Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Saint-Julien (Grand Cru Classé) 2018 (750ml)

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is also the name of the red wine produced by this property.

The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen Deuxièmes Crus (Second Growths) in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is named after the beautiful, large stones found in its unique wine-growing terroir. This exceptionnal ecosystem produces fine, elegant, tasty wines, with a long finish – in short, archetypal Saint-Julien wines.

Perched on an exceptional site with incomparable views over the Gironde estuary, in the centre of a hundred-year-old park, Ducru-Beaucaillou is a majestic, Victorian-style castle, which has, over time, become one of the great symbols of the Médoc. Unusually for Bordeaux, it is built directly above the barrel cellars, enveloping its owners, who have lived here for over sixty years, in the sumptuous aromas of their wine. Today, the estate is managed by the company Jean Eugène Borie SA, which is owned by Mrs Borie, her daughter Sabine Coiffe and her son Bruno-Eugène. CEO since 2003, the third generation of the Borie family to head the estate. There are very close links between this estate and the five families who have been its successive owners.

The history of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is closely linked with that of the five families who have owned it and lived in it since it was built in 1720. One of the 61 red ‘grands crus’ classified as a second cru in the famous Bordeaux Wine Classification of 1855, it has been in the Borie family for over 60 years. Today, while many Bordeaux chateaux are owned by remote conglomerates or absent landowners, the borie family lives on the estate on a daily basis and continues to put its imprint on his highly reputed estate, with the assistance of loyal and enthusiastic team.

At the tasting, Château Ducru Beaucaillou offers a wine with aromas of cedar and the texture of a first-growth breed.

Deep, intense, brillant purple-black color. Vivid and attractive. Aromas redolent of black fruits, hint of graphite and violets.Powerful and elegant structure, fleshy, rich, polished tannins, remarkable length risen by a wonderful freshness. A new standard.

Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot

Critical Acclaim

WE100
Wine Enthusiast

Vintage 2018 was generous to the style of Ducru-Beaucaillou. The rich character of wines from this estate is enhanced by the ripeness and concentration of this wine. At the same time it keeps an amazing freshness that comes out of the acidity. This wine will go down in the annals of this historic estate. It is not likely to approach drinkability before 2028. Cellar Selection

WS99
Wine Spectator

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. Barrel Sample: 96-99

JS99
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.

RP98
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.

JD98
Jeb Dunnuck
The Grand Vin 2018 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou checks in as 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that was harvested at the end of September through October 10 and brought up all in new French oak. This is a gorgeous, incredibly complete, classic expression of this terroir, offering a heavenly nose of crème de cassis, cedarwood, unsmoked tobacco, new leather, spring flowers, chocolate, and a touch of chalky minerality. With full-bodied richness, a monster of a mid-palate, remarkable purity, and a great, great finish, it's one of the most concentrated, impressive wines of the vintage, and might also be one of the longest lived. It actually reminds me of an improved version of the 1996 or a hypothetical mix of the 2010 and 2016. For the tech geeks out there, the IPT checks in at a massive 95 and the pH is 3.7.
Rating: 98(+)
D97
Decanter
Extremely complex, this is tight and holds on with an initial austerity. The plentiful tannins layer up right through the palate, but they are sandwiched by gorgeous blackberry and cassis fruits. There's an inkiness and a spice box feel here, with notes of dried herbs, black olive tapenade and graphite, all generously present. The longer the wine stays in the glass, the more the flesh of the fruit takes precedence and yet the wine manages to also convey a St-Julien classicism. This has all the elements to age exceptionally well, and to give great pleasure along the way.