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2005 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, St Julien, Bordeaux

  • Red
  • Dry
  • Full Bodied
Ready, but will improve
Stephen Tanzer
94/100
Neal Martin MW
95/100
James Suckling
95/100
Jeb Dunnuck
97/100
Yohan Castaing
98/100
Jane Anson MW
98/100
Robert Parker
97/100
Julia Harding MW
17.5/20
Product: 20058008844
2005 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, St Julien, Bordeaux

Description

A Second Growth in 1855, Château Ducru-Beaucaillou regularly gives the First Growths a run for their money – especially since the arrival of third-generation owner Bruno Borie in 2003. Bruno never saw such an “easy vintage” as 2005, apparently: he considered every bunch “perfect”. Some 18 years on, this is only starting to come into its own, with the promise of spectacular things to come. There are pronounced, complex aromatics of fresh black fruits, leather, liquorice, dried leaves and cigars, though this is only a hint of what further ageing will bring. 

This is a dense, mouth-filling Claret with a lot of structure, a real concentration of fruit, and lively, refreshing acidity. Approach it now if you are inclined to do so, though it will evolve wonderfully for decades yet. Bruno is famed for his cooking, and this standout wine deserves a special dish: a côte de boeuf or grilled portobello mushrooms would work very well.

Drink now to 2050

Charlie Geoghegan DipWSET, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Colour Red
Sweetness Dry
Vintage 2005
Alcohol % 13
Maturity Ready, but will improve
Body Full Bodied
Producer Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Critics reviews

Stephen Tanzer 94/100
Contains a relatively high percentage of Merlot, in the range of 30%.Good deep ruby-red. Wonderfully sweet, aromatic nose combines currant, chocolate and cedary oak. Fat, lush and silky, with atypical volume to the plum, tobacco and chocolate flavours. Wonderfully supple, plump wine with layers of flavour, thoroughly sweet tannins and compelling aromatic persistence. Today, the wine's substantial baby fat masks its impressive underlying power. According to Borie, this 2005 combines the best traits of the chateau's 2003 and 2000.Stephen Tanzer, Vinous.com.com (May 2008)
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous.com (May 2008)
Neal Martin MW 95/100
The 2005 Ducru-Beaucaillou, tasted a dozen times since en primeur, was picked from 21 September to 6 October and matured in 90% new oak for 18 months. It delivers a wall of black fruit on the nose that gradually opens up with aeration, touches of incense and wild mint, and cedar coming through with time. But these aromatics remain very backward. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, grippy tannins, fine acidity, solid and focused. Tremendously and uncompromisingly backwards, this is a seriously fine Ducru-Beaucaillou that is just not yet ready, so go back to the cellar and leave it there for another five years—tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château.Drink 2026 - 2060Neil Martin, Vinous.com.com (July 2022)
Neal Martin MW, Vinous.com (Jul 2022)
James Suckling 95/100
A nice, complex wine with notes of flowers, berries and leather in the nose. Full-bodied, with pure fruit that turns from light raspberry to cherry jam. This is balanced and silky, a beautiful harmony. Give this some time, if you can.james_suckling, jamessuckling_com (April 2012)
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (Apr 2012)
Jeb Dunnuck 97/100
Another wine in its prime drinking window, gorgeous cassis and darker currants, as well as leafy tobacco, loamy earth, and graphite, define the aromatics of the 2005 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, and it's full-bodied on the palate, with a deep, layered, structured style that has everything in the right places. Its purity of fruit is just about off the charts, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this evolve similarly to the 1982. It will continue developing additional complexity over the coming decade, and this will unquestionably still be drinking beautifully at 50+ years after the vintage.Drink 2023 - 2056jeb_dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (October 2023)
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (Oct 2023)
Yohan Castaing 98/100
The extraordinary 2005 Ducru-Beaucaillou shows the quality of both the vintage and the terroir, along with Bruno Borie's sense of wine. Slightly toasty and smoky, the bouquet exhales dark, blackberry aromas, spices, blueberry, cedar and graphite aromas intertwined with a lot of minerality. It is a beautiful sunny expression of the domain, with a long, tense palate and velvety and dense tannins. Very long and penetrating, the finish is slightly graphitic. It will benefit from 7-8 years of bottle age (it already offers pleasure) and have 15-20 years of overall longevity.Drink 2022 - 2042Yohan Castaing, Decanter.com (June 2021)
Yohan Castaing, Decanter.com (Jun 2021)
Jane Anson MW 98/100
A gorgeously silky, juicy and balanced glass of wine combines the elegant richness of sweet cocoa and blackberry with tons of power and a feeling of holding itself in check. This is signature St Julien, concentrated yet delicate, just an utterly lovely wine with good acidity, tannins that have melted into the rest of the structure and fruit that is still absolutely in control, followed by a saline edge to the finish. There's a long road ahead still, but this is a standout Ducru.Drink 2019 - 2040jane_anson_mw, Decanter.com (September 2019)
Jane Anson MW, Decanter.com (Sep 2019)
Robert Parker 97/100
The 2005 Ducru Beaucaillou is a 10,000-case blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot (they used to produce 18,000-20,000 cases). It is an exceptionally powerful wine with a dense purple color, superb intensity, and a beautiful, sweet nose of spring flowers, raspberries, blueberries, graphite, and creme de cassis. Full-bodied with fabulous concentration, exceptionally high tannin, good acidity, and massive layers of richness that build incrementally on the palate, this monumental effort is more structured than their outstanding 2003. It may be the finest wine produced at this estate since the 1982 and 1961 Ducrus. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2050.Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 30/04/2008
Robert Parker, RobertParker.com (Apr 2008)
Julia Harding MW 17.5/20
Deep garnet. Smells elegant and minerally with refined dark fruit, peppery cigar box. Firm, rich, dense and still so youthful, and fragrant as it opens. Massive but harmonious, rich in fruit and structure and with enough freshness for a magnificent whole. Long finish and many years to go. A marked fruit/oak sweetness on the finish. Drink 2015 - 2040julia_harding MW, JancisRobinson.com (April 2023)
Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2023)

About this wine

Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is a St-Julien property that today is one of the leading Super Seconds. It is owned by the Borie family and is situated in the south-east of the St-Julien appellation. Ducru-Beaucaillou's 50 hectares of vineyards (Cabernet Sauvignon 65%, Merlot 25%, Cabernet Franc 5% and Petit Verdot 5%) lie on deep, large-stone gravel beds enriched with alluvial soil deposits and with a high clay content. The wines are matured in oak barriques (50-60% new) for 18 months. For many, Ducru-Beaucaillou is the quintessential St-Julien - deep-coloured, powerful, ripe, exquisitely well-balanced and perfectly harmonious. It requires a minimum of 10 years of bottle ageing before it should be approached and the best vintages will continue improving for many more years. Ducru-Beaucaillou is classified as a 2ème Cru Classé.
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