#96 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2009

95pts Wine Spectator

Very perfumed and beautiful, showing blackberry and raspberry aromas, with hints of vanilla. Deep and complex. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a long, powerful finish. Excellent for the vintage. Best after 2015.

95pts Decanter

This is not quite as silky smooth and rich as the 2005 and yet it's full of promise. It feels young, with tannins that are still pulsating around the dark berry fruits, joined by eucalyptus and cigar box notes through the finish. With clear depth of flavour, it's a classically framed St Julien, full of dark cheer, a winter wine for nights by the fire with good food and good friends.

94pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Deep garnet in color, the 2006 Ducru-Beaucaillou delivers expressive Black Forest cake, blackcurrant cordial and chocolate box scents with touches of fertile loam, espresso, Marmite toast and black olives. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegantly played with vibrant fruit expression and a firm, grainy texture, finishing with a lively lift.

94pts Wine Enthusiast

This is that rare Bordeaux Cabernet that comes close in style to a Napa Cabernet. The character comes from the mint aromas and medicinal edge, formed from new wood aging. At this stage in its development, the wine is powerful, but closed and tight. However, it is possible to taste the ripe perfumes and the black cherry juice flavors that come through the vanilla.

94pts Jeb Dunnuck

The 2006 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is up-front and even a little evolved, with a charming, medium-bodied style as well as notes of red and black fruits, dried flowers, spice, and foresty, earthy nuances. With medium-bodied richness, sweet tannins, and a layered mouthfeel, this is clearly in its prime drinking window. I don't see any upside here, but this has lots of character, brings rock-solid mid-palate depth, and displays a more seamless, elegant style compared to the 2004.

94pts The Wine Independent

The 2006 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. Deep garnet in color with a touch of brick, it reveals notes of dried cranberries, preserved plums, and redcurrant jelly with hints of dried sage, unsmoked cigars, and sweaty leather plus a hint of graphite. The medium-bodied palate is refreshing and minerally, with chewy tannins and a minerally finish. (LPB)

93pts Vinous

The 2006 Ducru-Beaucaillou, matured in 90% new oak, has quite a captivating, very attractive bouquet, a mélange of red and black fruit, peony, crushed rocks and blood orange - one of my favourite aromatics on the Left Bank in this growing season. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, fine acidity, quite linear and "solid". There is a lot of concentration towards the finish, a dab of spice that leaves the tongue tingling. Maybe it could benefit from more nuance and personality on the finish, but it is certainly a very fine Saint-Julien for the vintage. (NM)

92pts Wine & Spirits

Vibrant currant and raspberry flavors lend sunniness to the heavier, deeply mineral tannic component in this wine. Complex spice hovers in between, with scents of sassafras relieving some of the gravity and weight. The texture is silken, and the wine feels composed. It should be more accessible in ten years' time, and drink well for another ten after that.

Winemaker Notes

The 2006 of Ducru-Beaucaillou exhibits the sameanalytical richness as its 2005 or 2003 counterpart. While on a par with those top quality vintages, it boast a special personality: endowed with a generous fruit and a superb freshness, presenting an elegant albeit solid structure.

Blend: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot