Medium brick colored, the 1999 Ducru-Beaucaillou needs a little swirling to release the tightly coiled notions of dried cherries, fruitcake and red currant jelly with emerging hints of balsamic, mincemeat pie, menthol, powdered chocolate and star anise. The medium to full-bodied palate is wonderfully expressive with seamless freshness lightly lifting a great core of youthful red and black fruits plus fine-grained tannins to support, finishing with lingering savory and spice layers. This well-structured spice-bomb still has a lot of years left!

Tasted at the 1999 horizontal at Bordeaux Index. The Ducru-Beaucaillou is more expressive on the nose compared to the Las-Cases with lifted raspberry, gravel, sandalwood and Asian spice. Lively and exuberant. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, grippy tannins, quite masculine but superb concentration and certainly much more generous than the aforementioned. Well-balanced, a little sappy towards the finish although the bottom line is that it is not a complex Ducru but it is an enjoyable, joyous Saint Julien to savour. Drink now-2017. Tasted June 2009.

Medium red. Aromas of black cherry, minerals and graphite. Sweet and harmonious, with impressive vivacity and purity of flavor for '99. Strong mineral and graphite notes contribute complexity. Not overly fleshy but fresh and sharply delineated, with excellent intensity. A very sophisticated wine, showing well today. May 2002

Medium bodied, this lighter, finesse style of Ducru Beaucaillou is dominated by spicy, red berries, freshness, tobacco, herbs and earth. Already close to fully mature, drink this over the next decade, as it's not a wine that was produced to make old bones. May 2013

Bright ruby-red. Sappy, ripe aromas of cassis, raspberry and minerals. Tightly wound and classy; showing slightly tough today due to the fining, but this will make a charming and elegant drink in eight years.

Looks pretty evolved. Light and well balanced even if not dramatic. Zesty and fills the palate and works its way all across the palate. Just slightly dry on the finish. (JR)