Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2012

An outstanding, stylishly vinified Ducru Beaucaillou: starts round and full, then moves into remarkably precise tannins, with a long, fleshy, juicy finish on notes of fresh berries.

Offers an almost lavish feel, with layers of warmed fig, blackberry paste and raspberry coulis lined with ganache, anise and fruitcake flavors. A rock-solid graphite note lines the finish, showing just the slightest twinge of the vintage's austerity. A very admirable effort. Best from 2018 through 2027.

With elegant, charming, and fresh notes of blackcurrant, liquorice, black fruits and hints of lavender and green bell pepper, this 2012 Ducru-Beaucaillou is remarkably fresh and delicate with an undercurrent of graphite. Penetrating, long, and textured, with an enveloping core of fruit and slightly taut tannins. It's also deliciously juicy, sapid, and tense. Ready to be enjoyed, it will nonetheless improve further over the next 10 years.

Mesmerizing aromas of blackberries, licorice and mint. Wet stones too. Full-bodied and tight with super-refined and polished tannins that are pinpointed and elegant. It caresses your palate. Savory and salty on the finish. Electric for the vintage. Better in 2018.

Already expressive and open, with liquorice and black-fruit aromas. Mid-weight, soft-centered palate that shares the creaminess of the 2013, though wrapped in many more layers. Still, this is a soft, early-drinking, rather simple Saint-Julien on this showing. (AH)

Cigar box, cedar, flowers, forest leaf, spice, tobacco wrapper, cocoa, and strawberry, with currants bringing up the fruit side. The wine is fresh, close to fully developed, and ready for its prime-time drinking window. This is drinking beautifully today. Blended from 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot. Drink from 2023–2045.

Excellent purity and definition, ripe, pure Cabernet Sauvignon, cassis, dark cherry, cigar box and fine oak, good grip on the palate, dense and dark fruity, good depth, fine quality tannin, powdery, refined and refreshing with a very long, intense aftertaste, superbly elegant and stylish.

I loved the 2012 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, a more up-front, supple, approachable, and seamless wine that has plenty of classic Ducru Beaucaillou purity and elegance, with its structure nicely integrated and balanced. Ripe currants, dried tobacco, smoked earth, and chocolaty nuances all give way to a medium- to full-bodied, layered, forward Saint-Julien that can be enjoyed any time over the coming two decades, and I have no doubt, given the overall balance here, that it will have a gradual decline thereafter.

91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot. 30 hl/ha. About 108,000 bottles. Deep purple, dense at the core, garnet gleam at the rim. First comes cedarwood, then grey peppercorns, ripe plums, delicate roasted notes—noble, revealing more and more layers. Brilliant on the palate; the tannins are already slightly rounded on the outside, giving this surprising Ducru early charm, while inside there is plenty of verve and thus a long finish. A typical Ducru in an elegant, very classic style.

91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot. 30 hl/ha. Around 108,000 bottles. Deep purple, dense at the core, garnet glints at the rim. Cedarwood appears first, then grey peppercorns, ripe plums, delicate roasted notes, noble, revealing more and more layers. Brilliant on the palate, the tannins are already slightly rounded on the outside, giving this surprising Ducru an initial charm even now, with plenty of breed at its core and correspondingly long on the finish. A typical Ducru in an elegant, very classic style.

(91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot) Dense, elegant, classic, complex bouquet: black berries, tobacco, cedar, cassis, flint, currants, grains. Balanced, dense, elegant, multi-layered palate with plenty of fine tannins, tightly knit structure, powerful, fine, and varied aromas, very long, concentrated finish with pronounced afterflavors. Can improve further. 18/20 2020 - 2045

Deep ruby in colour, with a seductive smoky, campfire crackle on the aromatics and plentiful black fruits that are softening to autumnal berries but still so full of expressive liquorice, sage, crayon, eucalyptus and creamy tarte Tatin. Balanced, delicious, with supple tannic architecture that is ready to release the fruits. No rush to drink but moving into its drinking window. 100% new oak. Harvest October 3 to 10. Eric Boissenot consultant, Virginie Sallette technical director.

Made from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, the 2012 Ducru-Beaucaillou is deep garnet in color. It comes barreling out of the glass with bold notions of plum preserves, black cherry compote, and warm cassis, followed by hints of cardamom, pencil shavings, and bay leaves. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully savory, with a lively line and firm yet approachable tannins supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing with impressive energy. It is drinking nicely now, but there is no rush to broach it.

Impeccable achievement, with the infinitely refined touch of cedar typical of the cru and a very rare density in this vintage.

Harvested in record time just after the deluge and composed mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon, a grape variety that has proven itself on the Günz terroir, Ducru-Beaucaillou is a superbly elegant wine with fine tannins and great length. A medium-bodied wine, without the power of great vintages, but with remarkable refinement.

Ducru 2012 is marked by notes of eucalyptus, which lend it freshness. It also reveals aromas of black berries and coffee, followed by classic markers such as graphite and cedar. On the palate, the wine is juicy and slightly creamy. It has solid, lively tannins and a refreshing structure. It may not have Ducru’s usual depth, but it is no less delicious! Its elegance is noteworthy, and above all, the persistence of its finish.

This is a wine with big tannins and big fruit. You can feel the wood rather than taste it, certainly smell it initially before the black currant aromas kick in. Impressive and sumptuous, it has a solid density that layers with the smoky character of the fruit and wood. Rich and complex, it needs to age. Drink from 2025.