Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 2018

DECANTER: "Stunning concentration, power and finesse, with a ton of chocolate, charcoal, slate and liquorice, set against sweet blueberries, damson and cassis. This is silky and polished, with a ton of layers and complexity. With 18 months' ageing in 100% new oak, this has delivered on its en primeur potential, but still needs a good decade in bottle. Drinking Window 2028 - 2044"

JEB DUNNUCK: "The Grand Vin 2018 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou checks in as 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that was harvested at the end of September through October 10 and brought up all in new French oak. This is a gorgeous, incredibly complete, classic expression of this terroir, offering a heavenly nose of crème de cassis, cedarwood, unsmoked tobacco, new leather, spring flowers, chocolate, and a touch of chalky minerality. With full-bodied richness, a monster of a mid-palate, remarkable purity, and a great, great finish, it's one of the most concentrated, impressive wines of the vintage, and might also be one of the longest lived. It actually reminds me of an improved version of the 1996 or a hypothetical mix of the 2010 and 2016. For the tech geeks out there, the IPT checks in at a massive 95 and the pH is 3.7."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zart tabakig unterlegter Edelholzhauch, schwarze Waldbeeren, Nuancen von Lakritze, Anklang von dunklen Kirschen, süße Gewürze im Hintergrund. Komplex, feines Cassis, Brombeerkonfit, saftig-seidige Tannine, frisch strukturiert, extraktsüß und mineralisch im Abgang, verfügt über Harmonie und große Länge, feinwürzig-pfeffriger Nachhall, sicheres Reifepotenzial. (2025–2065)"

ANTONIO GALLONI: "The 2018 Ducru-Beaucaillou is surprisingly reticent at this stage, almost shockingly so. I imagine that won't be an issue in time. If anything, I am quite struck by the wine's energy and drive. Dark-fleshed fruit, spice, mint, lavender and new oak build in the glass. From barrel, the Ducru was opulent and sensual, but it appears to be going through a closed phase at the moment. Decanting helps, but I would not be in any rush to drink this. The 2018 is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Sweet and salty with rather an exotic undertow. Dramatic! Lots of pleasure here – on the ripe side of St-Julien."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Aromas of blackberries, blackcurrants, new leather and bark follow through to a full body with a dense, deep palate that goes on and on, but is still shy and reserved. Large amount of ultra fine, cashmere-like tannins that are silky, sleek and wonderfully integrated. Extremely long and focused. Needs at least four to five years to start opening. A beautiful wine for the cellar. Try after 2027."

VINUM: ""Besitzt aromatische Klasse, von dichtem Bau, fleischig, vollmundig, aber auch ungemein saftig, imposantes, volles Finale von Backpflaume und Brombeergelee, feuriger Ausklang."

THE WINEADVOCATE: "The 2018 Ducru-Beaucaillou is composed of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, aged 18 months in 100% new barriques. It has a pH of 3.7, 14.5% alcohol and an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 95. Deep purple-black colored, it has a powerful nose of baked black cherries, blackberry preserves and crème de cassis with nuances of menthol, pencil lead, cedar chest and Indian spices, plus fragrant wafts of violets and licorice emerging after a few minutes. Medium to full-bodied, the palate bursts with impactful black fruits and exotic spices layers, supported by firm, ripe grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. There is a brightness to the wine—surprising freshness—and yet it remains very rich and hedonic, presenting an extraordinary vinous paradox that will blow away fans of this great estate."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Pitch black in color, the wine explodes in the glass with flowers, black fruits, wet earth, rocks, stones and a vintage cigar box from the Hotel Monte Carlo. The depth of fruit and flavor is surreal. The wine has authority. Baskets of red and black pit fruit drench your palate, staining your teeth. It is refined, well-designed and dances on air. This is a contender for the best vintage ever produced at Ducru and that is really saying something considering the incredible run of vintages produced here since 2005. The wine was made from a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, reaching 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.7 and is aging in 100% new, French oak barrels for about 18 months. The harvest took place September 28-October 10. The Grand Vin was made from only 35% of the harvest."

WEINWISSER: "85 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 % Merlot, Lese des Merlots vom 25. – 28. September, Lese des Cabernet Sauvignons vom 29.9. – 10.10., 14.5 vol% Alkohol, 100% neues Holz. Tiefes Purpurrot. Komplexes schwarzbeeriges Bouquet mit einer vollen Ladung Cassis, zarte Minze Note, Eisenkraut und frischer Schattenmorellensaft. Im zweiten Ansatz dunkle Schokotrüffel, Palisander und rote Pflaumenkonfitüre. Am kräftigen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, engmaschigem Tanningerüst, zeigt viel Kraft, eine unglaubliche Power zeigend, die Tanninstruktur ist beeindruckend, fein körniges Extrakt. Im nicht enden wollenden Finale explodiert der Muskelprotz und endet mit Wildkirschen, Brombeergelee und dunkler Terroirwürze. «Die eiserne Faust im Samthandschuh» von Bruno Borie!"

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Vintage 2018 was generous to the style of Ducru-Beaucaillou. The rich character of this wine is enhanced by the ripeness and concentration of the vintage, yet at the same time it keeps an amazing freshness. This will go down in the annals of this historic estate. It is not likely to approach drinkability before 2028."

WINESPECTATOR: "Another rock 'em sock 'em St.-Julien here, brimming with nearly exotic blackberry, plum, blueberry and açaí berry reduction notes, bristling with brambly energy and racing through a graphite-edged finish. Shows gorgeous perfume throughout, despite the fairly obvious level of concentration. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot."