Ducru Beaucaillou - Saint-Julien 2010

Wine Advocate

96.00-96.00

byNeal Martinthe9/20/2022

The 2010 Ducru-Beaucaillou, picked 29 September to 14 October, was matured in 100% new oak for 18 months. This is more backward, sultry compared to the 2009, but there is a payload of black fruit laced with violet and cedar, a very faint ash scent emerging with time. The palate is full-bodied with powerful black fruit, a lovely granular texture and a killer line of acidity. There is a certainly headiness on the finish, atypically more so than the 2009, although it delivers extraordinary persistence. It needs another 10 years before it even thinks about entering its drinking window. Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château.

Vinous

96

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2020

The 2010 Ducru-Beaucaillou has a seriously fine bouquet with plenty of black fruit, cedar and hints of camphor that blossom from the glass. So much vigour and intensity here, yet it remains beautifully delineated and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain, supple tannins. There is a fine bead of acidity, fresh and focused, one of the most pliant Saint-Julien crus in this flight with a supple finish that belies that structure underneath. It reminds me of Léoville Poyferré. Superb. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal. Drink 2025-2065

Wine Advocate

98

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe3/5/2020

98+ /Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Ducru-Beaucaillou bursts from the glass with bold, expressive blackcurrant cordial, baked plums and mulberries scents plus wafts of menthol, Marmite toast, black olives and dried lavender. Full-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house, with solid walls of super firm, super ripe tannins and bold freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing with great length.

Jeb DUNNUCK

98

byJeb Dunnuckthe11/30/2017

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

95

byStephen Tanzerthe9/26/2013

Medium red-ruby.  Sexy, ripe aromas of black- and redcurrant, cedar and minerals, lifted by a subtle minty note; an essence of perfumed Saint-Julien cabernet sauvignon.  Then rich, deep and incredibly vibrant, displaying major dimensions for Ducru as well as a dense kernel of complex, delineated blackcurrant, red cherry, milk chocolate, cedar and fresh herb flavor.  Finishes wonderfully long and subtle, with suave tannins that eventually dust the front teeth and a quintessentially silky texture.  If the 2010 vintage is a modern classic, this wine could be Exhibit A. 95 (+?) points

Wine Spectator

97

byJames Molesworththe3/31/2013

Not shy at all, with a flamboyant, aromatic profile of roasted apple wood and warm ganache, featuring more than enough stuffing in the form of thickly layered blackberry paste, steeped fig and pastis-soaked plum flavors. The structure is massive but incredibly polished, and the fruit displays terrific purity through the graphite-supported finish. Large-scale and extremely well-rendered. Best from 2020 through 2040. –JM

Wine Advocate

98

byRobert Parkerthe3/1/2013

With loads of minerality, a terrific opaque purple color, and slightly more structure and tannin than either Poyferre or St.-Pierre (and that’s saying something), this is a blockbuster, fabulous Ducru Beaucaillou that should be at its best a good decade from now and last 40-50 years. The proprietor is not alone in thinking this is the finest Ducru Beaucaillou since the 1961. The classic wet rock, creme de cassis, subtle oak and gravelly stoniness of the vineyard come through in this spectacular, full-bodied, gorgeously pure and intense effort. This is wine for the ages that should be forgotten for at least a decade. Proprietor Bruno Borie thinks this wine is as superb as their 2009. Slightly more structured and less flamboyant than its older sibling, it is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot from the very best parcels of the vineyard. This wine tips the scales at 14% natural alcohol but has a normal pH of 3.6, which is one of the characteristics of this vintage (high alcohol, normal pH), which thus accounts for the freshness and precision found in most 2010s.

Wine Advocate

98

byNeal Martinthe2/12/2013

The Ducru-Beaucaillou 2010 has a marvellous, intense bouquet that is more cerebral than the 2009, which served everything on a plate and invited you to delve in. It is extremely well defined with blackcurrant, cedar, wild heather and cassis bringing up the rear. It is very composed and focused, unwinding over three or four minutes of aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe and velvety tannins that lend it a gorgeous mouthfeel. To reiterate, this Ducru Beaucaillou really benefits from aeration and this bottle was decanted upon my request, but even so, it is a well-behaved wine that politely refuses to fan out on the disciplined finish. This will be a long-lived Ducru – there is a dizzy sense of weight and persistency with a long aftertaste. Bruno analogises his 2010 to Charlize Theron, in which case, it deserves an Oscar. Tasted November 2012

Jamessuckling.com

100

byJames Sucklingthe2/3/2013

The nose is phenomenal with perfect aromas of Cabernet Sauvignon with currant bush, blackberries and minerals. A pure expression of Cab. The palate is perfect with a full body, but has perfectly integrated tannins with a texture like the finest cashmere. It's strong but noble with perfect form and beauty. All in harmony. A fabulous wine that everyone who loves Bordeaux should have a bottle or case of. Better in 2020

Wine Advocate

96-98

byRobert Parkerthe5/31/2011

2010 Ducru Beaucaillou: Representing 45% of their total production, the 2010 Ducru will certainly compete with the efforts produced in 2009, 2008, and 2005. It hit 14% natural alcohol, compared to 13.5% in 2009 and 2008. A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, the wine has a surprisingly lower pH (3.62) than the 2009, or the 2005 for that matter. A truly remarkable wine, with a dense purple color and a beautiful nose of creme de cassis, spring flowers and crushed rock, this full-bodied, sensationally concentrated wine has massive richness, high but very sweet tannin, and stunning purity and depth. Proprietor Bruno Borie seems to have pulled out all the stops in turning out an absolutely compelling effort that is the essence of Ducru Beaucaillou. It should drink well for 30-40 years. rink 2011-2051 (96-98+ points)

WeinWisser

19

byTjark Witzgallthe5/31/2011

20% unter einer Normalernte. Ca. 115000 Flaschen. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot. Tiefes Purpur. Feinfruchtiges Bouquet, rote, reife Pflaumen und viel Kirschnoten, feine Komplexität, fast nobel zurückhaltend. Im Gaumen superelegant, traumhaft balanciert, die massiv vorhandenen Gerbstoffe spürt man fast nicht, lange ausklingend. 2017-2045

Asian Palate

94-96

byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe5/24/2011

The deep purple, beautifully crafted 2010 Ducru-Beaucaillou has notes of fresh dark berries, spices, cedar and blackcurrant, supported by restrained tannins and very long, precise and focused flavours that are concentrated and intense and rise in the finish. This is a massive wine made for long aging which, though it has the same acidity level as in 2009, is higher in alcohol and tannins, resulting in a wine of great density, depth and - in its present state - a certain angular sternness. Less than 10,000 cases were made in 2010 because of strict selection.

Le Point

16,5-17

byJacques Dupontthe5/12/2011

Fruits noirs, bouche ronde, moelleuse, puissant, gras, tanins moelleux, fruits noirs, très moelleux, dense, un peu serré, un peu extrait et chaleureux. O=2018 G=20 ans

Decanter Magazine

19

bySteven Spurrierthe4/30/2011

Superb colour, an explosion of fruit above great depth and much more polished, deeper and fresher than the 2009, hard to imagine a better Ducru. Drink 2020-50. (19 points)

Jamessuckling.com

99-100

byJames Sucklingthe4/30/2011

I can’t believe the precision and complexity in this wine. This is really amazing with minerals, berries, currants and blackberries. Full and extraordinary. It goes on and on and on. Tasted twice. Best ever from Ducru.

TAST

19-20

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/30/2011

Toucher de bouche magique, finesse de grain plus impressionnante même que celle de château Margaux, grande longueur, harmonie extraordinaire, mon coup de cœur en Médoc cette année.

The Wine Cellar Insider

97-98

byJeff Levethe4/25/2011

Ducru Beaucaillou Produced from a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, the wine reached 13.95% alcohol. Inky purple in color, cassis, truffle, cedar, spice, oak, mocha and fennel aromas are found with little coaxing. Polished, powerful, long, fresh, pure and clean, the layers of chocolate covered black cherries resonate in the finish. This regal wine remains on your palate for close to 50 seconds. The wine will be aged in 95% new oak for 18 months. 96-98 Pts

Jancis Robinson

18

byJancis Robinsonthe4/19/2011

90% Cabernet Sauvignon. Same analysis as last year but very different from the 2009 – indeed very different from all recent vintages of Ducru – a return to something drier and more classical. It’s all about the quality of tannins, according to Bruno Borie. Very firm and solid and confident – all from terroir. You could stick a spoon up in it, but in a good way. Drier and more grown-up than in some previous years. Very long term. Perfect for those who seek something really serious. Drink 2022-2036

Wine Enthusiast

94-96

byRoger Vossthe4/8/2011

This is a wonderfully perfumed wine, with great tannins and a very opulent character. Powerful and generous, touched with vanilla at the end, it has structure and richness.-R.V.