Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou 2018

The 2018 Ducru-Beaucaillou is composed of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, aged 18 months in 100% new barriques. It has a pH of 3.7, 14.5% alcohol and an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 95. Deep purple-black colored, it has a powerful nose of baked black cherries, blackberry preserves and crème de cassis with nuances of menthol, pencil lead, cedar chest and Indian spices, plus fragrant wafts of violets and licorice emerging after a few minutes. Medium to full-bodied, the palate bursts with impactful black fruits and exotic spices layers, supported by firm, ripe grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. There is a brightness to the wine—surprising freshness—and yet it remains very rich and hedonic, presenting an extraordinary vinous paradox that will blow away fans of this great estate.

Closed on the nose with a deep, inky core, this 2018 remains very primary and youthful. Quite shy and needing coaxing in the glass, the nose and palate gradually unfurl although a leafy edge remains. Plump and plush on the palate, there is plenty of density and purity of fruit on show, balanced with brisk acidity and plenty of ripe tannins. Aged 100% in new French barriques for 18 months. Perhaps just finishing a little hot, this is an impressive 2018 cru classé with a lot more to come.

Aromas of blackberries, blackcurrants, new leather and bark follow through to a full body with a dense, deep palate that goes on and on, but is still shy and reserved. Large amount of ultra fine, cashmere-like tannins that are silky, sleek and wonderfully integrated. Extremely long and focused. Needs at least four to five years to start opening. A beautiful wine for the cellar. Try after 2027.

The 2018 Ducru-Beaucaillou, tasted just after my in-bottle tastings, is all mint and violet on the nose, precocious and generous, very pure and enticing. The palate is medium-bodied with a lot of new oak that will be subsumed with time. This is very pure, beautifully balanced, silky smooth with great precision on the finish. It is a superb 2018 that will need at least a decade in the cellar and, with even more pixelation than the bottle earlier this year, it gets another precision point in my score. Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château.

Inky, almost fully opaque in color, aromatically, the wine pops with its showy display of dark red and black fruits, flowers, licorice, smoke, espresso, dark chocolate, and cigar box. But the showy aromatics pale in comparison to the incredibly rich, opulent, full-bodied, lush palate. The non-stop layers of velvet-drenched fruits stop you in your tracks! The wine blends 85% Cabernet Sauvignon with 15% Merlot. This is a clear candidate for 100 points as it develops. Drink from 2028–2065.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Tobacco-scented nose with noble wood, black forest berries, nuances of liquorice, hints of dark cherry and sweet spices in the background. Complex palate with fine cassis, blackberry jam, juicy, silky tannins, freshly structured, pronounced fruit with a mineral and spicy-peppery finish. Harmonious with great length and excellent ageing potential. (Drinking window: 2025-2065)

Looking at the 2018 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, I was stopped in my tracks at this beauty and continue to think 2018 is an incredible vintage for Bordeaux. Checking in as 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that was raised in new barrels, it has an essence of cassis character as well notes of tobacco leaf, dark chocolate, crushed stone, and cedar pencil. Cut from the same cloth as the 2009, although with slightly more polished tannins, it's full-bodied and massively concentrated and structured, yet flawlessly balanced, with incredible purity and no hard edges.

Kunz barrel sample 19: concentrated, profound, complex, elegant, mineral bouquet; small black berries, Black Currant, slate, flint, black cassis, graphite, mahogany, a fine hint of eucalyptus. Concentrated, multi-layered, finely powerful, elegant, fresh palate with a wide range of very dark aromas, plenty of fine tannins, an elegant, finely muscular, concentrated structure, powerful dark fruit, and a very long, dense, fresh finish with many lingering flavors.

Concentrated, profound, complex, elegant, mineral bouquet; small black berries, Black Currant, slate, flint, black cassis, graphite, mahogany, a fine touch of eucalyptus. Concentrated, multi-layered, finely powerful, elegant and fresh palate with a diverse, very dark aromatic profile, plenty of fine tannins, an elegant, finely muscular, concentrated structure, powerful dark fruit, and a very long, dense, fresh finish with many lingering flavors. 20/20 2026 - 2060

This was a big vintage, with high temperatures giving tannins with shoulders and muscles, and shows the ability of Ducru to draw out balance even when the overall wine is so concentrated. An impressive achievement by the winemaking team, great quality, not bypassing the exuberance and creaminess of the year, but giving it form and definition. Expect plenty of blackberry liqueur alongside creamy damson and blackberry fruit, with liquorice and smoked earth. Harvest September 25 to October 10. 100% new oak. Emmanuel Bonneau technical director, Eric Boissenot consultant.

The 2018 Ducru-Beaucaillou, 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, is deep garnet-purple in color. It erupts with bombastic scents of crème de cassis, fruitcake, and black cherry preserves, followed by touches of star anise, dark chocolate, cedar, and violets. The medium- to full-bodied palate is rich, ripe, and impactful, delivering firm, ripe, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and spicy.

One of the most successful in its category, with notes of cedar and spices, broad, generous, and deeply Médoc in character.

This is an exceptional Ducru, with very impressive concentration and 14.3% alcohol. Since the en primeur tastings, it has evolved positively, showing balance and the ability to integrate this immense substance. It will require a great deal of patience.

Another vintage known for its heat, and once again a Ducru that doesn’t seem particularly concerned with such “details.” It doesn’t merely get through the vintage; it rises above it, carefully focusing on the many positive facets it offers. It reveals itself with finesse and delicacy, taking care not to favor any single component but rather to highlight the terroir and its subtlety. On the palate, the wine is elegant, compact, succulent, and harmonious. It knows how to showcase its strengths and, above all, deserves credit for choosing finesse and character.