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Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Grand Cru Classé Saint-Julien 2018

Reviews

100 -Jeb Dunnuck -

Looking at the 2018 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, I was stopped in my tracks at this beauty and continue to think 2018 is an incredible vintage for Bordeaux. Checking in as 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that was raised in new barrels, it has an essence of cassis character as well notes of tobacco leaf, dark chocolate, crushed stone, and cedar pencil. Cut from the same cloth as the 2009, although with slightly more polished tannins, it's full-bodied and massively concentrated and structured, yet flawlessly balanced, with incredible purity and no hard edges.

100 -Wine Enthusiast -

99 -James Suckling -

Aromas of blackberries, blackcurrants, new leather and bark follow through to a full body with a dense, deep palate that goes on and on, but is still shy and reserved. Large amount of ultra fine, cashmere-like tannins that are silky, sleek and wonderfully integrated. Extremely long and focused. Needs at least four to five years to start opening. A beautiful wine for the cellar. Try after 2027.

99 -Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider -

Intensely colored, the wine is completely opaque. The next thing you notice is the aromatics which pop thanks to the array of flowers, black and dark red fruits, forest floor, espresso, wet earth, tobacco leaf and bitter chocolate. Full-bodied, concentrated, rich, deep, opulent, fresh and intense, the wine coats your palate and sticks with you. This is a good thing because it is difficult not to want more of all those sweet, ripe, luscious fruits. The purity, symmetry and length keep on going for close to 60 seconds! Give it at least 12-15 years to age and it could hit the triple digit mark! The wine blends 85% Cabernet Sauvignon with 15% Merlot, 14.5% ABV. The Grand Vin was made from only 35% of the harvest. 99 Points

98 -Robert Parker's Wine Advocate -

The 2018 Ducru-Beaucaillou is composed of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, aged 18 months in 100% new barriques. It has a pH of 3.7, 14.5% alcohol and an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 95. Deep purple-black colored, it has a powerful nose of baked black cherries, blackberry preserves and crème de cassis with nuances of menthol, pencil lead, cedar chest and Indian spices, plus fragrant wafts of violets and licorice emerging after a few minutes. Medium to full-bodied, the palate bursts with impactful black fruits and exotic spices layers, supported by firm, ripe grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. There is a brightness to the wine—surprising freshness—and yet it remains very rich and hedonic, presenting an extraordinary vinous paradox that will blow away fans of this great estate.

98 -Falstaff -

Dark ruby, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Tobacco scented nose with noble wood, black forest berries, nuances of liquorice, hints of dark cherry and sweet spices in the background. Complex palate with fine cassis, blackberry jam, juicy, silky tannins, freshly structured, pronounced fruit with a mineral and spicy-peppery finish. Harmonious with great length and excellent ageing potential. (Drinking window: 2025-2065)

98 -The Wine Independent -

The 2018 Ducru-Beaucaillou, 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, is deep garnet-purple in color. It erupts with bombastic scents of creme de cassis, fruitcake, and black cherry preserves followed by touches of star anise, dark chocolate, cedar, and violets. The medium to full-bodied palate is rich, ripe, and impactful, delivering firm, ripe, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and spicy.

97 -Vinous -

The 2018 Ducru-Beaucaillou, tasted just after my in-bottle tastings, is all mint and violet over the nose, precocious and generous, very pure and enticing. The palate is medium-bodied with a lot of new oak that will be subsumed with time. This is very pure, beautifully balanced, silky smooth with great precision on the finish. It is a superb 2018 that will need at least a decade in the cellar and with even more pixelation than the bottle earlier this year, it gets another precision point in my score. Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château.

97 -Jane Anson -

This was a big vintage, with high temperatures giving tannins with shoulders and muscles, and shows the ability of Ducru to draw out balance even when the overall wine is so concentrated. An impressive achievement by the winemaking team, great quality, not bypassing the exuberance and creaminess of the year, but giving it form and definition. Expect plenty of blackberry liqueur alongside creamy damson and blackberry fruit, with liqourice and smoked earth. Harvest September 25 to October 10. 100% new oak. Emmanuel Bonneau technical director, Eric Boissenot consultant.

96-99 -Wine Spectator -

(Barrel Tasting). Another rock 'em sock 'em St.-Julien here, brimming with nearly exotic blackberry, plum, blueberry and açaí berry reduction notes, bristling with brambly energy and racing through a graphite-edged finish. Shows gorgeous perfume throughout, despite the fairly obvious level of concentration. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Score Range: 96-99

93 -Decanter -

Closed on the nose with a deep, inky core, this 2018 remains very primary and youthful. Quite shy and needing coaxing in the glass, the nose and palate gradually unfurl although a leafy edge remains. Plump and plush on the palate, there is plenty of density and purity of fruit on show, balanced with brisk acidity and plenty of ripe tannins. Aged 100% in new French barriques for 18 months. Perhaps just finishing a little hot, this is an impressive 2018 cru classé with a lot more to come.

Technical Details

Blend 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot
Winemaker Emmanuel Bonneau & Bruno Borie
Country France
Region Bordeaux
Sub Region Left Bank
Appellation Saint-Julien
Vineyard Estate Vineyards of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Second-Growth (2ème Grand Cru Classé)
Farming Method High Environmental Value (HVE) Level 3 & ISO 14001 Certified
Oak 100% new French oak
Aging / Cooperage 18 months
Alcohol 14.5%

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Grand Cru Classé Saint-Julien 2018

Name: Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Grand Cru Classé Saint-Julien 2018
Brand: First Bottle
SKU: 1014843
Price: 219.95 USD
Availability: InStock

Bordeaux Blends | Bordeaux

JD100, WE100, JS99, JL99, WA98, FS98, TWI98, VN97, JA97, WS96-99, DC93

High Environmental Value (HVE) Level 3 & ISO 14001 Certified

$400.00

$219.95

750ML

45% OFF RETAIL!

From a generous, ripe vintage, this is a powerhouse of black fruit and exotic spice layered over firm, grainy tannins, yet it retains surprising freshness for its richness. Many critics rank it among the most concentrated and complete Ducru-Beaucaillous ever made.

About The Producer

One of Bordeaux’s most iconic Second Growths, Château Ducru-Beaucaillou has a history dating back to the 18th century and is renowned for its gravel-rich terroir overlooking the Gironde. Under the stewardship of the Borie family, the estate has undergone significant investment in vineyards and cellar technology. Today, Ducru-Beaucaillou produces wines that marry classical Saint-Julien structure with modern precision and polish.

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