2017 Ducru Beaucaillou
By Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou
2017 Ducru Beaucaillou from Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, St-Julien, Bordeaux
The 2017 vintage at Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou is one that captivates the connoisseur and the investor alike. Maritime influences and a somewhat capricious Mother Nature carved a year of diligent vineyard management and precise oenological judgements from this lauded St-Julien estate.
Fortitude in the Face of Frost
In 2017, Bordeaux encountered a notably challenging spring frost that left an indelible mark on the vintage. Yet, under such trials, Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou demonstrated remarkable resilience. Their adept vineyard stewardship circumvented what many feared could have been a calamitous year - and it is this fortitude that birthed an astoundingly vibrant 2017 Ducru Beaucaillou.
A Vintage Crafted with Finesse
The terroir’s signature power and purity shine through this vindicated product of St-Julien. On the palate, the 2017 Ducru Beaucaillou unravels with an agelong tapestry of dark fruits, interwoven with the subtlest hints of cassis and cedar, which are framed by silken tannins. Each sip reveals another layer; smoky undertones yield to an astutely balanced acidity that carries the wine towards a crescendoing finish; thus, etching its place as one of the most elevated expressions of the year’s offerings.
With its poise and pedigree, the 2017 vintage marries immediate approachability with potential for cellar-worthy enrichment—a dichotomy delighting both discerning drinkers and those poised for long-term investment.
An Unmistakable Investment Potential
The integrity of this wine is felt beyond its sensory charm. It stands as a testament to the adaptability and skill embodied by Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou's team, ensuring the 2017 Ducru Beaucaillou is not merely a triumph over adversity but a savvy inclusion to any robust investment portfolio.
Identifying wines that showcase not only finesse but also fortitude in vintages less favoured by fortune will always be one hallmark of judicious wine investment. On all those fronts, the 2017 Ducru Beaucaillou excels – merit being found in the glass and potential accruing in its value over time.
Current market price
$2,410.00
12x75cl
Highest score
98
POP score
80.56
Scores and tasting notes
Holy.... This is so powerful and dense with amazing depth of fruit and beautifully ripe tannins tannins. Full body, layers of fruit and tannins. It’s has a long finish but then kicks off at the end. Remains classic in style.
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com
Deep purple-black in color, the 2017 Ducru-Beaucaillou slowly unfurls to reveal beautifully fragrant notes of warm kirsch, wild blueberries, fresh red and black currants and violets with wafts of underbrush and Earl Grey tea. Medium-bodied, the palate has great freshness and elegance, with very well-played, plush tannins and bags of perfumed fruit, finishing on a lingering spicy note. The wine was aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak barrels. The blend is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 16 March 2020
There was no frost at Ducru-Beaucaillou in 2017 due to its proximity to the estuary. This barrel sample comes from the final blend, which was made in early 2018. Composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot and sporting a deep garnet-purple color, the 2017 Ducru-Beaucaillou is intensely scented of blackcurrant cordial, blackberries and lavender with hints of crushed rocks, iron ore, rose hips and Provence herbs plus touches of wood smoke and sandalwood. Medium-bodied, very firm and grainy in the mouth, it possesses lovely freshness, lifting the intense flavors, finishing long and minerally. Sporting an incredible core of muscular mid-palate fruit, this wine should age incredibly.
Wine Advocate - Lisa Perrotti-Brown - robertparker.com
This has a warm and inviting feel, with mocha, Christmas pudding and blackberry and plum compote aromas and flavors flowing through atop fleshy, velvety structure. There’s a graphite edge along with some alluring spice accents, and this stays polished and lengthy in the end.—J.M.
Wine Spectator - James Molesworth - winespectator.com
The 2017 Ducru-Beaucaillou is distinctly sleek and polished, with a real air of sensuality. Finessed and racy to the core, the 2017 is all about elegance rather than the power that informed both the 2015 and 2016. Red-toned fruit, plush texture and silky tannins all contribute to the wine's restrained feel. A host of floral notes add brightness as the wine opens up in the glass. There is so much to like in the 2017. The blend is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot.
Antonio Galloni - Antonio Galloni - vinous.com - May '18
The 2017 Ducru Beaucaillou was picked from 18 to 23 September for the Merlot, and from 25 to 30 September for the Cabernets. It is matured in 100% new oak over 18 months. It offers copious black fruit, violets, bay leaf and Asian spice notes on the nose that gathers momentum in the glass after a deceptively understated opening. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin, the oak nicely integrated, not quite as harmonious as the 2016 but then again, few 2017s are. There is a rigid structure to this Ducru Beaucaillou underneath the carapace of ripe black fruit with touches of tobacco and spice lingering on the aftertaste. It is probably going to require more cellar age than many of its peers but it will be worth the wait.
Neal Martin - Neal Martin - vinous.com - May '18