93pts James Suckling

Lovely balance of berry and chocolate with some walnut undertones. It’s medium-bodied with a round, pretty finish. Fresh and tight at the end. Nice softness. 66% merlot, 24% cabernet sauvignon and 10% petite verdot.

91pts Vinous

The 2020 Madame de Beaucaillou was picked 11-30 September, matured 20% in new oak for an expected 12 months. It displays good intensity on the nose: blackberry, iodine and iris petals scents, just a scintilla of honey. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, displaying fine depth. The judicious use of new oak allows the black fruit to shine on the finish, with hints of pencil lead on the aftertaste. This is well worth seeking out.

91pts Jeb Dunnuck

Readers looking for a great Bordeaux that won't break the bank need to jump on the 2020 Madame De Beaucaillou. First made in 2018 and all hand-harvested (and optically sorted), it has bright, darker cherry and subtle cassis-like fruits as well as some loamy earth and violet nuances, medium body, a round, supple mouthfeel, and outstanding length. I'd happily drink a bottle any time over the coming 7-8 years or so.

90pts Decanter

A new label that uses all vineyards owned by the Borie family outside of St-Julien - so those in Cussac, Listrac and a small portion of Moulis (both Lalande-Borie and Ducluzeau are now in here). Careful construction helps balance what are fairly tight tannins with savoury plum and blackberry fruits. Harvest from September 11. Concentrated and fresh, touches of tobacco leaf and woodsmoke as it opens. A yield of 22hl/ha, 20% new oak.
Barrel Sample: 90

90pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Made from the vineyards that Ducru-Beaucaillou owns in the Haut-Medoc, the 2020 Madame de Beaucaillou is a blend of 66% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot. The alcohol is 13.5% and the pH is 3.68. It is set to age for 12 months in French oak barrels, 20% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it strolls out of the glass with ready-for-business notes of warm black plums, blackberry pie and kirsch, plus hints of menthol, graphite and wild thyme. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully expressive, featuring soft tannins and acidity, finishing with a spicy kick. 

Winemaker Notes

Deep violet color with an abundance of red fruits, plum and cherry, and a touch of violets. The flavors are well concentrated giving depth and breadth to the palate, with a fresh, pleasant finish. Well-constructed.

Blend: 66% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Verdot

Winery Notes

Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou is named after the beautiful, large stones found in its unique wine-growing terroir. This exceptional ecosystem produces fine, elegant, tasty wines with a long finish - in short, archetypical Saint-Julien wines.

Perched on an exceptional site with incomparable views over the Gironde estuary, in the center of a hundred-year-old park, Ducru-Beaucaillou is a majestic, Victorian-style castle, which has, over time, become one of the great symbols of the Médoc. Unusual for Bordeaux, it is built directly above the barrel cellars, enveloping its owners, who have lived here for over sixty years.

Today, the estate is managed by the company Jean Eugène Borie SA, which is owned by Mrs Borie, her daughter Sabine Coiffe and her son Bruno-Eugène, CEO since 2003, the third generation of the Borie family to head the estate. There are very close links between this estate and the five families who have been its successive owners.