Château Ducru Beaucaillou - Saint-Julien 2017

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

par Lisa Perrotti-Brown le 17/03/2020

Deep purple-black in color, the 2017 Ducru-Beaucaillou slowly unfurls to reveal beautifully fragrant notes of warm kirsch, wild blueberries, fresh red and black currants and violets with wafts of underbrush and Earl Grey tea. Medium-bodied, the palate has great freshness and elegance, with very well-played, plush tannins and bags of perfumed fruit, finishing on a lingering spicy note. The wine was aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak barrels. The blend is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. Drinking Window : 2022 - 2048. 96+

Vinous

96 / 100

par Antonio Galloni le 11/03/2020

The 2017 Ducru-Beaucaillou is racy, deep and opulently beautiful. In 2017, Ducru is very red-fruited and floral, with tons of inner sweetness and nuance to match its sumptuous, exotic personality. Mint, spice, chocolate and licorice accents add character as the 2017 gains brightness, aromatic purity and detail with a bit of air. Bruno Borie gave the 2017 18 months in 100% new oak. Along with Beychevelle, Ducru is the most flamboyant wine in Saint-Julien. Tasted two times.

Wine Spectator

95 / 100

par James Molesworth le 07/02/2020

A suave and seductive wine, with a beautifully caressing mouthfeel to the layers of warmed plum, steeped boysenberry and blackberry compote flavors. Licorice snap, mesquite, wood spice and black tea notes swirl around as the fruit plays out. A graphite spine carries the finish effortlessly. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2023 through 2038. 6,666 cases made. — JM

Jamessuckling.com

98 / 100

par James Suckling le 13/01/2020

Attractive, intense aromas of ripe blueberries, currants and more savory, tarry notes, as well as iodine, violets and cassis. The palate has a supple and succulent feel. This is cabernet in outright seductive mode, offering such fluid tannins and mouth-filling length. A blend of 90% cabernet sauvignon and 10% merlot. One of the stars of the vintage. Drink or hold.

Le Point

16,5-17 / 20

par Jacques Dupont le 20/06/2018

Fruits noirs, racé, élégant, trame dense, de la fraîcheur, tendu, précis, du mordant, de la tension, long, bien bâti.

Jeb DUNNUCK

94-96 / 100

par Jeb Dunnuck le 12/06/2018

Unquestionably one of the successes in the vintage is the 2017 Château Ducru Beaucaillou, which reminds me of the 2014, with perhaps a touch more oomph. As always, it’s a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend (90/10 Cabernet and Merlot) brought up in new barrels. Its vibrant purple color is followed by a terrific bouquet of crème de cassis, blueberries, violets, and exotic flowers. It has medium to full-bodied richness, plenty of mid-palate, and fine tannin as well as a great finish. It’s going to need 3-5 years of cellaring and keep for two decades. Count me in as a huge fan.

En Magnum

16,5-17 / 20

le 28/05/2018

Arôme de cèdre, mais intensité colorante moins marquée que par le passé et surtout un peu d'imprécision en milieu de bouche, par rapport à certains voisins. Par ailleurs d'évidentes qualités de finesse aromatiques et de texture. On le reverra évidemment dans un an. Dégusté au chateau.

Vinifera

95 / 100

par Jacques Perrin le 28/05/2018

Le nez est racé, profond, sur des arômes de fruits très purs. Corps superbement équilibré, très frais, d’une magnifique continuité et qui finit très pur, sur un fruité intense avec beaucoup de réminiscence dans la saveur.

Vinous

93-96 / 100

par Antonio Galloni le 15/05/2018

The 2017 Ducru-Beaucaillou is distinctly sleek and polished, with a real air of sensuality. Finessed and racy to the core, the 2017 is all about elegance rather than the power that informed both the 2015 and 2016. Red-toned fruit, plush texture and silky tannins all contribute to the wine's restrained feel. A host of floral notes add brightness as the wine opens up in the glass. There is so much to like in the 2017. The blend is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot.

La Revue du Vin de France

18-18,5 / 20

par Olivier Poels le 15/05/2018

Sa race est éclatante, combinant fruité acidulé, densité de matière et qualité de tanins. Séveux, le vin se déploie par vagues et s'éternise en bouche.

The Wine Cellar Insider

96-98 / 100

par Jeff Leve le 11/05/2018

Freshness and accessibility are the hallmarks of this wine. The customary level of density is improved with added grace, elegance, pliability and an upbeat, spicy core of attention seeking fruits. This is not to say that the wine is light. It is to explain that power has been refined with approachability, brighter fruits and exceedingly silky tannins. The wine was made from a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot and is aging in 100% new, French oak barrels. The wine reached 13.51% alcohol with a pH of 3.79. The harvest took place from September 18 to September 30.

Le Figaro

18,5 / 20

par Bernard Burtschy le 06/05/2018

Juteux, frais, friand, gourmand, sapide, très long, tannins ronds et racés, jolie chair, joli touché de bouche, finale longue et sapide.

Vinous

93-95 / 100

par Neal Martin le 01/05/2018

The 2017 Ducru Beaucaillou was picked from 18 to 23 September for the Merlot, and from 25 to 30 September for the Cabernets. It is matured in 100% new oak over 18 months. It offers copious black fruit, violets, bay leaf and Asian spice notes on the nose that gathers momentum in the glass after a deceptively understated opening. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin, the oak nicely integrated, not quite as harmonious as the 2016 but then again, few 2017s are. There is a rigid structure to this Ducru Beaucaillou underneath the carapace of ripe black fruit with touches of tobacco and spice lingering on the aftertaste. It is probably going to require more cellar age than many of its peers but it will be worth the wait.

Wine Advocate

95-97 / 100

par Lisa Perrotti-Brown le 27/04/2018

There was no frost at Ducru-Beaucaillou in 2017 due to its proximity to the estuary. This barrel sample comes from the final blend, which was made in early 2018. Composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot and sporting a deep garnet-purple color, the 2017 Ducru-Beaucaillou is intensely scented of blackcurrant cordial, blackberries and lavender with hints of crushed rocks, iron ore, rose hips and Provence herbs plus touches of wood smoke and sandalwood. Medium-bodied, very firm and grainy in the mouth, it possesses lovely freshness, lifting the intense flavors, finishing long and minerally. Sporting an incredible core of muscular mid-palate fruit, this wine should age incredibly.

Decanter.com

96 / 100

par Jane Anson le 25/04/2018

A little less intense and concentrated than the 2016, this focusses more on rich, smoky, finessed aromatics. The overall feel is gourmet and well textured, with some welcoming rich spice. A serious contender for the top St Julien in 2017, this has wonderfully fleshy blackberry fruits, a screech of graphite adding some mineral overtones, and a great dash of grilled oak. 7,500 cases of Ducru this year instead of 10,000 - they weren't affected by frost, but the Cabernets were just less generous this year, down to around 30hl/ha. This is accomplished winemaking, with great energy and poise. 100% new oak.

WeinWisser

19 / 20

par René Gabriel le 25/04/2018

90% Ca­bernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 38 hl/ha. Dichtes Purpurgranat mit schwarzer Mitte. Konzentriertes blaubeeriges Bouquet mit Anftug von intensivem Holunder und reifen Heidelbeeren. lm zweiten Ansatz duftige Veilchen, par-fümierter Pfeifentabak und frischer Milchkaffee. Am Gaumen mit seidigen, bereits abgerundeten Tanninen. Eine perfekte Verbindung von Finesse und Kraft. Besticht durch Eleganz und endet in einem sehr langen Finale mit verfüh-rerischer Kirschfrucht, tiefgründigen Graphitnoten und zarter Adstringenz. «A very academic construction», meint ein âusserst zufriedener Bruno Borie. Er war der letzte Top-St.-Julien, den ich an diesem Tag verkosten durfte und sich prompt an die Spitze der Appella­tion katapultierte. Eine Symphonie in 7! lm Zweitwein waren deutliche kernige Aromen und etwas Unreife erkennbar, da zeigte sich die strenge Selektion für den Grand Vin.       

matthewjukes.com

19 / 20

par Matthew Jukes le 25/04/2018

Wine Enthusiast

94-96 / 100

par Roger Voss le 17/04/2018

While this is a dense wine packed with tannins, they never threaten to overwhelm the fruit. The blackberry notes and swathes of ripe fruit give the wine its opulent, ripe and generous character. While the wine will certainly age, it is going to be drinkable relatively soon, certainly by 2024.

Jamessuckling.com

97-98 / 100

par James Suckling le 06/04/2018

Holy.... This is so powerful and dense with amazing depth of fruit and beautifully ripe tannins tannins. Full body, layers of fruit and tannins. It’s has a long finish but then kicks off at the end. Remains classic in style.

Wine Spectator

93-96 / 100

par James Molesworth le 04/04/2018

This has a warm and inviting feel, with mocha, Christmas pudding and blackberry and plum compote aromas and flavors flowing through atop fleshy, velvety structure. There’s a graphite edge along with some alluring spice accents, and this stays polished and lengthy in the end.—J.M.