The 2016 Ducru Beaucaillou is a Bordeaux blend from the renowned St Julien sub-region in Bordeaux, France. This wine has garnered exceptional reviews from prominent wine critics, with many emphasizing its elegance, complexity, and aging potential.
James Suckling awarded this vintage an impressive score of 99, describing it as "super perfumed" with "beautiful ripeness" and a "chocolate-laced finish." He recommends trying it from 2024, highlighting its great potential. Similarly, Decanter praises the wine with a score of 99, calling it "extraordinary" and noting its "velvety texture" and "exquisitely balanced" profile. Decanter anticipates that the wine will require some years of cellaring to fully express its terroir.
Jeb Dunnuck and Jeff Leve both gave the wine a perfect score of 100. Dunnuck describes it as "an absolute legendary wine," highlighting its "massively concentrated" and "elegant" nature, while Leve emphasizes its "power and purity" and the "seamless" finish that resonates for over 60 seconds. Leve notes that the wine is composed of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate scored the wine at 98+, praising its "layer upon layer of black fruit preserves and spicy nuances," with a "very firm, grainy frame" and "epic length and depth." Wine Spectator also awarded a 97 score, describing the wine as "exotic" and "cashmere-textured," with a distinctive profile that stands out among Bordeaux wines.
Overall, the 2016 Ducru Beaucaillou is a standout Bordeaux blend with a deep garnet color. It offers a complex bouquet of aromas, including dark berries, violets, and mineral-driven notes. The wine's tannins are refined, and its structure promises a long aging potential, with critics suggesting optimal drinking windows from 2025 to 2065.