Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 1995

This wine is of first-growth quality, not only from an intellectual perspective, but in its hedonistic characteristics. More open-knit and accessible than the extraordinary 1996, Ducru’s 1995 exhibits a saturated ruby/purple color, followed by a knock-out nose of blueberry and black raspberry/cassis fruit intertwined with minerals, flowers, and subtle toasty new oak. Like its younger sibling, the wine possesses a sweet, rich mid-palate (from extract and ripeness, not sugar), layers of flavor, good delineation and grip, but generally unobtrusive tannin and acidity. It is a classic, compelling example of Ducru-Beaucaillou that should not be missed. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2025. It should be obvious to readers of my preliminary reports on both the 1995 and 1996 vintages that the family of Jean-Eugene Borie produced some of the greatest wines ever made at their respective chateaux — Ducru-Beaucaillou, Grand-Puy-Lacoste, and Haut-Batailley — in both 1995 and 1996. That has been confirmed once again in the bottled 1995s, and in the evolution of the powerhouse 1996s.

Subtle yet aromatic character of Indian spices, currants and dried cherries. Full-bodied, with super well-integrated tannins and a long, caressing finish. Wonderful texture. Classy and structured. Long. This was wine of the year in 1998; well deserved.—'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2009. 18,000 cases made.

This gives the sensational Ducru 1996 a run for its money. More foursquare and less elaborate, this 1995 is equally generous and is quintessential St-Julien. All about cigar box and cedar at this stage with a seamless tannin structure, this wine is all about pleasure right now. Wonderful balance and phenomenal length that will keep it going for decades to come.

One of the better wines from what has become a difficult vintage, due to the strong, harsh nature of the tannins, here you find a wine that is classic in nature. Firm, slightly rustic and with a touch of green on the nose and palate, this is what old-school, classic Bordeaux is all about. The wine is full-bodied and loaded with fruit, but the rustic nature of the tannins intrudes on what otherwise would have been a nice party.

95: Barrel sample (19/20): finely toasty, ripe fruit bouquet, plums, truffle, extremely delicate. On the palate perfectly balanced, almost creamy texture, already showing its near perfection, incredibly long. Since the magnificent ’89, the absolutely best Ducru-Beaucaillou. At Premier Grand Cru level! A must-buy in the 1995 vintage. Then retasted during a Bordeaux trip in July: a dream wine of unique perfection. A Ducru has never been this concentrated. I suspect it may well be the best Ducru-Beaucaillou of this century. 98: Drunk at the Château: dark wine-red, saturated in the middle. Stunning cedar and fine wood bouquet, expansive with many wonderful, warm terroir notes. On the palate perfectly balanced, firm body, lots of backbone and displaying a concentrated Ducru aroma as I have never experienced in such perfection. A great, legendary Bordeaux that still needs a lot of patience (19/20)! 02: The wine is nowhere and yet everywhere! A sinfully young magnum at a wine evening at Restaurant Brandenberg in Zug: delicate red-cherry and light coffee bouquet, white pepper and aromas reminiscent of a truly great Sangiovese. On the palate still mealy, with bite and a muscular, enveloping astringency. Only when you swallow it does the awakening greatness emerge. Wait and hope you are still relatively young when you read these lines. (19/20). 06: Very dark color, purple with violet-black reflections. Great, deep bouquet, cassis, blackberries, currants, truffle and dark chocolate notes, the nose feels very noble. Creamy, elegant palate, showing lots of suppleness, feels full-bodied and endowed with graceful amplitude, warm, majestic finish. Although there are still plenty of reserves, this wine is currently a tremendous pleasure. 08: Has closed up again. But you can sense the enormous potential in this very, very great Ducru. So better wait or decant for a long time. 10: Still immensely dark and practically without maturity reflections. Deep-probing bouquet, perhaps a bit unclear in the first hour and thus in need of decanting. On the palate dense and fairly round tannins, lots of Ducru finesse but still not quite on point. A subtle Amarone sweetness in the finish. Two hours of decanting. (19/20). 12: A magnum at Lucien’s. I recognized it as Ducru, but guessed 1998. Probably because I didn’t know it was a magnum. Wonderfully juicy and fine. The spice currently recalls more a Cabernet Franc than a Cabernet Sauvignon, but that may be an intermediate stage. (19/20). 13: This is exactly how Ducru should be! Not for loud halls, but for quiet rooms. From now on, this will be a sublime pleasure for at least 20 years. 14: On a ski holiday in Mürren. Wonderfully matured with delicate terroir notes. Everything in a filigree, very elegant register. (19/20). 14: Brightening, but with no maturity tones yet. Delicate, rather restrained bouquet, red plums, Dominican tobacco, cedarwood, underpinned by a perfumed sweetness. On the palate the finest tannins, balanced and thus showing a royal balance; the residual tannins working in the background indicate further potential without impairing current enjoyment. A model “both-and”! It gained continuously with air. Those who know Ducru well know that it’s a guarantee for decades. (19/20). 17: Medium-dark, half-matured red. Delicately fine, multi-layered bouquet, wet teak, fine peppery contours, delicate cedar spice, building slowly and steadily. On the palate it shows the incredible finesse of a delicately appearing Saint-Julien. Mature, but still promising decades of further enjoyment. (19/20). 17: An Imperial during a large-format evening at Vila Vita in Portugal. On the nose, cedar and summer truffle. On the palate, velvet and silk. The terroir radiates a fine sweetness and almost perfumed on the aftertaste. I drank as much of it as possible. And that wasn’t little. (19/20). 18: At the moment this is not an easy wine. It begins with a few fruity seconds and then turns into a vegetal Cabernet phase. Perhaps a bit of gravy and lots of earthy notes. So there is more underneath than above. I accompanied it for two hours. That was easy. I was alone at home. If you slurp it, everything comes. If you drink it, only part comes. Long decanting. That will probably be the solution. (19/20). 21: Deep garnet, still showing violet reflections inside. The bouquet begins reductive; camphor, bay leaf, Tasmanian pepper, indicating an impressive depth and struggling to reveal its probably still hidden aromas on the nose. It is so reserved that, at the moment, even longer decanting wouldn’t bring much. On the palate it appears compressed, with a bumpy flow and still strongly astringent. The potential is immense, hence the current fun is not. (19/20)

Dense, elegant, fresh bouquet, black cassis, peanuts, cedar, dark tobacco. Young, densely knit, elegant and multi-layered palate with a classic structure, dark fruit, fine tannins, long, powerful finish. 19/20 drink - 2036

The 1995 Ducru-Beaucaillou is composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. Medium brick colored, it strides from the glass with confidently mature notes of prunes, stewed raspberries, and dried cherries, leading to underlying hints of tobacco leaf, iron ore, sandalwood, and clove oil. The medium-bodied palate is soft and refreshing, expressive of exotic spices and earthy nuances, finishing with a minerally whisper.

Logo on the cork: inverted T (Trescases) Bad bottle Not decanted. Dark color, slightly evolved. Intense nose with ripe fruit. Tar notes. From the first sip, the tannin marks this wine and never lets go. Rather dry finish. Variations from one bottle to another.

Radiant brilliance in the glass, with a garnet core and brick-red hues at the rim. A delicate bouquet of dried fruits, leather and a hint of undergrowth. It opens up noticeably with air, revealing notes of cedarwood, potpourri and a touch of marzipan. On the palate, dried orange peel, light tobacco leaves and a hint of dried fruit come through. Velvety, yet with a firm texture and grip. It fills the palate and lingers with a long finish.