Château Ducru Beaucaillou, 2eme Cru Classé, St Julien, 2014
As we opened our fiche technique booklets presented by Bruno's charming hostesses, we were greeted by the quote, 'never, never, never give up'. Churchill! We are used to comparisons with divas, not Prime Ministers! It didn't take long to get Bruno back on message and yes he did have a particular RandB artist in mind, none other than Rihanna. This is an intoxicating mix of bramble liqueur, cassis, liquorice and earth. There are brooding elemental notes of graphite woven into the velvety, dense core of refined mulberry and black fruit. This is very layered and accomplished with a big but well managed tannic structure and enough acidity to keep this refreshing and balanced. One of the most imposing wines from 2014. Bravo!
critic reviews
The 2014 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a stronger performer than many of its peers in this vintage. Extremely well-defined on the nose, this exudes a sense of classicism, black fruit mixed with loam, autumn leaves and a whiff of the nearby estuary. The palate is medium-bodied with black fruit laced with spices, marmalade and cedar, binding together nicely towards the finish, which has a sense of control and impressive length. Excellent, though the bottle tasted blind at Southwold felt a little harder.
Here we see the potential of 2014 in the right hands, and this stands out from its neighbours in northern Médoc, one to note down and look out for. Silky tannins, a ton of cocoa bean, bitter chocolate and espresso, blueberry and cassis fruits, along with turmeric, liqourice and clove spice. Perfectly-pitched acidity that softens into capuccinno creaminess though the mid palate followed by a juicy signoff. Slow build, just delicious. 100% new oak. Eric Boissenot consultant, Virginie Sallette technical director.
A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, the 2014 Ducru-Beaucaillou is deep garnet in color. It needs a fair bit of swirling to unlock notes of blackcurrant pastilles, baked plums, and tar, leading to hints of licorice, espresso, tapenade, and crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is taut and tightly wound with a firm frame of grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and earthy. It seems to be in a closed phase right now. Give it a couple of years to open out and then enjoy it over the following 12-15 years.
product details
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