although it was originally "Maucaillou", "bad pebbles" not being much use for any other kind of agriculture). In 1795, the estate was purchased by Bertrand Ducru, and the name was complete. The early years on the 20th Century were not kind to Ducru-Beaucaillou, but salvation was on hand with its purchase by Francis Borie in 1941. Apart from some problems with TCA during the late 1980's, the tenure of the Borie family has been a time of continuing improvement at Ducru-Beaucaillou. Today, Francis' grandson Bruno Borie heads up the estate. The Borie family also own Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste and Château Haut Batailley. The 75ha of vineyard are planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot have, apparently, left the blend. The Grand Vin spends 18 to 20 months in wood, with the proportion of new wood varying between vintages. A second wine was introduced in 1995 - La Croix de Beaucaillou. Also produced at Ducru-Beaucaillou is Château Lalande-Borie from vineyard purchased from Château Lagrange in 1970 which, although it could perfectly legally be absorbed into Château Ducru Beaucaillou, has always been produced as a seperate wine.

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