Ducru Beaucaillou 2006

The grapes for this wine come from about half of the 75 ha estate - the half closest to the Gironde, where at dawn it can be 5 degrees warmer than Listrac. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot.Deep crimson. Spicy, finely polished nose. Very glossy, only very slightly inky. Glossy, polished ink. Gentle - tastes as though it has been ripened gently. The tannins are very fine, pretty sandpapery. Very delicate though a little dry on the finish. Not much real fruit weight in the middle. Inky finish. Gouleyant, very fine, very classic indeed. In the true sense of classic rather than ‘= off vintage’. Will surely appeal mainly to classicists. [See 2005] Rather in the mould of Ch Margaux.

Bright red-ruby. Deep, vibrant aromas of currant, sour cherry, graphite, cedar and licorice. Sappy, suave and energetic, with terrific verve and framing acidity to the tightly wound flavors of dark cherry, currant, spices and minerals. Wonderfully primary and penetrating Saint-Julien, almost painfully intense yet weightless. Finishes very long and fine, with terrific definition. An infant today, with a long life ahead of it.

The nose is tight at the moment, the firmness of the tannins hiding the fruit potential. It opens up on palate, flowery bilberry then rich cassis and dark chocolate. Freshness towards the back gives an added raciness.

Similar in style to the 1996, proprietor Bruno Borie continues to curtail yields, now producing just under 10,000 cases of the grand vin, and the rest of the production going into the increasingly high quality second wine, La Croix de Ducru Beaucaillou. The backward, tannic, dense purple-colored 2006 Ducru Beaucaillou offers sweet mineral-infused black cherry and cassis fruit interwoven with notions of graphite and truffles. Powerful, pure, rich, and intense, it should be at its peak between 2017-2035.

Tasted at the château, the 2006 Ducru Beaucaillou has a precocious bouquet for the vintage: opulent ripe dark cherry, red plum and cassis fruit, mint and hints of vanilla pod. It is very well defined and very sensual. The palate is medium-bodied with a sweet opening, plenty of dark cherry and blackberry, Hoisin, a touch of cedar and again mint. There is fine depth here, surprisingly young with a dense, slightly tarry finish that suggests another 2-3 years will be appropriate.

In a mini-vertical poured by Bruno Borie ('76, '86, '96 and '06) it is the youngest that I found to be the best wine. It simply has a heightened level of precision and clarity on the nose, that sense of crushed stone behind those layers of pure blackcurrant, cedar and graphite (almost like a Pauillac!) The palate is medium-bodied with great precision, a tensile Ducru Beaucaillou that shimmers all the way to the finish. This is a superb Ducru!

Good medium ruby-red. Aromas of black fruits, minerals, licorice and sexy cedary oak. Supple on entry, then quite penetrating in the middle, with firm acids giving this wine an impression of power that the 2007 isn't showing today. And yet the solid tannins convey a distinctly sweet impression. Considering the fact that this was fined a month before my visit, it's showing splendidly today.