2008 Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou, St Julien

Tasting at Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou is a surreal experience. To say that the Borie family have an unusual taste in modern art is an understatement but once you get past the flamboyant bright orange-yellow décor and copper filigree sliding doors of the tasting ‘tunnel’, the 2008 wine was by far the finest Ducru we had ever tasted. Bruno Borie attributes the triumph of 2008 to his 45-strong team who had worked together meticulously to create this enormously pure, clean and complex Ducru with sophisticated, supple tannins and gorgeous, fat, juicy fruit. Sensational.Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Ducru’s tasting note compares this wine to ‘a Roman construction, all in roundness, but imposing’. PR spin perhaps but, in 2008, we are forced to agree. Sensational.Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Deep black-red, really fine dense blackcurrant fruit with complexity behind the richness, lifted, floral, slightly leafy, great purity and length of fresh crunchy fruit, totally in balance, a modern classic. Drink 2016-30.
(Decanter Magazine - Apr-2009)

Impressive density with a pale purple rim. Aromatic and dry but with a lot of rich, velvety mass in the middle. Pretty impressive! Marginally flashy but really makes a splash. Dry finish. Very firm with lots of dry tannin. Pretty confident and savoury.. Wait! Ambitious. Very ‘masculine’.
(Jancis Robinson MW - jancisrobinson.com - Apr 09)

One of the stars of the vintage, and a remarkable achievement in 2008, with impressive richness, this dense purple colored wine is almost as opaque as the 2010. Spring flowers, crushed rocks, creme de cassis and some subtle oak are followed by a full-bodied, concentrated wine that transcends the vintage character in its power, richness, and aging potential. It also exhibits tremendous precision, purity, and depth of character. It is more forward than the 2010 is likely to be, but probably not as sumptuous as the 2009 will turn out to be. This is a wine to buy.
In Bruno Borie’s words, the 2008 Ducru Beaucaillou is “well above 2004, with much more structure than 2007, and more sensuality than 2006.” I would add that it is even better than that, and as profound as the 2005. This 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot blend reveals a dense opaque purple color as well as a gorgeously sweet bouquet of spring flowers, creme de cassis, blackberry liqueur, licorice, espresso roast, and spice. A testament to the density and richness of this wine is the fact that no oak is apparent in the aromas or flavors.
(Robert Parker- Wine Advocate - Apr 09)

Fabulous nose of crushed blackberries, minerals and raspberries, with hints of licorice. Full, with very fine tannins and a racy finish. I love the precision of the tannins and the long finish.
(James Suckling - Wine Spectator - Apr-2009)