Le Petit Ducru de Ducru-Beaucaillou 2018

A newcomer to the Ducru-Beaucaillou stable, Le Petit Ducru wine was formerly called Lalande-Borie. It is essentially a third wine, coming from part of the vineyard of Ducru-Beaucaillou. The 2018 Le Petit Ducru is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged for 12 months in barrel, in one-third new oak. It has an alcohol of 14.5%. Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with wonderfully pure scents of black and red currants, black raspberries and mulberries plus suggestions of tobacco leaf, bay leaves and fertile loam. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-filling juicy black fruits flavors with soft tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with an herbal lift.

Attractive, bright, and bristling fruit, from grapes that were small and concentrated after a particularly dry summer in St-Julien, with rain at the right time in September. Things have been well handled over ageing and this is rippling with life and succulent acidity. Previously known as Lalande-Borie. A yield of 35hl/ha.

Blackberry and blueberry aromas with black licorice and dark violets that follow to a medium to full body with ultra-fine tannins and a pretty finish. Very fine texture. Drink after 2024.

The 2018 Le Petit Ducru de Ducru-Beaucaillou, to give it its full name, was still “Lalande-Borie” when I tasted it from barrel. Aged for 12 months in 30% new oak, it has a pretty bouquet, less precocious than I noted back then, with brambly black fruit, crushed rock and a light wilted iris scent. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, the oak now nicely entwined—whereas before I thought it might take 3–4 years to fully integrate. There is ample ripeness, though it remains classic in style, with fine delineation and just the right amount of sapidity to draw you back for another sip.

The Merlot-dominated 2018 Le Petit Ducru De Ducru-Beaucaillou (there's 40% Cabernet Sauvignon) is another dense ruby/purple-hued effort offering lots of cedar, green tobacco, damp earth, and darker currant-like fruits, with a medium- to full-bodied, beautifully textured mouthfeel. It has ripe tannins and plenty of baby fat that hides solid underlying structure. It’s well worth seeking out and will put a smile on your face any time over the coming decade as well.

The nose is fresh, fruity, and offers a touch of juiciness as well as minerality. It reveals notes of crunchy boysenberry, fresh/juicy red berries and, more subtly, iris and fresh/juicy cherry, combined with fine hints of fresh violet and discreet touches of fresh nutmeg. The palate is fruity, delightfully fresh, precise, and offers finesse/finely grained texture, indulgence, and grain. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/fresh cherry, crunchy raspberry and, more subtly, fresh violet, combined with small touches of lily, juicy/fresh blueberry, as well as small hints of tonka bean, licorice and a very discreet hint of chocolate. A fine touch of toasted hazelnut on the finish/persistence. Note (Score): 16/20