Château Ducru-Beaucaillou: Tasting & Drinking
My early experiences with the wines of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou were generally positive, having tasted a small number of recent and moderately mature vintages, from years after the estate sorted out its problem with taint, an issue which dates to the late-1980s. These early encounters included the 1998, which I found to be really very good, particularly in the context of the vintage; it was convincing enough for me to add some to the cellar, at the right price. I have happily done the same with other recent vintages, including the 2002 and 2004; neither year is likely to be accused of greatness, but these are just the type of vintages when a property such as Château Ducru-Beaucaillou can excel.
In more recent years, however, quality at Château Ducru-Beaucaillou has been climbing ever higher; vintages from 2009 onwards have been setting new benchmarks for the estate in terms of quality, and I suspect also for longevity. And the price has also been on the move, with recent vintages being some of the most expensive releases of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou ever (although to be fair, the estate is hardly unique in this). A prodigious effort, rich and dark, infused with tannins piled upon tannins, the 2009 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a wine which will be enjoyed by our grandchildren, but perhaps also by ourselves if we are fortunate to live long enough.
Subsequent vintages have only built upon this success, with a good 2012 and even a half-decent 2013 (which is high praise, just to be clear). And while the 2014 was a superb effort, the 2015 was even better. This was not a foregone conclusion though. While 2015 was an outstanding vintage for the right bank appellations, on the left bank it was a little more variable, with a broad range of qualities. Those estates with the very best drainage, along the Gironde, managed to shrug off the heavy September rains the easiest, and they made the best wines too. Château Ducru-Beaucaillou was one such estate which excelled. More recent vintages continue this trend, with stunning results in 2018, and breathtaking wines in 2016 and 2019, all three vintages of great quality on the Médoc peninsula. The 2017 vintage was blighted by frost, but while properties situated inland were badly hit and in many cases turned out green and herbaceous wines as a result, those at the water’s edge were protected, and quality in this vintage was just a notch or two behind other more benevolent vintages.
Returning to the property to taste again, the 2020 was one of the most convincing vintages of recent years, and 2022 was also top-notch. The 2023 vintage was fairly smart, but 2021 punched well above its weight, with a style and quality which exceeded my expectations. It is superior to the rather washed-out 2024 vintage, an indicator perhaps of how efficiently the Gironde protects from the effects of frost in a vintage such as 2021. The 2025 vintage, meanwhile, provided similar levels of joy to 2022 and 2020.
Looking back to more mature vintages, the wines are certainly admirable, and the quality is certainly there. I have little experience with the wines of the 1980s, although those I tasted showed well, including the 1983 vintage, perhaps before the cellar taint really took hold. I also once encountered a good 1988, despite this being the darkest time for this estate in terms of quality (which has frequently been noted to be very variable from bottle to bottle, so perhaps I was lucky in finding a good one – or perhaps this is one tasting note we should chalk up to experience).
Today, this is a source of great wine. With good vintages both young and old, I will be savouring every opportunity I have to spend an evening with Château Ducru-Beaucaillou in the future. (16/2/07, updated 1/7/10, 1/9/16, 24/10/20, 25/8/26)
