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Ducru Beaucaillou 2010

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Label

Tasting Notes

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.

100
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 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.

98+
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (205), March 2013

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. 2030-2070

96+
Neal Martin, vinous.com, July 2022

Very deep garnet in color, the 2010 Ducru-Beaucaillou is just slightly closed to begin, featuring subtle wafts of baked plums, espresso and bay leaves before kicking it up a notch with expressive notes of blackcurrant cordial, chargrilled meats, woodsmoke and crushed rocks plus a tantalizing touch of truffles. Full-bodied, concentrated and oh-so-decadently fruited in the mouth, the palate is built like a brick house with firm, ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the tightly wound flavor layers, finishing with epic length and depth. 2020 - 2065

99
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (Aug 2020 W), August 2020

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.

18
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2011

Ducru is on top form these days. Bruno Borie has made some very serious wines at Ducru in recent vintages with many vats previously destined for the grand vin now being used for the second label. From 2003 onwards production of the first wine has been reduced from 15,000-20,000 cs to 9,000-11,000 cs. There is now more second wine - La Croix de Beaucaillou than there is Grand Vin. Bruno's policy is now to only select fruit from the heart of the Ducru vineyard, overlooking the estuary for the Grand Vin. Ducru is clearly back where it belongs at the top of the super-second league. A deep, dark purple colour. A fabulous nose of charcoal, roasted meat, black truffles and Asian spices. Rich and fleshy on the palate with tobacco and cassis notes. Great complexity and good acidic lift. Massive, yet precise and very long. The best wine that we tasted in St Julien in 2010 and a truly great Ducru that should surpass even the 1982 in time.

97
Farr Vintners, April 2011

A monumental wine that’s going to be just about immortal is the 2010 Ducru-Beaucaillou. Coming from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot brought up in new barrels, it sports a saturated purple color to go with dense, yet incredibly pure, classic notes of crème de cassis, lead pencil, crushed rocks and liquid violets. With full-bodied richness, a massive, unctuous texture, and again, incredible purity, it needs to be forgotten for 7-8 years and will keep for just about as long as you’ll like to hang onto bottles. 2025 - 2065

98+
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, November 2017

The nose is packed out with rich fruit black cherry vying with blackcurrant both underpinned by liquorice and coffee beans. The tannins give structure but the power and sweetness of the fruit is not held back just supported.

92/96
Derek Smedley MW, April 2011
96
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 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
Steven Spurrier, Decanter.com, April 2011
Read more tasting notes...

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.

96/98+
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (194), May 2011

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. 2025 - 2065

96
Neal Martin, vinous.com, April 2020

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.

98
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, February 2013

Cropped between 29th September until 14th October, a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, the nose takes some coaxing from the glass. Very pure blackberry, cassis, a touch of mint and cedar, the new oak lending a touch of vanilla, this is very opulent, yet controlled bouquet. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated, velvety tannins, a real caressing mouthfeel, very good acidity to maintain freshness with an exceptionally focused, almost Pauillac-like finish. Very long in the mouth with a citric edge lingering long after the wine is ejected. Tasted March 2011.

95/97
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, April 2011

I cant 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

99/100
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, March 2011

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. 2020 - 2065.

98+
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (March 2020), March 2020
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.

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