2009 Ducru Beaucaillou

100pts - The 2009 Ducru Beaucaillou will eclipse the brilliant wines produced in 2005, 2003 and 2000. It will be interesting to see how the 2009 fares against the 2010 after twenty years of aging, but my money is on the 2009. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that achieved 13.5% natural alcohol, this inky purple, unctuous wine possesses classic aromas of graphite, creme de cassis, blueberries, violets, licorice and Christmas fruitcake. Full-bodied and intense with Ducru’s inimitable elegance and purity, it should firm up in the bottle after 7-10 years of cellaring and last for 40-50 years. Magnificent!

Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #199, Feb 2012)

98pts - Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Ducru-Beaucaillou bursts from the glass with an amazing array of black fruit preserves and savory layers—crème de cassis, blackberry tart, baked plums and mincemeat pie with suggestions of black olives, sautéed herbs and beef drippings plus wafts of sweaty leather and sandalwood. Full-bodied with a firm frame of grainy tannins and tons of freshness, the muscular fruit completely coats the palate with juicy berry preserves, while the finish is long and savory. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, March 2019

The 2009 Ducru-Beaucaillou has a killer bouquet with wonderful definition: blackberry, wild hedgerow, minerals and touches of pressed flower. This has just lost some of its puppy fat in recent years. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannin, taut and quite linear, lightly spiced with a firm grip but plenty of elegance towards the finish. This is an outstanding Ducru-Beaucaillou that is only just beginning to show what it can do. That said, having tasted the 2016, I think that is even better. Tasted at the château. - vinous.com, March 2019

[85CS/15M] I was disappointed in this the first time round (and the wine was guaranteed as its final assembly) and retasted a week later. Very mineral to smell; gentle, persisent ripe fruit; elegantly concentrated middleweight wine, harmonious and very finely balanced with a delicately dry tannin and fresh acidity; sweet fruit and subtle minerality in flavour, restrained, gentlemanly, poised and complex, with the usual quiet class and very refined tannin texture; long in the mouth, with a prolonged fruit and aroma persistence. A quiet power in effect and a lovely warm, fragrantly sweet length. Will keep for ages, but likely to be accessible relatively early. Not a showy opulence, and not as rich as many, everything sotto voce, but all the text is there, a persistent and complete presence. 2018-35+

Features plenty of flash and sizzle, with gorgeous, inviting mocha, espresso and chocolate notes up front, backed by a dense core of plum sauce, cassis, blackberry puree and blueberry reduction accents. Long, showing terrific polish, with a lovely lingering loam note and a buried singed apple wood edge that keeps everything driving through the finish. Best from 2016 through 2035. JM

This is a rich, powerful, concentrated and well-structured wine, but in comparison to recent vintages (from 2014) this comes off slightly heavy on the mid-palate. However, I love the balance at the ripe and generous finish. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019) - Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com, March 2019

Quality 961 | Brand 993 | Economics 916 |
Quality: The highest Quality score in its peer group for the 2009 vintage, at 961 compared to a peer group average of 775 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