Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2000

70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot

A stunning wine from Ducru Beaucaillou which showcases its great terroir, this elegant but substantial 2000 has a dense purple color that has hardly budged since it was first bottled. Displaying a floral note, with hints of boysenberries, black raspberries, black currants and a touch of background oak, the wine has superb concentration and density, but still has some substantial tannins that are not yet fully resolved. I originally predicted that it should be drinkable from 2010-2030, but I would modify that now to 2015-2035.

This has mature hints, but there's great focus as the cedar, bay and leather notes race along with, rather than pull away from, the core of fig and blackberry fruit flavors. The long, bittersweet cocoa–dusted finish provides a solid bass line. -- Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2023. 17,500 cases made.

Moccha, pine and mushroom notes emphasise the development almost 25 years since the vintage. There is still masses of sweet, dark currant fruit on the palatae with plenty of acidity to keep the wine fresh and alive. Concentrated and long, this is a fine wine which is now well into its drinking phase. Perhaps the tannins give the age away a little, with a leafy, slightly drying finish, suggesting that the wine is not going to improve substantially, but will hold well.

I must admit that I was a little unimpressed with the Ducru 2000 in the beginning when I tasted it after bottling in 2003. But it's clearly outstanding now and seems to get better and better with age. It shows wonderful aromas of roses and currants with hints of mint. It's full body yet very finely textured with pretty fruit concentration and length.

The 2000 Ducru-Beaucaillou is very deep in colour. Surprisingly, the nose is very backward in this example with quite intense black cherries, boysenberry, prune and fig aromas, gaining clarity and vigour with aeration (serious decanting is advised for this millennial.) The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins. Stocky, but not muscular, this has a firm backbone, grainy tannins, liquorice-tinged black fruit with a grippy, almost menthol finish. I adored this wine a decade ago, but ten years on, has it really evolved as well as other vintages? Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château.

Continuing to age in a positive direction the wine has added secondary nuances of leafy tobacco, cigar box, cedar, spice, and dried flowers to its core of blackberries and currants. Full-bodied, with a nice depth of flavor, and a structured, tannic backbone, giving it the ability to age for at least 2-3 more decades. Drink from 2023-2050.

Stunning and nearly pure perfection, the 2000 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is fully mature and smack in the middle of its prime drinking window. Currants, tobacco, spices, dried flowers, and hints of truffle all emerge from the bouquet, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a pure, graceful, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a gorgeous finish. I love everything about this wine. It probably has another 40 years of life, but why wait? Drink 2026-2066.

Very dark garnet-purple. Concentrated in the core, with a fine rim on the edge. A delicate bouquet scented with precious woods: prune, cedar, Havana tobacco; less straightforward fruit than in the Pauillacs, very profound, with a hint of truffle. Full, dense extract, ripe tannins, gently drying traces, nutty tones, again plenty of fine wood notes, showing pedigree, yet also a certain sharpness in the tannins; as with all great Saint-Julien, the tannins here are rather firm and grainy. Will the very greatest Saint-Julien lack finesse and elegance, or do they simply need much more time? Definitely not a wine for fruit lovers.

01: Very dark garnet-purple. Dense at the core, with a fine rim on the edge. Delicate bouquet scented with precious woods, prunes, cedar, Havana tobacco; less straightforward fruit than is often found in Pauillac, very profound, with a hint of truffle. Full, dense extract, ripe tannins, gently dry traces, nutty notes and again lots of noble wood nuances; shows breed, but also a certain sharpness in the tannins. Like all great Saint-Julien, the tannins here are rather firm and grainy. Will it lack the finesse and elegance of the very greatest Saint-Juliens, or does it simply need far more time than one would have the patience to wait? In any case, this Ducru will never be a wine for fruit-drinkers. (18/20). 08: Quite dark garnet, dense at the core. Warm plum-and-cedar bouquet, jasmine tea, liquorice; shows fine depth but is still rather restrained aromatically. After a few minutes, fresh herbal tones emerge and pair with mint. Full palate, everything feels comfortably balanced, and the mouth aromatics show ripe Cabernet, plenty of power, and malt and liquorice in the long, truffly finish. A wine that has gained since the en Primeur tastings and in 10 years will count among the very great, legendary and longest-lived Ducrus. (19/20). 09: Wow—already a revelation on the nose: very ripe fruit, black plums, cassis, smoke and fermented tea, expansive. On the palate it already shows beautiful harmony; the tannins are integrated into a gently fleshy body, with a long, focused finish. Worth forgiving a first youthful indiscretion; truly top in about 10 years. (19/20). 13: Bärti brought this wine along for a game of jass. (19/20). 14: Deep purple, slightly lighter at the rim. Noble, black-peppery bouquet, lots of cedar, with surprisingly plenty of cassis underneath. You can almost feel how the elegant nose keeps building in the air. The longer you explore the bouquet, the more parallels emerge with other truly great Ducru vintages in the glass. On the palate, balanced, still demanding astringency. You can sense these tannins are far nobler than those of Lagrange; the finish is almost purely black-berried, with dreamlike class. This could become a 20/20 candidate at full maturity, which I predict around 2030. (19/20). 18: The colour is quite dark, with a certain maturity visible towards the edge. The overall appearance is discreetly matte. The bouquet is beautifully spiced; the fruit is fading and making room for a lightly earthy, almost truffly tone. Blond tobacco, ripe plums and precious woods complete the aromatics on the second nose. The palate is charming on the outside and feels ripe, while the tongue still detects a finely firm, core-like note. So it seems to be in an in-between phase at the moment. It then evolves continuously in the glass—decanting would have done it a lot of good. Conclusion: early maturity with a very wide 30-year guarantee of life. (19/20). 21: Still deep purple-garnet. Zero signs of maturity. Open, finely ample bouquet: nutty—almost buttery—opening, pale malt, melted chocolate, fresh plums and even a hint of dried plums. The sweetness is both filigree and intoxicating. The nose signals a first true drinking maturity, because the wine feels approachable and almost uncomplicated—rare for a great Ducru that is usually still a bit young and coquettish. On the palate it conveys above all charm and harmony. It shows a tightly knit body structure with quite a lot of flesh and depth. It kept gaining steadily with air, underscoring its great ageing potential. Seldom have I felt so much crackling Cabernet sensuality in a Ducru-Beaucaillou. Wow! (19/20). 21: Brightening wine-red, medium density at the core, becoming transparent at the rim. In other words: the colour is not as spectacular as the rest of the wine. Gorgeously scented bouquet from the very start. Classic cedar fragrance; behind it, a filigree, complex sweetness of red plums, rosehip jelly, fine grey pepper powder and a touch of cloves (as in a Clos de la Roche from Dujac). Not a nasal drug, but a composed classic that clearly radiates hallmark Ducru notes. On the palate it convinces first and foremost through its perfect balance and very fine tannins; everything is compact, elegant, and each element in its right place. A great Saint-Julien that one can hardly get enough of. Along with the 1961 and 2009 vintages, the best Ducru. (20/20).

Deep, complex, dense bouquet with blackcurrant, cedar, currants and truffle. A dense, multi-layered, powerful palate with compact, dark aromas, a finely muscular yet elegant structure, and a very long, concentrated finish. 19/20 drink – 2040

This was a firm and muscular wine in its youth, and it is just now really approaching its sweet spot, filled with baking spices, liquorice root, saffron, and the beginnings of a more tertiary blackcurrant puree, tobacco leaf, cigar box and mint. Give it a few hours in a carafe to fully open up. Bruno Borie owner, returning to the family estate in 1998.

A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, the 2000 Ducru-Beaucaillou is deep garnet in color, with a touch of brick. It swans out of the glass with gregarious, mature notes of cigar box, new leather, potpourri, and dried bay leaves, leading to a core of prunes, dried cherries, and fragrant soil, plus a touch of iron ore. The medium-bodied palate has compelling freshness and soft, silt-like tannins supporting the evolved black fruit and mineral layers, finishing long and graceful.

While less precise than the most recent vintages, this Ducru stands out for its very spicy character and its expressive aromas of macerated red fruits. Full-bodied and still quite massive, it needs time to refine.

Ruby red with violet highlights. The bouquet is still a little shy, but already reveals notes of spice and fruit, with blackcurrant, blackberry and plum. The attack is pleasant, leading into a full, dense palate. The structure promises a bright future, while fine-grained tannins emerge later on. The fruit is remarkable, even managing to convince the palate (and the taster) of its intensity. An intense, lingering finish. This wine is already very tempting, but I believe patience will be richly rewarded here!

Logo on the cork: an inverted T (Trescases) Faulty bottle Color of medium intensity and slightly developed. Subtle, fruity nose. Light, fruity palate, with a finish whose tannins are marked by an acrid woody note. Some bitterness. Disappointing for the vintage.