Now at 20 years of age, the 2001 Ducru-Beaucaillou reveals liquorice, menthol, leather, tobacco and black berry aromas with a smoky hint. The attack is lively and although the palate has a moderately dense structure to it, the tannins are still a bit juicy at this stage. There is a hint of both animal and dark berries on the long, airy finish. It is now on the cusp of its apogee. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2030
Tasted by: Yohan Castaing (at Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, 01 Jun 2021)
Part of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou vertical tasting: 1953-2018

Offers a pretty sweetness of fruit, with raspberry and currant coulis notes gliding along a polished structure. Alluring mesquite, incense and rooibos tea elements flow through, revealing a light iron echo on the finish. Modestly sized but well-constructed.—Blind '01/'03/'05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2025. JM

Coffee, truffle, wet earth, black cherry and spice aromas lead to a soft, round, open, medium bodied, polished style of Ducru Beaucaillou. This is ready for prime time drinking today. March 2012

The 2001 Ducru-Beaucaillou, matured in two-thirds new oak for 12 months, is a vintage that I feel has never quite lived up to the billing given the performances of its peers. Now at 20-years of age, the nose is more evolved than others, attractive though with clove, loam, tomato vine and red berry fruit. I wonder if it needs a little more hang time? The palate is medium-bodied with light tannins, a lilting Ducru-Beaucaillou, well balanced but for want of a better expression, it seems to lack ambition. Drinking perfectly now, I don’t think it will repay extended cellaring. Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château.

Drink 2008-2016
-Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide No 7

Somewhat light-bodied for a Ducru, with a 1999-like personality, this blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc is a forward, medium-bodied, pretty effort revealing notes of cranberries, black cherries, cassis, and earth. Full of finesse, but lacking concentration as well as depth, it should be consumed over the next 10-12 years.