This year the blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. The alcohol weighed in at 14.2%, while the pH is 3.8 and the IPT is 88. It will mature for 18 months in French oak barrels, 100% new. Opaque purple-black in color, the 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou explodes from the glass with bombastic notes of crème de cassis, blueberry pie and plum preserves plus hints of candied violets, dark chocolate, licorice, wild fungi, crushed rocks and tilled soil with a touch of mossy bark. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is a tightly wound coil poised to spring out with layer upon layer of minerals, rich black fruits and floral notes, framed by very firm, exquisitely ripe tannins and electric freshness, finishing long and incredibly layered. WOW!

A very powerful Ducru with intense tannins and backbone, showing blue fruit, black tea and tobacco. Full-bodied with impressive structure and so much tannin. It goes on for minutes. Very traditional. Owner Bruno Borie said it is a wine to last forever and I have to agree. 80% cabernet sauvignon and 20% merlot.

Just as concentrated yet more elegant, the flagship 2019 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou checks in as a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot raised in new French oak. It offers a gorgeous bouquet of pure crème de cassis and blueberry fruit that just screams of Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep purple-hued, with plenty of lead pencil, graphite, and floral notes, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, straight-up awesome tannins, and a monster of a finish. It’s another magical wine in the making from this château. Give bottles a decade in the cellar if you can (it’s going to be incredibly enjoyable in its youth as well), and it will evolve for 40-50 years or more.

Dark and firm, this grandiose wine is powerful and dense. One of the best vintages from this estate, it has major black fruit flavors that are layered against a massive structure. Spice, tannins and black plum skin flavors are coming together into an impressive wine that will age for many, many years.

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