Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, 2ième Grand Cru Classé

Vintage 2005

A.O.C. Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou’s wines are fitting of this simply magnificent château and resplendent gardens, giving this Saint-Juilen heavyweight the unofficial title as a ‘Super Second’ – a second growth producing wines equal or superior to the illustrious first growths. It is, in our opinion, right at the top of the ladder in Bordeaux’s Saint-Julien district.

Ducru-Beaucaillou is named after the beautiful stones (‘beaux cailloux’) found in its unique wine-growing soils, and is managed by the affable and welcoming Bruno-Eugene Borie, whose family has owned Ducru-Beaucaillou for 60 years.

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“Consistent notes: this is a fantastic Saint Julien that is built for the long haul. The bouquet is tightly coiled with ebullient dark fruits, sandalwood, macerated black cherries and a hint of vanilla emanating from the unresolved new oak. The palate is full-bodied with sinewy tannins, wonderful harmony with the same ethereal sense of symmetry as the 2000. The finish is still tannic and almost “brutish”; so do not think about opening this wine before 2020.” eRobertParker.com (Nov 2011)

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Code: 101227

Optimum Drinking Period: 2020-2050

Robert Parker: 97

Wine Spectator: 95

Stephen Tanzer: 94