2017 Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 1500ml

98 POINTS

James Suckling

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.

97 POINTS

James Suckling

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. Points: 97-98

96 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

While the dense and dark tannins are prominent, they can't mask the exuberant fruit that wants to burst out. Blackberry flavors are impressively ripe and rich, shot through with acidity that gives the wine salinity as well as freshness. At the back, those tannins will allow the wine to age over many years. Don't drink before 2024.

96 POINTS

Jane Anson - Decanter

A lovely wine with a delicacy of expression, not as intense and concentrated as the 2016 but with a soft power, packed full of dense damson fruits. It's a clear expression of the complexity, power and possibility of the terroir of Ducru, with a floral edge that lifts things up on the finish. 100% new oak.

95 POINTS

Wine Spectator

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.

95 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

94–96. Barrel Sample. 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.

93 POINTS

Peter Moser - Falstaff

Deep dark ruby, purple reflections, delicate brightening on the rim. Intense dark berry fruit on the nose with hints of cassis and blackberry, fresh orange zest and a mineral touch. Taut palate, ripe cherry fruit, vivid, still demanding tannins and a long finish with more black cherry and red berries. A savoury food wine showing some development, but with definite ageing potential.

Wine Spectator

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.