Château Ducru Beaucaillou - Saint-Julien 2013

Wine Advocate

93 / 100

byNeal Martinthe10/28/2016

The 2013 Ducru Beaucaillou has a lifted blackberry, wild hedgerow and mint-scented bouquet, perhaps lacking some presence at first, but give this a few swirls and it gains more intensity. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red and black fruit on the entry, decent depth on the mid-palate, quite approachable thanks to the supple tannin and it handles the 100% new oak very well. When I discussed the wine with proprietor Bruno Borie, he was adamant that he would not reduce it. It has certainly put on a little weight since I tasted it from barrel and as such, it has good potential to become one of the go-to 2013 (no oxymoron intended) Left Bank wines.

Wine Spectator

92 / 100

the3/31/2016

Jamessuckling.com

94 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/15/2016

This is real wine with a tasty and rich palate with chocolate, stone and berry. Medium to full body with refined tannins and a savory texture. A wine for pleasure. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate

89-91 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe8/29/2014

A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, the 2013 Ducru Beaucaillou achieved 13% natural alcohol. This beauty possesses a lot more texture than many 2013s as well as a deep ruby/purple color, a serious mid-palate, lots of cassis and spring flower characteristics intermixed with notions of oak and forest floor, medium body, and a ripe, soft personality. It will be ideal for drinking in its first decade or more of life.

There is no doubting the remarkable effort Bruno Borie has made at this gorgeous estate that frequently behaves like a first-growth. In 2013, the harvest took place between September 26 and October 9, with less than 50% of the crop going into the grand vin.

La Revue du Vin de France

17-18 / 20

the5/31/2014

90% de cabernet-sauvignon donnent un vin élancé et tendu, doté d'une grande définition dans sa forme, avec un milieu de bouche juteux et une finale aux tanins d'un très bel éclat. Longiline et lumineux.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

89-92 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe5/16/2014

Full ruby-red.  Complex nose melds sweet black cherry, redcurrant, baking spices, tobacco and graphite.  Very fresh and suave in the mouth, showing lively, penetrating, youthfully flinty flavors of dark fruits, spices and sweet oak.  Offers real old-vine intensity and length of flavor accentuated by brisk acidity.  Finishes with very smooth tannins and lingering notes of dark cherry and graphite.  This serious wine is both graceful and concentrated, and is one of the best-balanced 2013s.  I marveled at this wine's precision and purity at every sip.

timatkin.com

94 / 100

byTim Atkin MWthe5/7/2014

Given the vicissitudes of the vintage, this is surprisingly dense and concentrated, thanks to the inclusion of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon. Floral, supple and elegant, with fine tannins, neatly interwoven oak sweetness and a freshness that lifts the finish.

matthewjukes.com

18 / 20

byMatthew Jukesthe4/23/2014

(90 Cabernet Sauvignon, 10 Merlot) This is an incredibly exciting wine with a luscious core of fruit and a moresih finish. Superbly suave and sexy and not too strict or tannic thanks to careful extraction there are no sour notes whatsoever on the finish. If you tried to overcompensate for lack of structure and extracted too much brawn in this vintage you made a grave error. Ducru has nailed the balance here with very sensitive winemaking. Only 7.5% press wine was added and this has resulted in a silky beast which grows on the mid-palate. Very smart and very polished, this is not a long-lived, contemplative D-B, but it is a stunning 2013 and it will drink early and this is something to celebrate.

Vinous

91-94 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe4/18/2014

The 2013 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. Black cherry, plum, smoke, tobacco and scorched earth blossom on the palate in a rich, resonant wine endowed with terrific depth and intensity for the year. The 2013 is delicate, sophisticated and polished to the core. A blast of red and blue tone fruits linger on the finish. The 2013 is aging in 100% new oak, all of which it has handled impeccably. At press time, Bruno Borie plans to stick to his regime of 18 months in barrel. Readers will find more obvious wines in 2013, but few that speak to this degree of pure finesse.

Asian Palate

93 / 100

byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe4/16/2014

Lovely purity here with only 13% alcohol. Floral and delicate vintage with layers of red berry fruit with sweet spices. Harvested 26 sept to 7 oct. According to Bruno Borie this wine is compared to Shu Qi.

My Bettane + Desseauve

17,5 / 20

the4/15/2014

Arôme noble et pur de graphite et de cèdre, corps équilibré, texture de très beau millésime, tannin précis et parfaitement adapté à la matière initiale, tout ce qu’on aime dans ce château, sans restriction. Il égalera peut-être le 2012 devenu aujourd’hui saisissant de race et de complexité.

Decanter.com

18 / 20

bySteven Spurrierthe4/14/2014

Dense colour from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, great purity and depth, quite lush for  2013 and superb vineyard expression, a totally modern Ducru.

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/11/2014

Bruno Borie has overseen not just one of the best Saint Julien wines of 2013, but one of the best Left Bank wines. The Grand Vin is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot picked between 26 September with the Merlot and finishing with the Cabernet on 9 October, stopping on the 4 October during the showers. It was cropped at 26hl/ha. It has quite an elegant and natural bouquet, very classic in style with a subtle marine influence. The palate is medium-bodied is medium-bodied with very good concentration and well judged acidity. I like the density here and the grainy texture, persistent on the spicy finish. This is a big step up from the Croix de Beaucaillou this year and an assured, composed Saint Julien.

The Wine Cellar Insider

92-93 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/11/2014

Blending 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, this garnet coloured wine reached 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.60. The wine will be aged in 100% new French oak barrels for 12 months. With medium body and soft, polished texture, the wine showcases vanilla bean, forest leaf, tobacco, cedar wood and cherry pipe tobacco. Showing a much-needed light touch in this vintage, the wine is soft, forward and will offer pleasure young. The wine was produced from yields of 20 hectolitres per hectare and represents less than 30% of the total crop.

René Gabriel

18 / 20

the4/8/2014

26hl/ha. Etwas mehr als eine halbe Ernte. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot. 100% neue Barriques. Dunkles Granat, reche satt in der Mitte, rubiner Rand. Sublimer, feiner Duft, Damassinepflaumen, Milchkaffee, Kirschentöne, aber auch etwas fein Florales, Verspielteszeigend. Im Gaumen seidig, sehr elegant, die Tannine sind bereits wunderschön im mild anmutenden Extrakt integriert, im Finale lang, zart ausklingend. Ein seidiger Ducru mit wenig Druck aber trotzdem grosser Klasse. Vielleicht wird das ein grosser, moderner Claret von der Leichtigkeit her. Es gab aber immer schon grosse und gleichzeitig leichte Ducru's (1966, 1970n 1971) in der Vergangenheit. Aber das werden wohl wenige Degustatoren so sehen.

26hl par ha. Juste un peu plus qu'une demi-récolte. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot. 100% barriques neuves. Sombre grenat, parfaite plénitde dans le milieu, bord rubis. Arôme sublime et plein de finesse, prunes de Damas, café au lait, touche de cerise, mais aussi quelque chose de finement floral, plein de fantasisie. Soyeux au palais, très élégant, des tannins juste merveilleusement intégrés en douceur dans un étrange extrait, long au final, s'achevant délicatement. Un Ducru soyeux, timide mais tout de même de grande classe. Peut-être qu'on aura ici un grand Claret modern de légèreté. Mais il y a toujours eu par le passé des Ducru à la fois grands et légers (1966, 1970, 1971). Mais on verra peut-être cela ainsi dans quelques autres dégustations. 2019-2043

Jamessuckling.com

91-92 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/8/2014

A new, traditional-style wine with a texture that spreads across the palate, featuring strawberry, light citrus and mineral character. Harmonious and sexy. Reminds me of the excellent 1971.      

Wine Spectator

90-93 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/3/2014

Displays solid stuffing for the vintage, with steeped plum, blackberry and black currant fruit lined with singed mesquite, black tea and cinnamon notes. Delivers lots of range and ample toast through the finish, revealing a prominent woody side today, balanced by ample flesh. An impressive effort for the vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Tasted non-blind. —J.M.