Ducru Beaucaillou - Saint-Julien 2015

Vinous

93

byNeal Martinthe7/16/2025

The 2015 Ducru-Beaucaillou has a more opulent bouquet with kirsch and raspberry scents, touches of vanilla and mint that emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, lovely balance and poise. This has real focus and plenty of tension toward the finish. It is a deftly crafted Saint-Julien, although this does not rise above its peers in this flight. Tasted blind at the 2015 Bordeaux Ten-Year-On tasting at Farr Vintners.

Wine Advocate

94-94

byNeal Martinthe9/20/2022

The 2015 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a vintage that requires more time to settle and decide what it wants to be. The nose needs just a little more cohesion and focus, quite upfront and overtly floral, perhaps more than it needs to be and it just slightly occludes the terroir expression at the moment. The palate is smooth and velvety, with moderate depth and fine acidity. I sometimes find this a little lactic on the finish, as I do here; perhaps I might actually prefer the 2017 tasted alongside which shows more tension on the finish. A fine Ducru-Beaucaillou rather than a truly great one. Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château.

Vinous

94

byNeal Martinthe7/10/2019

The 2015 Ducru-Beaucaillou is maybe a little more understated than its peers; it doesn’t grab you by your lapels and demand your attention. It is attractive, but I would have liked more vigor. The medium-bodied palate presents grainy tannin, gentle grip, more freshness in the mouth than on the nose, and a pastille-like purity toward the sweet, candied finish. Lovely, but it has certainly retreated into its shell and will require extended cellaring vis-à-vis its peers. [Another bottle tasted at the château and afforded a long decanting showed better.] Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.

Wine Advocate

95

byNeal Martinthe3/2/2018

The 2015 Ducru-Beaucaillou, a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot, has a very refined bouquet with precise blackberry, cedar, crushed flowers and incense that blossom in the glass. This is immediately seductive. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannin. This is very refined and sensual, the acidity extremely well judged and lending tension from start to finish. Notes of black fruit, allspice, a touch of graphite and subtle mineral tones surface toward the finish. This is a stunning Ducru Beaucaillou that deserves several years in bottle. Anticipated maturity: 2023 - 2050. 

Vinous

98

byAntonio Gallonithe2/27/2018

The 2015 Ducru-Beaucaillou is phenomenally great. Inky, powerful and explosive, the 2015 pulses with energy in all of its dimensions. Creme de cassis, blackberry jam, graphite, smoke, leather and incense, along with the wine's muscular tannins, convey an impression of brooding intensity. The 2015 has been nothing short of sensational on the two occasions I have tasted it so far. Readers should be prepared to be patient. Don't miss it!

Wine Advocate

97

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe2/22/2018

Composed of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Ducru-Beaucaillou is provocatively and profoundly scented of chocolate-covered cherries, fresh black currants, crushed blueberries and licorice with touches of cigar box, roses and violets plus hints of black pepper and tapenade. Medium to full-bodied, rich and sultry with tons of seductive layers and firm, wonderfully velvety tannins, it has a very long, multilayered finish.

Wine Spectator

97

byJames Molesworththe2/15/2018

Showy, with layers of warmed fig, roasted mesquite, black tea, incense and Turkish coffee notes, followed by waves of lush cassis, blackberry and raspberry confiture flavors. This has a graphite grounding rod, a tarry spine and riveting licorice snap details to keep it driving along. A head-turner for sure. Best from 2025 through 2045.   –JM

Jamessuckling.com

97

byJames Sucklingthe2/12/2018

Aromas of oyster shell, iron and currants. Hints of iodine. Full-bodied, very tight and focused. Love the finish of sandalwood, cinnamon, violets and lavender. Wonderful tannin texture. Linear and driven. Drink in 2022.

Decanter.com

97

byJane Ansonthe1/26/2018

Here, black fruits, bitter dark chocolate and inky liquorice abound. The texture is extremely impressive, really punching above the average St-Julien in this vintage. It is gorgeously withheld at the moment, but with so much promise of what lies ahead. It is subtle but hugely persistent on the palate. 100% new oak for 18 months. Bottled in July.

Jeb DUNNUCK

96

byJeb Dunnuckthe11/30/2017

The Wine Cellar Insider

96-98

byJeff Levethe4/30/2016

Dark in color, with a bit of purple around the rim, the wine feels silky, plush and rich on the palate, The sweet fruits have freshness and definition. The tannins are polished like velvet, leaving you with a long sensation of ripe boysenberries, dark chocolate, espresso, licorice and smoke. The finish really lingers on the palate. This is a tremendous wine for the vintage, equal to any of the First Growths. Produced from 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot, the wine reached 13.42% alcohol with a pH of 3.89 and is aging in 100% new French oak barrels.

Wine Advocate

94-96

byNeal Martinthe4/29/2016

The 2015 Ducru Beaucaillou is a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot, picked from around 28 September to 6 October. Matured in 100% new oak for what will be 18 months, delivering 13.5% alcohol, it has a relatively opulent bouquet for Saint Julien, with ripe black plum mixed with blackberry and cranberry, very well defined and neatly interwoven with the new oak. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly savory opening, gently but insistently gripping the mouth. It feels dense and structured with a subtle marine-like note towards the linear, black olive-tinged finish. Bruno Borie has a 2015 with backbone, with longevity in mind. I suspect this will require a decade for the tannins to soften and continue the purple patch for this grand estate.

Decanter.com

96

bySteven Spurrierthe4/27/2016

Extraordinary blend of finesse and depth from 95% Cabernet. A wine with a taffeta texture that enhances the extreme purity and depth of fruit. Hard to imagine a better balanced, more vineyard-expressive wine.2023-2050

Vinous

94-96

byAntonio Gallonithe4/27/2016

The 2015 Ducru-Beaucaillou offers notable depth, power and richness. There is plenty of tannin lurking beneath, but it is nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. Smoke, tobacco, charcoal, leather and dark stone fruits give the 2015 much of its brooding, tightly wound personality. A wine of pedigree and exceptional class, the 2015 Ducru is structured yet also spherical in texture, with terrific balance and tons of style. The 2015 is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot.

timatkin.com

96

byTim Atkin MWthe4/20/2016

Jancis Robinson

17,5

byJancis Robinsonthe4/18/2016

95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot. IPT 75, pH 3.89, 35 hl/ha. Highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon ever. 100% new oak. From 2003 the wine has been aged for 18 months in barrel. Very deep. Lifted and fresh. Very correct and unforced. Very sweet. Only just not too sweet… Transparent. Very expressive. Lively and fresh but a bit sinewy. 13.42% Drink 2023-2036

Wine Enthusiast

95-97

byRoger Vossthe4/15/2016

Barrel Sample. This wine is powerful with a smooth texture that masks dark tannins underneath. The fruit is sensual and generous with a fine, precise texture. This has so much fruit that it could be drunk young, but it certainly will age. 96 points

Jamessuckling.com

95-96

byJames Sucklingthe4/5/2016

A dense and compressed red with loads of blackberry and blueberry character. Fresh wet vineyard soil. Some mushroom too. Full and very tannic yet polished and very refined. Super balance and depth.