Tasting Note:
This is the tricentenary of Ducru Beaucaillou, so it’s no surprise that Bruno Borie has pulled out all the stops. As ever, he has been looking to the stars, noticing the conjuncture with the Earth, Jupiter and Saturn. We’re not sure this has any bearing on the vintage, but it’s a neat metaphor if ever he needed one to explain how everything aligned perfectly for his 2020s! And tasting them, you may well think there’s been some celestial intervention. It’s a great range, topped by a truly superb Ducru Beaucaillou. The drought resulted in tiny berries, weighing just 1g for the Cabernet Sauvignon and 1.2g for Merlot, packed with tannins and anthocyanins. Despite the powerful raw materials, the Ducru team has extracted a wonderful essence without any excess. It feels classical and dialled down, a departure from recent Ducru style, more about freshness, gravitas and elegance. Initially slightly shrouded but you can sense there’s a lot going on… slowly berry aromas emerge, floral griotte notes and violets, exotic spices and gravelly cassis. On the palate it’s all there: serious, muscular, controlled, not the usual decadence, this is restrained, less expressive, but no less impressive, this is a serious, precise Ducru that will require time in bottle. Lots of depth, classical, fresh; exquisite tannins provide a sense of composure and persistence with wonderful presence and length. A superb and very serious Ducru. 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot.
"An amazing Ducru, one of the wines of the vintage. Hugely persistent, chiselled and precise, yet succulent in its berry and cassis fruit character. The slate and pencil lead finish slows things down and grabs hold of you, I love the push-and-pull of the tannins. Always a confident and well-finessed wine, really flexing its muscles in 2020. 100% new oak barrels. 3.83pH." 98/100 - Jane Anson, Decanter.com