| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
One can’t say enough about the efforts Bruno Borie is pouring into this wonderful estate that I have often called the “Lafite Rothschild of St.-Julien.” An undeniable success, the 2004 Ducru boasts sweet aromas of creme de cassis, spring flowers, pain grille, licorice, and road tar. This pure, medium-bodied wine possesses moderately high tannin, superb concentration, good sweetness, and low acidity. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 25 years. Also tasted: 2004 Croix de Beaucaillou (88; $25.00)
The 2004 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a vintage that I have not tasted for a few years. Now at 17-years of age, it has a delineated, tertiary, tobacco-scented nose where secondary scents are playing the major roles. Cigar humidor, autumn leaves and stewed black tea. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, saline and marine-influence, moderate weight, perhaps missing the complexity that Ducru-Beaucaillou delivers in great vintages, so the finish is a bit conservative and correct. If you like classic Saint-Julien, the 2004 will appeal to you and it should give another 15 years of drinking pleasure. Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château. 2022-2040
Really fresh and long. Full-bodied, yet balanced and silky. Lots of Cabernet character, with currants and earth. Beautiful. Refined yet muscular. This is a big improvement, like the 2003. Let's wait and see. Ducru is going places
Medium to deep garnet colored with a hint of brick, the 2004 Ducru-Beaucaillou offers up wonderfully savory scents of sautéed herbs, charcuterie and tapenade over notes of baked plums, boysenberries and raspberry pie plus touches of cast iron pan and new leather. Medium-bodied, firm, chewy and with a refreshingly energetic mid-palate of red and black berry preserves, it finishes on a persistent mineral note. 2020 - 2034
Meaty, sweet nose. Not very St Julien at all - a bit more exaggerated and fleshy than traditional. Big, bold and a bit of a formless blob. Exaggerated acidity. As though the wine were concentrated even. Not integrated. I must say I don't like this new style. It seems to bear little relation to Ducru style. Very, very dry tannins on the finish.
Ducru’s 2004 continues to demonstrate the upgrade in quality that has been achieved since Madame Borie’s eldest son, Bruno, took over the estate’s management. Made in a fresh, zesty, crisp style, it possesses a deep ruby/purple color in addition to scents of flowers, minerals, raspberries, and cherries. Ripe for a 2004, with medium body, moderate tannin, and admirable freshness as well as definition, this is a very deep and concentrated 2004 that should be drinkable between 2008-2018.
While not quite as big as the 2003, the 2004 is a candidate for one of the finest wines of St.-Julien. Its deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by sweet aromas of flowers, raspberries, black currants, spice, and earth. It boasts great fruit, more texture and body than most 2004s, and a precise finish revealing tremendous purity as well as depth. This beauty should drink well within 2-3 years, and last for two decades.
