Very deep garnet in color, the 2010 Ducru-Beaucaillou is just slightly closed to begin, featuring subtle wafts of baked plums, espresso and bay leaves before kicking it up a notch with expressive notes of blackcurrant cordial, chargrilled meats, woodsmoke and crushed rocks plus a tantalizing touch of truffles. Full-bodied, concentrated and oh-so-decadently fruited in the mouth, the palate is built like a brick house with firm, ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the tightly wound flavor layers, finishing with epic length and depth.

With loads of minerality, a terrific opaque purple color, and slightly more structure and tannin than either Poyferre or St.-Pierre (and that’s saying something), this is a blockbuster, fabulous Ducru Beaucaillou that should be at its best a good decade from now and last 40-50 years. The proprietor is not alone in thinking this is the finest Ducru Beaucaillou since the 1961. The classic wet rock, creme de cassis, subtle oak and gravelly stoniness of the vineyard come through in this spectacular, full-bodied, gorgeously pure and intense effort. This is wine for the ages that should be forgotten for at least a decade.

Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #205, Feb 2013)

Tasted blind at the Southwold Bordeaux 2010 tasting. The Ducru Beaucaillou 2010 has a very classic bouquet with intense blackberry, briary and tobacco aromas - very expressive Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Pauillac mint developing with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity, very linear but with lovely focus and class. This is a beautifully crafted Saint Julien with style and panache. Tasted January 2014.

– eRobertParker.com, Mar 2014

Violet/rose petal notes on the nose, together with the first appearance of some tertiary notes (cedar wood and a hint of mushroom). But still very youthful and with a long future ahead, there is plenty of dark berry concentration, firm tannins and a voluptuous texture on the palate. The Ducru team prefer 2010 to 2009, but feel the 'tannins are a little less fine that some of the more recent vintages'. Just entering a very long drinking window. Cabernet Sauvignon forms 90% of the blend together with 10% Merlot.

Quality 961 | Brand 993 | Economics 869 | investment staple
Quality: Above the average quality score of its peer group for the 2010 vintage, 793 Brand: Strong restaurant presence, featuring on 44 of the world's top wine lists, including Le Calandre Economics: More traded at auction than its peers, its top 5 vintages having seen 3,041 75cl equivalent bottles traded in the past year Production:

- www.wine-lister.com June 2017

Medium red-ruby. Sexy, ripe aromas of black- and redcurrant, cedar and minerals, lifted by a subtle minty note; an essence of perfumed Saint-Julien cabernet sauvignon. Then rich, deep and incredibly vibrant, displaying major dimensions for Ducru as well as a dense kernel of complex, delineated blackcurrant, red cherry, milk chocolate, cedar and fresh herb flavor. Finishes wonderfully long and subtle, with suave tannins that eventually dust the front teeth and a quintessentially silky texture. If the 2010 vintage is a modern classic, this wine could be Exhibit A.

(90% cabernet sauvignon with 10% merlot; 3.62 pH; 95% new oak; 14% alcohol) Deep ruby-red. Lovely perfume of raspberry, blackcurrant and gunflint, made more complex by vanilla and sexy spices. Dense, sweet and rich, with a fine-grained texture to the flavors of cassis and exotic dried herbs. Huge, powerful, solidly structured wine with a firm but harmonious acid spine, impeccable balance and great depth of flavor; as massive as it is, it comes across as precise and light on its feet. Finishes with peppery tannins, excellent length and outstanding freshness. Less than 10,000 cases were made due to the strict selection for the grand vin, and it shows in the high quality of the second and third wines made here. Drink from 2020 to 2050.

2nd Growth St Julien. [90CS/10M] Closed, refined minerally above the delicately sweet cassis fruit; beautifully balanced, firmly and finely defined, concentrated Ducru, fresh in acidity, fine textured in firm tannin; long, freshly ripe, great race and aromatic scope; prolonged, taut, elegant, gently sweet cored, and with a very fine persistence of sweet fruit and mineral aromas on the finish. A great, complete, refined and classy Ducru, close to First Growth quality; will need 10-15 years. 2025-40+ [M.Schuster, Bordeaux Mar/Apr 2011]

Very flamboyant cassis/kirsch nose, yet a neat, mineral-salty palate. Impressive control, very fine grain despite copious tannin. Alcohol now hidden; in fact this is generally showing much more class than two years ago. Built for the fairly long haul. (AH)

'Spring was dry but cooler temperatures in March led to a later than usual budbreak and flowering. After rain in mid June, the summer was dry, with plenty of sunshine, but was not particularly hot. September and October were clear and sunny, with a few interspersed days of rain that reinvigorated the vines for the final ripening phase; these conditions gave highly concentrated fruits with perfectly ripened skins and exquisite freshness.' Harvest: 29 September – 14 October. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot. 18 months in new French oak. Very deeply coloured with dark core. Gorgeous nose. Refined and still fresh dark cassis fruit. Very pure. Sumptuous fruit in a powerful framework. Deep, firm, chewy, intense and muscular. Long finish. Power and depth, all in harmony for a long future. You could open it now but it has even more to come. (JH)

In comparison to the more showy, sexy 2009, the 2010 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou cuts a very different profile, with a more focused, pure, regal style that will stop any wine lover in their tracks. Pure crème de cassis, graphite, fresh tobacco, and lead pencil (there's an almost Pauillac edge here) define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, concentrated, incredibly layered mouthfeel, absolutely perfect tannins, and a great, great finish. It's absolutely mind-blowingly good today yet has 50, 60, 75+ years of longevity ahead of it.100pts Oct 2023
While I loved the 2010 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou on release I’ve always preferred the 2009. However, the 2010 showed sensationally on this occasion, and while in a different style than the 2009, it’s unquestionably as good. Still ruby/purple-hued, it offers up extraordinary notes of pure crème de cassis, unsmoked tobacco, spice, and damp earth, and it’s the purity of fruit as well as the incredible depth and intensity that makes this wine so special. Full-bodied, deep, profound, and seamless on the palate, it offers incredible pleasure today but it’s going to be a 50-year, if not a 100-year wine. Hats off to Bruno Borie.

The nose is phenomenal with perfect aromas of Cabernet Sauvignon with currant bush, blackberries and minerals. A pure expression of Cab. The palate is perfect with a full body, but has perfectly integrated tannins with a texture like the finest cashmere. It's strong but noble with perfect form and beauty. All in harmony. A fabulous wine that everyone who loves Bordeaux should have a bottle or case of. Better in 2020.

– jamessuckling.com, Nov 2013