Ducru Beaucaillou 2009 (750ML)

100 JD / 100 WA / 97 WI / 97 VM / 96 WS / 17 JR

The 2009 Ducru-Beaucaillou is pure perfection and a much more sexy, opulent wine compared to the 2010. Crème de cassis, licorice, spice-box, lead pencil shavings and dried flower notes all – literally – soar from the glass of this incredible wine. Full-bodied, layered, expansive and deep, with sweet, sweet tannin and no hard edges, it’s already impossible to resist, yet is going to keep for four to five decades. I think the 2010 will be a longer-lived wine, but I’m not sure it will ever deliver the opulence or hedonistic pleasure of the 2009. Either way, that’s a fun comparison I look forward to having over the coming decades! - Jeb Dunnuck

The 2009 Ducru Beaucaillou will eclipse the brilliant wines produced in 2005, 2003 and 2000. It will be interesting to see how the 2009 fares against the 2010 after twenty years of aging, but my money is on the 2009. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that achieved 13.5% natural alcohol, this inky purple, unctuous wine possesses classic aromas of graphite, creme de cassis, blueberries, violets, licorice and Christmas fruitcake. Full-bodied and intense with Ducrus inimitable elegance and purity, it should firm up in the bottle after 7-10 years of cellaring and last for 40-50 years. Magnificent!

Bruno Borie has done a remarkable job at Ducru Beaucaillou. Robert Parker, 100 Points, Wine Advocate

The 2009 Ducru-Beaucaillou, 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, is deep garnet in color. It bursts from the glass with bold notes of creme de cassis, boysenberry preserves, black cherry compote, and new leather followed by hints of tapenade, wood smoke, and truffles. The full-bodied palate is rich and densely laden with black fruit and savory layers, framed by firm, grainy tannins and impressive tension, finishing long and earthy. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent

The 2009 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a fantastic wine. Here it bursts from the glass, perhaps less Pauillac-like than previous bottles, beautifully defined with a smorgasbord of red and black fruit laced with cedar and tobacco. There is no hedonism here, just wonderful intensity and focus. The palate is fresh on the entry with a fine bead of acidity, very poise yet powerful with a multi-layered finish that just lacquers the mouth. It probably needs another 5-6 years in bottle, but what a wine. Stunning. Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

Features plenty of flash and sizzle, with gorgeous, inviting mocha, espresso and chocolate notes up front, backed by a dense core of plum sauce, cassis, blackberry puree and blueberry reduction accents. Long, showing terrific polish, with a lovely lingering loam note and a buried singed apple wood edge that keeps everything driving through the finish. Best from 2016 through 2035. - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

Deep garnet with narrow brick rim. Complex and classic aromas of cigar box, really fragrant with air, and then leaner and fresher in the mouth than expected. Chewy and sinewy and really enjoyable now. Still a big wine. (JH) - Jancis Robinson