The finest showing I've ever seen for this beauty (and I've been lucky enough to drink plenty), the 2008 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou offers a still youthful vibrant hue as well as sensational aromatics of pure crème de cassis, freshly sharpened cedar pencils, crushed stone, graphite, and an undeniable sense of minerality. It’s concentrated, medium to full-bodied, has beautiful tannins, and a thrilling finish. This is a magical Saint-Julien that readers should snatch up. it's going to take another 4-6 years to hit full maturity and will evolve gracefully over the following 2-3 decades if well-stored.

There is a definitive, minty-edge to the cedar, tobacco, cigar box, and dark cassis packed perfume. With about 60 minutes of decanting, the wine flourished, filled out and delivered a refined palate loaded with freshness, blackberries, chocolate, chalk, salt, and vibrant red fruits. Drink from 2024-2045.

This has real depth of flavour, with an extremely good quality, juicy slate and mineral-filled finish. The emphasis, however, is upfront and all about the brambly blackberry and bilberry fruits, edged with liquorice, eucalyptus and hedgerow. It's hugely enjoyable to see such different personalities from vintage to vintage.

Spiced plum on the attack, this is a gourmet, inviting wine with a rich ruby colour, still looking and feeling young at 14 years old. One to dive into, building up layers through the palate of blackcurrant and loganberry fruits laced with sage and rosemary spices, graphite, campfire embers and mint leaf on the finish. Confident, overdelivering in the vintage. Harvest October 2 to 16. Eric and Jacques Boissenot consultants, Virginie Sallette technical director.

Deep garnet colored, the 2008 Ducru-Beaucaillou begins a little broody, giving up glimpses of tar, chargrill, moss covered tree bark and fungi scents over a core of baked plums, warm cassis and blackberry compote plus a touch of unsmoked cigars. Medium-bodied, the palate has firm, ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the earth laced black fruit layers, finishing minerally. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The 2008 Ducru-Beaucaillou has a fresh and vibrant nose. Occasionally this can come across a little stemmy and maybe it does here, but it is a facet that I think lends complexity and intrigue, touches of brine combining wonderfully with the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite firm tannins. There is a solid backbone to this Ducru-Beaucaillou; maybe this bottle is just closing in a little and one that would have benefitted from more decanting (indeed, it develops more precision in the glass.) Very fine, but give it more time. Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château. -- Neal Martin

Tasted ex-château and single blind in Southwold. Two bottles were tasted of the Château Ducru Beaucaillou 2008. The first had an attractive almost Margaux-like bouquet with very well integrated new oak and the second exhibiting a more red-fruit aromatic profile. The palate is rich and opulent with copious cedar-infused dark berry fruit very focused and refined albeit embellished with a finish ever-so slightly overdone at least at this early juncture. I found myself offering parsimonious score but with the pedigree of the estate I think this will age with style. For now I would head for the La Croix de Beaucaillou to see what the Grand Vin decides to do. Tasted January 2012. 93+

The 2008 Ducru-Beaucaillou, 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, is deep garnet in color with a touch of brick. A little closed to start, it soon opens out to offer notes of baked plums, fruitcake, and Chinese five spice with hints of bay leaves, damp soil, and truffles. The medium-bodied palate is elegant and fresh, with a delicate chewiness and lively line, finishing with a quiet intensity. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

This is dark and brooding with a tarry wall holding the black currant melted licorice and espresso notes at bay for now. Extra roasted sage cedar and briar push in on the finish which shows an old-school hint. Rock-solid. Best from 2013 through 2021. -JM