2019 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou

As a relatively large property in Saint-Julien, the 75 hectare Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou estate is planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, at a density of 10,000 vines per hectare. They also own a small parcel of land in Haut-Medoc.

Changes in the winery, and a greater focus on parcel selection for the Grand Vin has resulted in a reduction in output from around 20,000 cases per year in the 1980’s to around 10,000 cases today. And the wines have never looked better. The pair of 2009 and 2010, along with the 2016 are considered standouts for the region, intense and concentrated efforts that will live for many years to come.

Other Reviews....
This year the blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. The alcohol weighed in at 14.2%, while the pH is 3.8 and the IPT is 88. It will mature for 18 months in French oak barrels, 100% new. Opaque purple-black in color, the 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou explodes from the glass with bombastic notes of crème de cassis, blueberry pie and plum preserves plus hints of candied violets, dark chocolate, licorice, wild fungi, crushed rocks and tilled soil with a touch of mossy bark. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is a tightly wound coil poised to spring out with layer upon layer of minerals, rich black fruits and floral notes, framed by very firm, exquisitely ripe tannins and electric freshness, finishing long and incredibly layered. WOW!
97-100 points
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate

The 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou is fabulous. Inky and beautifully textured to the core, the 2019 possesses tremendous density and volume. Crème de cassis, chocolate, licorice, spice, menthol and lavender all build in the glass. A wine of noble beauty and depth, the 2019 Ducru has so much to offer. The 2019 is a bit higher in Merlot than has often been the case. It will see about 18 months in new French oak.
94-96 points
Antonio Galloni - Vinous

I tasted the 2019 Ducru Beaucaillou four times in 12-hour intervals from opening. It has a splendid bouquet centered around black fruit laced with graphite, Montecristo cigars and hints of sage and cedar. This is one of the most Pauillac-like Ducrus that I have encountered at this stage. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins, pitch perfect acidity and a sensual, satin-like texture that could seduce from miles away. There is a sense of completeness surrounding this Second Growth, charming you surfeit with nobility and outstanding in terms of persistence. Fabulous.
96-98 points
Neal Martin - Vinous

A very powerful Ducru with intense tannins and backbone, showing blue fruit, black tea and tobacco. Full-bodied with impressive structure and so much tannin. It goes on for minutes. Very traditional. Owner Bruno Borie said it is a wine to last forever and I have to agree. 80% cabernet sauvignon and 20% merlot.
99-100 points
James Suckling

Just as concentrated yet more elegant, the flagship 2019 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou checks in as a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot raised in new French oak. It offers a gorgeous bouquet of pure crème de cassis and blueberry fruit that just screams of Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep purple-hued, with plenty of lead pencil, graphite, and floral notes, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, straight-up awesome tannins, and a monster of a finish. It's another magical wine in the making from this château. Give bottles a decade in the cellar if you can (it's going to be incredibly enjoyable in its youth as well), and it will evolve for 40-50 years or more.
97-100 points
Jeb Dunnuck

Inky depths to the concentrated ruby colour, the Cabernet Sauvignon imposes itself strongly from the first moment. No question that we are slap-bang in St Julien here, in the heart of this appellation's signature, with its elegance, balance and hidden power. At first the wine feels taut and austere, but performs the trick of changing as it travels through the palate, and by the end of play the texture is almost creamy, with blackberry, bilberry, black chocolate, cigar box, slate and liquorice. A big accomplishment, making this an unmissable Ducru.
98 points
Jane Anson - Decanter

Deep, dark almost opaque in color, the wine is packed to the gills with smoke, flowers, black currants, bitter chocolate and black cherries, Full-bodied, intense, concentrated and palate coating, everything is in perfect harmony here, Long, lush, opulent and most importantly, with this gorgeous sense of purity to the fruits and chocolate overtones, the finish passes the 60-second mark with ease. The blend was made with 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot and is aging in 100% new, French oak barrels. The wine reached 14.2% alcohol with a pH of 3.8. The harvest took place from September 20 to October 3. A nice tidbit for you, the Cabernet was harvested in only 3 days, October 1-3 with 180 pickers. The Grand Vin was produced from only 27% of the harvest with yields averaging 35 hectoliters per hectare.
98-100 points
Jeff Leve - Wine Cellar Insider