Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 1986

DECANTER: "Blackberry, mint and black pepper abound here. The palate has serious structure, with an emphasis on liquorice, restrained vanilla, cedar and earth. It's still pretty concentrated and voluptuous. Recorked at the château in 2001. The exact blend was not recorded, so the blend shown reflects the vineyard plantings, with 5% Petit Verdot. Drinking Window 2019 - 2038"

WINE SPECTATOR: "A monster in its infancy. Almost black in color, with intense cassis, herb and mint aromas and superrich, dense cassis and licorice flavors. May last forever.--Ducru-Beaucaillou vertical."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Medium brick in color with a touch of brown, the 1986 Ducru-Beaucaillou reveals growing notes of dried mulberries, kirsch and raisin cake with nuances of celery salt, dried bay leaves, truffles and charcuterie plus hints of old leather sofa and fallen leaves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has quite a powerful structure with firm, chewy tannins and bold freshness supporting the muscular, dried berries flavors, finishing long with a dried mint kick."

FALSTAFF: "Kräftiges Karmingranat, Rubinreflexe, breiter Wasserrand. In der Nase kraftvoll, stoffige Zwetschkenaromen, reife Nuancen nach Dörrobst und kandierten Orangenzesten, tabakige Noten, Edelholzwürze. Am Gaumen stoffig und süß, schwarze Brombeeren, zeigt gut integriertes Tannin, sehr gute Länge, eine feine Dörrobstfrucht im Abgang, dann kommt ein kleiner Knick im Finish, eine der besseren Flaschen, welche drastisch vor Augen führt, wie gut dieser Ducru hätte sein können. Mit Vorsicht zu genießen +20"