CHÂTEAU DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU

86 Cabernet Sauvignon, 14 Merlot: 100% new oak (medium-minus-toast) matured for 18 months: 13.34% alc: 3.80 pH: 87 IPT: Harvested from 23 September to 7 October Tracey Dobbin MW is the font of all Ducru knowledge, and our tastings are always some of the most open and interesting of the week. She reported that after a decent flowering, some coulure and millerandage were an annoyance, but it was irrelevant in the greater scheme of things. By the end of April, they had already carried out four treatments. Ducru employed 100 people for five weeks, carrying out a trie sanitaire, or as Tracey put it, these workers “fixed a bad haircut”. In effect, they continued to ‘clean’ without rest, keeping the vines healthy and fit. August was dry and hot, with a couple of spells reaching up to 38 °C, resulting in a 60% hydric deficit and low nitrogen levels. This led to accelerated ripening, which was gratefully received. The colder nights helped promote the development of great anthocyanins, and by the end of August, the Merlot was phenolically ripe. The Merlots came in swiftly with a touch of dilution, and there were touches of botrytis, which were banished through rigorous selection. Cabernet was less affected by botrytis due to the clean fruit and low nitrogen levels. The Cabernet harvest began on September 30th. Conical vats, gentle pump overs and blending at vatting all managed to combine to create as homogenous a wine as could be imagined. The result is a stunning, layered and superbly well-appointed Ducru. This is a bullet train of wine with profoundly deep fruit, spectacular balance, and tremendous momentum. With incredible freshness and hints of stunning exoticism embedded in the unique Ducru Cabernet fruit palette, this wine is a combination of thousands of anomalies, and yet they are in perfect concert. Rating: 19+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2025)