Lovely nose, blackberry, dark cherry along with a fan of tertiary notes; leather, truffle, french oak hint of unsmoked cigar and dried herbs.
Palate opened up beautifully over 90 mins showing a real concentration of dark fruits along with beautiful tertiary notes of forest floor, oak/cedar, some tobacco leaf and leather. Nice long finish showing the different layers.
EDIT: Wow, something happened after 3 hours in the decanter it opened up even further! So much complexity, balance and length. A real depth and concentration to the fruit and tertiary flavours. Very long. Absolutely stunning - gave it an extra point over my original score of 96!
2hr decant then drank over another 2 hours. Just fabulous. I had the 1996 last year and this bottle was similar. Still some layers of lovely fruit but bolstered with amazing tertiary notes. Very long and classy.
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On pop and pour it was dominated by cedar, tobacco, and other oak-driven notes, with some more red than dark fruit and a hint of spice. Very drying tannins, with moderate acidity.
After a couple of hours it integrated a bit more, the fruit was still muted and more red than dark, but was less disjointed with the cedar notes than it was initially.
A very fine wine with decent length, but it seems the fruit has gone into hiding and the strong secondary notes haven't shown up to the party yet.
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Didnt show as well as I expected. Opened for 75th birthday and it was surprisingly light and had lost some of its fruit. Secondary aspects had not come forward as much as I expected. Was stored for 20 years at 57 degrees and 70% humidity so I don't think provenance was an issue. Maybe my palate just likes younger wines. Had earlier bottle 3 yrs ago.
decanted 30 minutes for sediment (and needed an hour). notable funk wins over the ususal haunting nose; nice mushroom and tobacco tertiary notes; the deep fruit is there and has great length; shows how well bordeaux wines can age day two: funk mostly gone, much more clean earth and you notice the tannin; the fruit is still there
From a half bottle: Blackberry, raspberry, leather, mushroom, forest floor, hints of tobacco; powerful and robust, but somewhat lacking in fruit, without all that much of the characteristic elegance of the chateau; good and distinctive, but not as pleasing as hoped
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Day after notes. An credible wine with decades left. Almost zero sediment. Ethereal notes of cedar, tobacco, eucalyptus and blackberry. Round in the mouth, exceptionally balanced with a finish that never stops. I have one bottle left and wish it was eleven.
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Continuing to age in a positive direction the wine has added secondary nuances of leafy tobacco, cigar box, cedar, spice, and dried flowers to its core of blackberries and currants. Full-bodied, with a nice depth of flavor, and a structured, tannic backbone, giving it the ability to age for at least 2-3 more decades. Drink from 2023-2050.
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This is unabashedly left bank with significant tobacco and bell pepper notes while also having plenty of ripe, rich plum fruit of the vintage. Early peak drinking. Seemed to continue integrate and smooth out with air over the course of dinner.
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Celebrating K (Chicago, IL): For an estate I've always found a hair towards the rustic side, this was quite fruit forward on the palate, despite a distinct and intense pyrazine nose. Kind of a weird dichotomy there. Tannins feel pretty resolved at this point, and the softer 2000 vintage makes this feel approachable already.
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1st of 24, opened 2 hours then decanted 2 hours, perfect cork and level - dark, surprisingly dense ruby, hint of purple on rim; more plum than cassis, slate, some earth, pepper and spice, quite layered and attractive if not particularly classy or classic; fullish, long, quite persistent and concentrated, fine depth and balance, but not as nuanced as nose proposed, sense of fade after 90 minutes or tightening and going back into shell, at brutal end (like 03) which jars as I really like Ducru classic style full of grace which is currently absent, my bet is that this just needs more time to show its true colours, if so huge upside, 25+ years. For now a cautious F (17.5).
Similar to prior notes after double decanting for 2 hrs; outstanding & has entered its prime drinking window, drink or hold. It was outshone by the 1990 Pichon Baron next to it, brought by Ira
Spectacular bottle of this drinking so well with a porterhouse steak at Hawksmoor. Double-decanted 3 hours. Youthful and full of energy with great freshness and mineral lift. That layered texture of aged Bordeaux is just coming together here and the wine shows off a fabulously pure St. Julien terroir with notes of grilled nuts, cedar, tobacco and tilled earth. There's plenty of red and black fruits still present and they are perfectly integrated into the wine which shows lots of uplifting acidity. The finish is very fine and there should be more complexity to come here in time. Just a great showing. 95+
This did not show as well as the last time I had it. Seemed a bit thin and flat. Tannins were more noticeable, and the nose in general was not very big. I decanted it for 6 hours…maybe that was too long? Will try a shorter decant next time.
served 40 minutes after decanting. A slight whiff of brett at first with some smoke. Still pretty concentrated but tannins were already very soft and silky on the palate. A bit savory on the after palate, almost like black olives. A bit more earthy after 1 hour in decanter. Still got the cassis notes but not so prominent at this age, although more fruit emerged about 1½ hours after decanting, with more minty notes, too. At the same age this was much softer than the 2000 Figeac I tasted last week, which was pretty surprising.
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This is one of my all time favorites. I popped this after my 2003 Marguax was corked. Violets explode off the nose and first taste. backbone of blue fruits, mocha and cedar. The wine is pretty. well put together. I will hold my remaining bottles another 5-10 years, but this is ready to go with 3 hour decant
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Opened a magnum for a dinner party. Gave it 1 hr decant at home. Cork was brittle and broken as I attempted to open it with an Ah so! May have been stored vertically before my purchase . Bouquet jumped out of the bottle upon decanting. Ton of sediment was thrown off by this wine. Double decanted and used another cork to transport . The wine was great at dinner but started to fade as we emptied the bottle. No real color degradation. Tannins were fine and the wine still had good flavor. The finish had a little drying effect to it and the length was brief. If I had another bottle I would decant only to remove sediment and I would drink it sooner rather than later. Overall very enjoyable .
Absolutely wonderful. This wine is in peak drinking form now and is about a classic Bordeaux as you can get, yet it has an element of new world freshness to it that adds another pleasant layer to the experience. Color is just a shade darker than I was expecting, with very little bricking at the rim. Nose is a bit shy at first so we let sit in the glass to open up. Nice aromas of cedar, pencil, charcoal in the first hour or so. Palate is a bit more international here, some still-present tannin nicely compliments tobacco and cassis notes that provide a bit of freshness. Second hour, more of the fruit came out on the nose, another sign it's in a great drinking window (still evolving). Harmonious finish, just got better as the night went on. Very close to rating it a (rare for me) 95 points but wouldn't rule it out next time.
Profound. A really great Ducru, with everything in the right place. 24 hours on I can still taste it. Wonderful St Julien experience. No hurry, but why wait any further? Wow.
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From half bottle. Not a lot going on here. Seems like it needs another 20 years but I don't see how it's going to improve. Decent St. Julien bouquet. Nice, but a disappointment. Seems like I get more disappointments than successes from 2000 these days. Who knows. 90 points. Good, not great. Ducru is usually stunning.
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This seemed a bit flabby and without a lot of structure. Not sure if it’s hibernating or a flawed bottle. It was disappointing for the vintage and producer
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Another great wine dinner with Bernard Burtschy (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Youthful expressive nose displaying concentrated red and black fruit, red currant, red cherry, a hint of crème de cassis, lead pencil, light caramel, a hint of cedar and earth. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated red fruit, rich and generous, bright acidity, strong earthy mineral, and a long sweet concentrated red fruit driven finish with lead pencil at the end. This is drinking beautifully but can easily improved for a couple more decades. Pretty impressive showing.
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Had on successive nights with the 2000 Leoville Barton. Both incredibly good but by a vote of 2-1 we gave the Leoville Barton a slight edge. Drink or hold. Just excellent.
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Der Wein braucht 5 Stunden, bis er sich entfalten kann, und leidet mitnichten unter dem leicht bröseligen, aber überhaupt nicht durchgesipptten Korken. Duft mit Belüftung immer feiner, mehr auf der tabakig-zigarrenkistigen als auf der fruchtigen Seite. Am Gaumen ein sehr feiner Saint-Julien, aber aufgrund der immer noch sehr spürbaren Säure noch weit von der idealen Trinkreife entfernt, Abgang auf Lehm, etwas Kaffee und mit einem Hauch von Tertiärem (Waldboden) mittellang. Insgesamt für mich knapp 92 Punkte, für die (nicht sehr bordeauxaffinen) Gäste tiefer, angesichts der ca. 100 CHF en primeur und aktuell geforderten (Millésima) 330 CHF nicht berauschende QPR.
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At Sumi, Noosa Junction. There appears to be significant bottle variation reported here. This bottle was opened at least 6 hours before serving with an immediate and rich nose of blackcurrant, spring flowers, liquorice and cedar before double decanting and leaving the bottle open in the cellar. At dinner that lovely nose persists and opens further with tons of complexity leading into a fine palate of rich fruit gently layered with tobacco, cedar and liquorice characters. There is a lovely line of fine almost gossamer tannins that provide great length and elegance. This is a very fine bottle with that classic Ducru elegance that recalls both Lafite and Margaux in different ways.
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Aromas of black and red currant, cedar, dried herbs, and dried tobacco. Fairly attractive palate, with fruit and a medium body, with light acidity and a long finish supported by chewy tannins. Good but maybe slightly out of balance.
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Ouverture une petite heure avant dégustation, sans décantation. Beau vin, robe légèrement évoluée, nez fin et agréable et bouche très soyeuse avec une finale légèrement mentholée, les tanins sont tout juste perceptibles pour rappeler que nous sommes à Bordeaux. Peut-être un petit manque de profondeur et de longueur. Cela reste un très beau vin qui a admirablement accompagné un médaillon de porc mariné (moutarde à l'ancienne, vinaigre balsamique et pointe de sirop d'érable). A mon avis dans sa plage de dégustation pour encore 4 à 5 ans, guère plus. Reste toutefois en retrait du Pichon Baron 2000 dégusté il y a peu et qui garde à ce jour ma préférence sur ce millésime.
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Drinking this beauty next to the Leoville Las Cases 1990 but this is superior to the LLC this time. Having had half a case of Beaucaillou 2000 I can only say this is a wonderful vintage for this top chateau (again one of my all time favourites). Rich, beautiful and seductive typical Saint Julien fruit and flowers. Fantastic! For now substantially better than the Beaucaillou 2003, quite comparable with the 1996 which is utterly seductive and ripe.
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2-3 hour decant. Served with Porterhouse steak. Agree with prior comments describing blackberry and blueberry tones. I also picked up a bit of lead pencil. A beautiful wine with an excellent finish, my sense is that it could still soften a bit more and improve over the next 5-10 years. While I would not pass on an opportunity to drink this anytime, I think I will wait until 2025 to try the next bottle from my own cellar. Footnote: Had the last fraction of a glass from the decanter this morning - experience was the same as the night before.
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Pretty much popped and poured. Great nose, blackberry, camphor, jam, dark chocolate and cedar. More blueberry dominant on the palate. Loads of flavor and a great long finish. Very classy. Excellent. Still youthful, think this one has upside, and a long way to go. Got better and better as it sat in the glass, my rating might be too low!
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6 hour decant. This was really delightful. Black fruit, cedar, graphite. Tannins were must receded into velvety smoothness. It went really well with pan fried ribeye.
A friend brought this for dinner. Perfect cork, medium ruby, nose explodes out of the glass. Decanted for just 45 minutes. Drinking very well now for my taste. Superb.
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From a bottle purchased upon release and cellared under pristine conditions. this wine was double-decanted, allowing three hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the rinsed bottle. It was then served to our wine tasting group at a holiday luncheon. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, it is opaque garnet in color at this stage. Reticent to show much within the first two hours, it subsequently blossoms into something very special. Dark plum, cassis, baking spice, cigar tobacco, savory herb and white floral aromas and flavors are buttressed with fresh acidity and plentiful fine-grained tannins. The alcohol (13%) is nicely integrated, as is the wine's oak. Dense and layered on the mid-palate, it proceeds to a finish that lingers on and on. Classic quality in every sense of the term, this is a wine that is built for the long haul. It is currently very early in its drinking window and should easily reach its fortieth birthday. Drink now-2040.
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I've had a few bottles of 2000 Ducru over the last year that have ranged from good to great, and this one fell on the merely good side of the coin. Loads of mature Bourdeaux notes--dried tobacco, leather, lead shavings, spicy blackcurrants, cedar. Still a bit of tannin on the palate, but starting to resolve. This bottle just lacked that extra oomph that can make these great, but nonetheless this remains a very good wine that may need a few more years to truly peak.
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Lead pencil shavings, cedar and cassis aromas repeated on the palate. Plush and thick textured it had a super freshness and sweet vs savoury balance. Perfect poise and structure with a fantastic length of finish. Just shaded the Les Forts 2004 simply down to the greater freshness. A remarkable wine. 95 points.
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Still holding on to its youth, though the tannic grip has eased over the past few years, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated, and packed with loads of tobacco leaf, cigar box, forest leaf, spices, and fresh, sweet, red currants. There is lift and length in the finish.
Loved this wine drank with a 2019 March Bolivar Belicoso fino... notes of earth and suede leather you know the kind that is well spread apart hell this thing smells of horse saddle and earth along with very ripe plum, sage and white pepper, clay and alluvial mineral ...this continues and notes of tobacco, leather, cassis, prune, chalk, musk, velvet cake and dark cherry!!! Amazing !!!drink now - 2051
Bordeaux 2000 - 20 Years On - 48 Reds: All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
TN: This hinted at its potential with a broad array of aromas ranging from dark fruit, cassis liquor, herbs and minerality on the nose to lots of fresh red berries and minerality on the palate. Not much complexity on the palate with a bit of a hole mid-palate but probably the wine is just not yet ready or would have needed a bit more air. The structure, in Ducru fashion, is masculine and classic but fine and airy. All in all, a solid effort.
Decanting: I guess, this would have needed 2-3 hours in the decanter.
Group average: 93.8 pts Group rank: 14th out of 48
Grand Bordeaux 2000 horizontal tasting; 6/20/2021-6/21/2021: Grand Bordeaux 2000 tasting with ~60 wines from the vintage hosted by a private collector. All wines were poured directly from the bottle with no decant and served in flights of 4. As general observations I would highlight: 1/ Today the 2000 is, without a doubt, a right bank vintage with Pomerol the star, 2/ the vast majority of wines are still going strong with hardly any past their peak 3/ On the left bank, St Estèphe was most ready to drink with a lot of wines in a closed stage right now, 4/ On the left bank, 2nd to 4th growths were generally more open for business than the 1st growths which almost all closed, only hinting at their full potential. 5/ If you must open a left bank bottle, Margaux is the safest place to look. Complete scoring overview and additional commentary included in the tasting story.
Tasting note: Nice bouquet of mixed berries, a bit of sous-bois and sweet elements. Good harmony, fresh with tension on the palate where you‘ll also find a bit more aging notes. Tannin well built into the fabric. In this form the best Ducru-Beaucaillu I've tasted so far.
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A fine, elegant, mature claret, which is perhaps just starting to decline. It has all the elements of fine claret, but with a little less vigour and definition than previously.
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Allowed to breathe in glass 1 hour. Clear deep garnet color. Reticent at first, with volatile notes of beef blood and stewed rhubarb. After another hour, a lovely bouquet began to bloom, offering creme de cassis, fennel, lilacs, lavender, river stones, rocky soil. Similar on the palate, seamless, balanced, full body without seeming heavy. Improved steadily with air, held up fine under vacuum stopper in refrigerator for four days, showing best on second night. Seems to be somewhere between awkward late adolescence and early maturity, not showing tertiary character at this point, needing several hours of air. May need a few more years to reach its zenith, where it will then stay for decades.
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Still in a beautiful place. This bottle a hair less vibrant than the last few. Wonderful accompaniment to a reverse sear Prime Porterhouse finished on my new Kamado Joe at 700F!
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This is still too young to really enjoy. Fantastic nose, but still very astringent and acidic on the palate. I have a bottle in the cellar that I will give at least 5 years.
Edit—Excellent 24 hrs later. Needs a big decant and then drinking beautifully. Added 3 pts
deep red purple color, plum and cassis on the nose with some dark spice notes, on the palate tannic still and a bit rowdy around the edges, this bottle retreated into itself over a couple of hours and felt very closed, that said the large scale palate of dark fruit is in full evidence and the finish is wonderfully long, so while it is showing well at a primary level I think much time is needed for this to fully reveal itself.
(****)+, 2030++
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Tremendous depth and elegance to this bottle. The nose still showed some primary fruits--mostly blackcurrants and blackberries with a hint of red cherry--but tertiary notes started to emerge after an hour or two in the decanter. The palate matched the aromatics with a beautifully balanced structure, finely integrated tannins and layers of complexity. Stunning now, but won't truly peak for another 5 years and will live a decade or so beyond that.
Aged Napa versus Aged Bordeaux at Cork Vault (Charlotte, NC): Decanted 1.5 hours before sampling. Gorgeous earthy aromas of dark fruits flow easily into a rich, complex wine demonstrating a restrained strength -- black currants, blackberry, cedar. Just entering its drinking window, this wine was in exceptional form lacking nothing. Beautiful bouquet on the nose, full body on the palate of rich fruits with gently resolved tannins linger into a deliciously lengthy finish.
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Cassis, lead pencil and menthol. Fine elegant tannins with a pronounced acidity that is well balanced with the mature dark fruit. Very long! Will clearly drink well for years to come.
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Wow! Wow! Wow! This is at its peak and drinking beautifully. Sooo much better than the ‘96 vintage which I had recently. My recommendation is to decant this for one hour and enjoy its beauty and maturity. This won’t decline for at least a decade, but I don’t expect it will get any better than it is right now.
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For a celebratory special event. Paired with beef tournedos—obviously a great pairing. The nose was was aromatic—red berries and other fruits there and on the palate. Secondary characteristics of some cedar and other forest aspects. Balanced with some complexity. Long, long finish. This probably has years of evolution left. Don’t think I can wait that long with my last bottle (acquired as futures back in 2000).
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A great bottle, possibly a sign the wine is getting into its own. Typical Beaucaillou flowers, violets and beautiful feminine richness. Now in its drinking window.
Being a big fan of Beaucaillou it is Interesting to see the wines follow a pretty consistent drinking curve over time. This starts to compare to the 1996 of a couple of years ago. While the 1996 starts to show some more age, still lovely but losing some of its backbone, the 2000 displays good freshness right now. Although both wines ratings at cellar tracker are close, in my book the 2000 is substantially better than the 2003, which I consider somewhat weak for this domaine, lacking weight and complexity.
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Classic BDX. Red and blue fruit. Lush. Still a baby. Great texture to this wine. Well made and fun to drink. Love 00 BDX right now - just entering the drinking window.
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There few wines that upon tasting ( Andreas tasted this blind) we both go straight to “we must buy more” and this ducru albeit we have 3 more is one of them and sourcing more goes to the top of the agenda. Do we need to say more? 95-96 and a claret for the lovers of great classic Bordeaux and with a good 20yrs ahead of it and with more points to grain . Must buy
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Needed perhaps the most air to come around of the 2000 second growths tonight but it eventually showed its class with great purity and classic Ducru understated elegance. Crisp and coiled with deep flavors of dark berry fruit and a very refined, crisp texture. The finish is firm but beginning to show excellent complexity with notes of graphite minerals, tobacco and cedar-spice. Fabulous potential and needs more time. 94+
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Potent nose of blackberry,, cassis and pencil here that is quite impressive tonight, but it was the palate that really shines. Palate feel is medium, but is layered and holds your interest. Pure blackberry and cassis are accented with camphor, cedar, pencil and beefy notes. Inner mouth is saturating with black fruit. A bit of brettiness / barnyard coming out as it opened up more.
WOTN in our ducru flight. Showing far better than prior bottle in 2019.
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Immediately upon pulling the cork, the 2000 Ducru-Beaucaillou shows a heavenly nose of fresh currant, fresh pencil and cedar, smoldering embers, and touches of fresh spring flowers. Fresh palate, sandalwood and beef blood with a medium body and tannins that are integrating nicely. After several hours, this becomes somewhat less articulate barnyardy, detracting from the beauty of the wine. Distinctly better than prior examples but I doubt this will ever break into the top tier of Ducru-Beaucaillou, particularly those in the Bruno Borie era from 2003 on.
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Double decanted for 2.5 hrs, deep ruby with slight lightening on the rim, dark fruit with some leather, med/firm tannins, long finish; outstanding, just entering its prime drinking window, drink or hold
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This wine has it all. This is a top 10 wine for me and I have had maybe a dozen times now. So elegant and balanced. Still needs 10-15 more years and I know it, but cant help it. Violet, mocha, toasted oak, and an earthy backbone that juts gives this such great structure. This wine is so well integrated. It is powerful it is big, but it is so balanced and so rounded. Not a hard edge. Never disappoints. Drank with some heavy hitters and this wine still shines. just amazing, time to go find even more bottles
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Excellent upon opening. Outstanding after 2 hr decant and kept getting better. Leather and black raspberry. Tannins perfect. Structured but soft. Still many years left but drinking incredibly well right now.
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Pretty special Bordeaux. Maybe the first time I’d gotten classic St Julian notes from Ducru. Explosive aromatics of sage, mint and cedar notes. Palate was quite polished and seamless with tannins rather mild and acidity low, giving it a plump approachable feel. Deep sweet palate, mint and black currant notes intermingle. Lengthy mint tinged finish with hints of coffee and cedar. Powerful restrained fruit really makes it a delicious and slightly forward bdx. Given the pedigree, I suspect will improve but this is damn good now.
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Beautiful wine in a really great place right now. We decided to open it late into the evening so it was PnP but it still would definitely benefit from a couple hours of decanting because it was just hitting its stride at the end of the night. Initially a pleasant and not-overpowering hit of classic Bordeaux barnyard that settled in and integrated into a bit more earthy pencil shaving and cigar type note as it got some air, but with plenty of blackberry and cherry to carry it. Incredible nose on this wine is the thing that sticks with me most.... Decant a couple hours and drink now or plenty of life to continue holding and enjoy down the road.
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Decanted: 2 hours, could have been a bit longer, but not bad.
Color: A bangin’ opaque deep burgundy with a corona on the edge.
Nose: Blackberries, black currant, plum, prune, cherry, and raisin right off the bat and in my face. A smoke aroma leaning towards almost an ash was also pretty forward. There was a green pepper hanging out in the midpalate. As well as a buttery vanilla, loam, leather, spice, and a certain minerality on the back palette. We also noticed a nice earthiness, kind of a peatmoss mixed with terroir sense happening too. Not Dirty McDirtyness terroir, but enough dirtiness to balance out the fruit.
Taste: Cherry, blackberry, plum, leather, wet stone, and a fresh bouquet of flowering herbs just before the bolt. There is a certain velvetiness that dances around your mouth, that will envelope your palette with the long lusciousness of smooth fruit. The finish has a voluptuous, lush, silky, tannin that goes on and on. And ya know, within that nice long finish there were hints of tobacco smoke, cedar, and a pleasant tartness that makes you beg for more.
Final Thought: This is drinking pretty well right now, BUT, this still needs another 5 years or so to fully develop. Good thing we’ve got another bottle!!
Decant 2 hours before dinner and followed for another hour. Another stunning bottle in perfect condition. Drinking so young and vibrant. Definitely benefits from air. This bottle was showing a notch below the last one.
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Excellent, as many notes attest to, but I felt it was a bit muddled as if it is transitioning from something real good to something fantastic. I enjoyed it now, but I think it will move on to something better within 5 years or so.
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41st birthday, paired with medium rare grilled filet and creamed spinach. 3 hour decant. A really seamless, fully integrated experience. Nose with cedar, leather, spice, and olive. The palate was typical St Julien medium body with currant, cassis, and some earthy tones but all wrapped in a smooth velvety texture. 20-30sec finish. My fiancée said it was like 'fairy dust'. 3 more bottles left to look forward to in the future.
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Second of three bottles bought in a mixed super second case en primeur from the Wine Society. Improved since the bottle 5 years ago. Lovely violet nose giving way to blackcurrant and plums. Now elegant as opposed to lightish and the tannins are extremely soft, with a stiff backbone and more body than is immediately apparent lurking in the background and just a hint of dark bitterness on the long finish. The last of the great old style Ducru before the more modern approach from 2003. At its peak now (I said that 5 years ago!) and will be lovely for a decade and more depending on your taste. Beautiful.
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Drank this beauty over 3 hours. It is young and vibrant but in a great place. It took about an hour of air for it to develop but once it did it was off to the races. It was complex but fruit driven. No doubt this will continue to evolve gracefully but it was great to taste it in this phase.
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I last reviewed this in July 2018, when I scored it 95. This is my 6th tasting of this beauty since release. It’s less flamboyant than it was then, less floral, less ripe fruit. I think this is entering a “dumb” stage as it is currently showing lots of tobacco, red pepper, sorrel, lemon thyme, and bitter chocolate. Tannins are powerful but silky and well integrated. The restraint on the moderate finish is a good clue that it’s early drinking window is closing. It wasn’t much different, maybe just a little softer, after a 5 hour decant. I’ll not open another bottle for a few years; as it will probably gain 2-3 points as it transitions from herbaceous to more appealing secondary qualities; it will wake up.
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Time to Taste 2000 Bordeaux (R&D's): Blind. Shows just the slightest bit of bricking at the meniscus, but the core is still youthfully dark and opaque garnet. Opens with a perfumed floral quality, quite pretty, with black currants underneath. It develops a powdery note along with some red fruit elements. Somewhat firm on the palate, it's hard to believe this is 20 years old. Flavors of red plum, currants and green tobacco. Remains pretty and primarily black-fruited as it sits in the glass. Lengthy finish. I guessed that this was one of the five Pauillacs and settled on Lynch Bages.
My #2, Domino's #4 Group #3, 49 pts 2015 finish: not tasted
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Round, full and resolved after three hours of decanting. It started to show layers of fruit, smoke, cassis and herbs. Very enjoyable now with lots of life left.
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just coming into its prime, cassis and tobacco, outstanding beautiful bouquet and mouth-coating with a long finish; good balance and earthy, leathery aspect.
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6 years since we have tried this ( Papies 92) and back then we said this is a wine for the future and indeed this is now kicking into high gear. We feel this is now in but just at the start of its drinking window and really has easy another 20 years in it. Requires decanting and def the 30 mins we gave it helped. So elegant and albeit is blessed by the St Julien juicy ness of fruit it is subtle and effortless. Silky yet firm tannin, some secondary touches but this is really just starting to show that side. We waited 20 years to deliver and this was the right choice. Superb wine and withought being a screamer this is such a singer of a wine. 94
Have been through a case of this over the last 5 years and has gotten progressively better. I drink a lot of wine from this region, a lot of 2000s, and I couldn’t name a better bottle for the value from this vintage. Wine begins to open after a 30-45 minute decant. Some may argue with me, but I believe it is at peak - screaming Ducru right from the decant. Fruit shines through. In the glass up against the light you can see it is a twenty year old but the nose is strikingly powerful for a 2000 and could easily pass for a Bordeaux half it’s age. On the palate the wine shows the classic cedar and black current notes every left bank Bordeaux fanatic loves. I’m not sure it necessarily gets “better” from here but I easily see this wine drinking at this level for another decade. Drinking this makes me excited to think what the 2009, 2010, and most of the more recent vintages will look like in another decade which are arguably even of a higher quality than this.
Just a bit behind my last bottle. Fantastic bdx in the middle of its (long) drinking plateau. Tannins are integrated and pretty mild at this point. Fruit still quite forward, leaning towards dark red notes along with plenty of leather and mint character. Typical polished at Julian character — sauve mouthfeel, somewhat soft, with excellent balance. Lengthy finish with mint character repeating, and just a hint of dryness. Comfortably in drink/hold phase. Don’t see it getting better, but certainly won’t fade for a long long time.
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From 375: Hard to believe, but at 20 years, this wine has still not peaked. Some sediment thrown, but tannin still dominates the palate. Initially menthol dominates the nose. After an hour or so the fruit appears.on the nose, and palate. Good acidity and a pleasant fruity finish.
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Black currant, cinnamon, green pine, lots of spice on the nose. Showing integrated tannins and a velvety smooth texture and finish. Drinking beautifully now and for at least another 20-30 years.
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Wow. Classic st Julian. A more feminine wine vs a classic Pauillac IMHO. Pencil lead, violet expressive perfume; medium plus body bursting with flavor but still good acidity and a long smooth finish. Wish I had another bottle! 2000 Bordeaux is open for business!
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Yes, you read it ... perfect score ... THE best thing I have tasted from St. Julien so far.
I saw so many good things on this vintage, and a bit scared to pop the cork too early. But hell, went to see a good friend after a long time and still another bottle to spare. And bingo ... we drank it along a lovely 2012 André Delorme Rully ( Burgundy ). What an afternoon.
No formal notes, as this was simply stunning from the first snif till the last drop in the glass. Perfect in any way, after 20 years still so dark in the glass, looks like it was bottled yesterday. Now I understand why so many of you have given it such a long shelf life ...
Nose - very typical Ducru for me, so special, so unique, a smile to the face and a tear to the eye. Taste - good round, chocolate, spices, cedar, rich, smooth, sexy, hedonistic Finish - it held so long in the mouth I couldn't count ... gained even more weight with time.
Yes, I do have a weak spot for Ducru Beaucaillou and they hit a homerun with their 2000 vintage.
If you have more then one cellared, suggest you pop one now, get your feet up, crank up the fireplace and enjoy !
I was sworn into the Washington State Bar Association yesterday, so my wife and I pulled this out to celebrate. Decanted for a little over two hours and enjoyed for another two, this wine was just beautiful. On the nose, black cherry and blackcurrant, cedar, tobacco and black olive were absolutely pouring out. One of the most ebullient, expressive noses on a wine I've ever enjoyed.
On the palate, it was rich, concentrated and mouth-fillingly (is that a word?) lush. Following from the nose on the palate were the above-mentioned dark fruits, as well as a hint of blueberry and honey on the front end, as well as savory elements such as more cedar and a bit of leather. Beautiful, long-lasting finish. Based on my admittedly limited experience with high-end Bordeaux, I would have guessed that, based on this wine's richness and concentration, it was from Pauillac, not St. Julien. "Dialed in" and "majestic" were my final thoughts. What a fantastic bottle of wine.
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(SYP) tasted blind. First guess: Pauillac; Second guess: St Julien. Tobacco, graphite, ocean air, forest floor and salty dried plum on the nose. On the palate, well-integrated tannin, fresh acidity, good tension and length. Focused and polished. It should hold for another decade easily. 93+
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After opening the first bottle in July and finding it corked I was nervous opening this one too.
Happily it was great! Dark purple and no real signs of age. Nose was somewhat muted at first but after an hour decant it opened up with dark fruits, leather, allspice and hints a vanilla.
The palate was lush, balanced and beautifully mouth-coating. Well integrated, soft yet present tannin, red & dark fruits, leather and hints of herbal flavors.
Drinking very well and a nice balance of aged wine and fresh wine. A few more years and the secondary flavors will dominate so I am glad I popped this now.
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This wine seems to get better and better. It has ripe, red berry fruit, cedary notes and a little spice; very poised and elegant and with a long finish. No doubt it will keep, but it seems to be ideal for drinking now. Claret at its best.
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Ok... I'm not sure if something wasn't quite right here. DB is one of my all time favorite producers, so getting a chance to try this filled me with such excitement. That said, I found this seriously developed, and as such, there is a chance this could have had some storage issues. Given I have tried many of the older vintages that were much fresher, I will hold judgement until I can try again.
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45 minute decant. really tough cork to extract. ruby red, no bricking medium weight + Textbook St. Julien terroir. ripe cabernet fruit and currant with orange peel and leather and light spice box and savory finish. As mentioned previously, not an excellent Ducru because it just doesn't have the weight and mouthfeel of a truly excellent vintage. Drink or hold 5 years 92-94
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Quite a deep, mature colour. Full on the palate, with blackcurrant fruit and classic cedary notes. Very elegant, but there is a slight woodiness which detracts somewhat.
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Medium weight Ducru, a beautiful wine for the future. Harmonious. Gets better and better in the glass. For me, Ducru takes a long time to come around but you can enjoy this one now even though there’s much better to come. Scored conservatively.
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My first 2000 Ducru opened, and after all these years, it is still too young! Many beautiful elements to this wine that seem to signify a future superstar. Tannins still need time to meld with the fruit, tobacco and cedar. Opened at 19 years of age and still potential to improve. I will not open another bottle for five years. Young, not ready, yet still Outstanding. This wine was double decanted in the morning, then reopened in the evening about 2 hours before consuming.
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Classic and classy, 2 hours of air added more softness and brought this around quite nicely. The wine is full-bodied, concentrated, and tannic. There is a strong sensation of cedar, tobacco leaf, herbs, spice and bright, fresh red berries from start to finish. You can easily give this another decade in the cellar for more secondary nuances and enjoy it over the following 2 decades after that.
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This wine needs a good decant of at least an hour and preferably more. The wine, while accessible now, seems like it’s a little shut down, which is consistent with the almost nonexistent sediment. The wine should continue to evolve nicely over the next few years and open up more.
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Quintessential 2000 Saint Julien. It just continues to get better and better, with added complexity and flavor. The nose alone is worth 95 points. Decanted for 5 hours. A memorable, seamless, soft monster. Drink now.
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Good balance with structure, complex wine. Savory, sea salt, minerals are just part of the characters ... i would be perfect if it's finishing was longer ... excellent wine
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Short decant A delicious blend of dark berries, earth, and some vanilla from the oak. The age has stewed the berries somewhat while allowing for the secondary flavors of tobacco and chocolate to emerge Long earthy finish with some tannin. As the bottle opened up in hour two, the fruit began to fade and the wine became a little unbalanced. The tannin may mellow somewhat with time, but the fruit may as well.
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Ducru Beaucaillou - 90 year Retrospective (Boston Harbor Hotel): Although there were no "dogs" at this table, the 2000 was perhaps the one wine that underwhelmed a bit. Cut from a different approach than the wines in flight #2 the blackberry fruit is layered with mineral, truffle and oak at the moment. On the palate herbal characteristics of the cabernet were on display above the fruit, masking the beautiful gingerbread spice, morello cherry and cocoa powder notes in this wine.
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90 years of Ducru Beaucaillou: The 2000 Ducru Beaucaillou really needs a couple hours of air to show its best, so that's what I gave this. Very typical to the 00 DB, this shows an intense mineral, truffle, oaky nose around a blackberry base. Slightly diffuse on the palate. The 2000 vintage isn't my favorite as they are evolving faster than might have originally been thought and seem to become lighter rather than more profound with age, but one does get some strange looks throwing a vertical tasting without it - so, voila.
Popped and poured, this starts out with a big whack of toasty oak. But after an hour and a half, this integrates nicely showing a cedary, mineral-filled nose with lavender and gingerbread accents. This is slightly coarse and granular on the palate, but admittedly that's more a theme of the 2000s than a specific criticism of Ducru Beaucaillou. Will open a couple more of these in just a few weeks and will give them more time - I wouldn't be surprised if they smooth out with a couple hours in the decanter.
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Dark red plum, earth, tobacco accents on the nose. Really nice depth of fruit on the palate. There's a brightness to the fruit, with good medium acidity. Shows solid drive and persistence on the finish. Very well put together and in a good (secondary) place right now.
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The colour is quite dark and showing maturity. The palate is full, intense, elegant and with excellent balance, the fruit fresh and concentrated. This is now drinking very well and is perhaps at its peak. A very fine claret.
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The nose was a thing of beauty - marvelously integrates, vibrant and rich, it turned out to be the best part of the experience as the mid-palate was pleasant but weaker than hoped. Yet, still delicious!
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Braxton Cellars Cellar Raid (Libertyville, IL): Another great example of this wine (also had an '82) aged perfectly. Lots of fresh moderate dark robust cherries, older horse saddle, and dried rose petals. Palate still shows great density and length. This should age well for decades.
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Raid the Braxton Cellar (Braxton Cellar - Libertyville IL): Small glass, brief note from memory. Black plum and cassis with very good weight. Still slightly backward, but everything is very impressive harmony. I certainly want to enjoy a bottle from 2025 or 2030 forward.
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A powerhouse claret. Deep flavors of herbal anise, menthol, dark cherries and plums with great length. Full bodied, a huge, sexy, evolved wine. Benefits from 15-20 minutes in a decanter or your glass. Drink now - 2030.
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four years since last bottle, and still in the same place for maturation. brittle cork, not much sediment. Decant. ruby red, no bricking, tannins fully resolved, taking on some soy notes- yet remains quite fresh. This wine is slightly more than medium weight and nothing near extracted,an excellent example of St. Julien terroir. ripe cabernet fruit and currant with a little orange peel and leather and light spice box and savory finish. I will ding this a couple points from excellent because it just doesn't have the weight and mouthfeel of a truly excellent vintage, but still excellent for Bordeaux lovers. Drink up over the next 5 years. 92-94
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Drank blind to end our Bdx tasting at Kittle House last nite. Very generous coffee aromas on the nose. Medium body, classic bordeaux elements--lead pencil, damp earth, cigar box. Excellent length, plenty of fruit integrated well with the various tertiary elements here. Very nice wine drinking very well.
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Decanted for 6 hours. Extremely powerful and complex wine tasting darks fruits, graphite with great concentration and complex terroir taste . The finish lasts for at least 60 seconds. This wine is ready to drink right now. No need to wait. You will be handsomely rewarded.
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Quite a deep colour. Full on the palate, with quite sturdy blackcurrant fruit, overtones of cedar and smoke and good length. Very stylish, with restrained power and impeccable length.
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Cassis, pepper, dark fruit, and leather on the nose. Dark berries, cedar, tobacco, and more cassis notes on the palate. Excellent balance and long finish. Classic and beautiful Bordeaux.
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Beautiful nose of cedarwood, dark cherry liquere and graphite. Full-bodied with rich dark berry fruit and graphite flavors. Wears an elegant robe of texture and is balanced by perfect acidity. The finish is still fairly tannic but showing a superb bite of complexity with notes of minerals and spicebox. Still young and evolving but hard to resist now. Simply one of the great vintages of Ducru. 95+
Ducru Mini-Vertical (3030 Ocean, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): DrinkBordeaux’s bottle. Clearly a great vintage for Ducru, this 2000 is sweet and stylish. Loads of blackberry and dark raspberry fruit. Perfumed. Delicious. Very Left Bank. Still on the young side but no longer primary. Fabulous future. Graded conservatively for now.
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OMG. Brought this wine to a wine tasting with a bunch of other greats (Latour, Mouton, ...) . and LOVED this wine. The nose, the palate, it was right there. I rated the Latour lower initially, although as the night progressed the Latour grew. The Ducru was right there, from the first 30 min post opening. Ordered some more...
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Wow! What a panoply of food friendly aromas, and consistent flavor: cumin, caramelized cabbage, bitter chocolate, violets, coriander, baked black berry pastry. Delicious, vibrant, long finish, 20 great years ahead, plenty of stuffing and character through the long finish.
Honestly, I was quite taken aback by how good this wine was! I have always thought well of Ducru, but this was a higher level of sophistication than I had been aware the Château was producing. Balanced, smooth, rich vibrancy, but in harmony with its structure. Not yet at its peak. Beautiful, and Yum.
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Bordeaux 2000 tasting, wine #3: dark blue fruit, tobacco, popcorn, fresh manure, salty sea notes. Massive polished fruit, elegant structure. Round and smooth mouthfeel, discreet tannins. Closed at first but opens up with time in glass. Will benefit from additional cellar time. BV=1, WV=0
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Blackcurrant pastilles, Violets, Sweet tobaccco powder - like from a snuff box, dried sage, a touch of green bell peppers and fennel, slightly bitter valrhona milk chocolate, decaying damp leaves with a granitic minerality in the background. Quite delicate despite being clearly masculine with a rigid structure and very vibrant acidity still at this stage. Has a long and lush finish with insistent fine grained tannins. Outstanding quality from a warm vintage.
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At 18 years of age, it displays somewhat of a contradiction in character. It clearly shows signs aging and yet it’s youthful and vibrant with acidity and concentration. Dark ruby color turning orange rust at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose gives off smoky incense, dried meat, black olives and sun dried black cherries. The palate is full-bodied dry, vibrant and silky. Flavors of leather, pencil shavings, scorched Saint-Julien earth and charcoal accentuate the elegant blackberry, orange peel and tangerine flavors. This is truly complex and elegant. Finishes long and sumptuous with hints of black olives and vanilla. Drink now until 2030.
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What a powerhouse. The aromas loft plums, black cherries, elegant spices and dark fruits. The palate is deeply saturated with these aromas plus anise, smoky earth flavors, saddle leather, and wood rose. The complex flavors go on and on with complete poise and balance. This Ducru is a knockout right from the bottle. Do not decant. It is so open knit, just let it unfurl in your glass. What a delight. Do not hesitate to open a bottle. This is why we cellar wine.
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I do not even know how to describe this, I need to find some new descriptors. As always, starting with the nose I continue to find this stewed tomato quality in great years of Ducru. This may be the best yet. It is subtle and adds a nuance that I find truly unique. Then add in rich cherry, cassis, tobacco, earth, leather, and pencil, and you are in for a wild ride. It is a nose of nobility that oozes class and breeding. One of my all time favorites, though still short of 78 La Chapelle and 02 Le Bourg. The palate is spellbinding on delineation and complexity alone, then followed with this velvet sixty second finish and you are submitted. How this chateau has not been elevated to first growth status is beyond me. This bottle was from perfect provenance with cork, color, and fill all in pristine order. If you only have a few, you may want to hold off for several more years. This will develop more and the 96 Ducru is in a beautiful place right now. I cannot recommend this enough, well worth seeking out. 98 Pts
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It can be drink direct from the bottle but a little decanted will give you more pressure. Deep color with cassis, berries, and cedar surely a wonderful vintage.
Wow, wauw, weeeeeh - what a wine. Granted this is still youthful and vibrant, and yes it has such a long life ahead of it, and yes this might clearly end up being an even bigger wine, but my oh my is this a great experience. It has expression, class and a pristine balance. This will make it almost impossible to leave your bottles in the cellar.
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Quite a deep colour; the nose is opening out, with elegant blackcurrant fruit which is apparent on the palate also. Very refined, elegant and full, with a little tannin in the back ground still. A lovely wine now, but still with a long life ahead, and should develop further.
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Still drinking beautifully, but this has a long way to go. The color is still a youthful deep ruby. On the nose, it's starting to show off some signs of maturation, with some truffle, leather, and tobacco. There's plenty of fruit to go around, however. On the palate, this is charming, elegant, and very giving. The tannins are quite soft at this stage. Acidity was in a good place. It's only lacking the complexity that it will most certainly gain with more bottle age. Everything else is there, and I expect this to hit its prime drinking window in 5+ years.
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Popped and poured. This wine is in a perfect spot right now. Fine tannins and acidity. Beautiful balance and complexity, this is clearly past its primary phase but just entering its secondary phase with a full throttle mouth coating palate and a heavenly nose of cedar and just the right amount of funk. Not quite as burly as a Pauillac or Las Cases, this has a more delicate character.
Decanted for 2 hours prior to dinner in at Café de Paris (WA). Nothing spectacular and I experienced nothing that others have reported in their reviews. I purchased the wine upon release and it was appropriately cellared. I think the expression “sill closed up – needs more time” applies. Nice warm finish but that is all that was memorable unless you like something that tastes like liquid leather. Fresh fruit? Not at all. Is Bordeaux worth the price and time? My only “ah-ha” with aged Bordeaux recently was with a 1996 Chateau Calon-Segur. After a disappointing tasting with friends, I re-corked the bottle and tried a sip the next day --- much improved. Re-corked it and tried again –Wow. So, lesson learned here was let an aged Bordeaux breathe for at least 2 to 3 days! I will try that next time but my palate has definitely migrated south to Chateauneuf de Pape.
Nose of currant, tobacco leaf, minerals, earth and a hint of dates. Deep, rich, leathery palate with dried red fruit, gravel, dusty black currant and a hint of bittersweet chocolate. Long finish of bold but resolved tannins, black tar / asphalt, quartz and a long, loamy finish.
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The perfume delivers tobacco, smoke, forest floor, truffle and red fruit notes. The palate, working in tandem, delivers pretty, fruits that are softly textured, sweet and fresh. There is a polish to the finish. This is drinking well now, and why not, it's looking forward to its 18th birthday soon.
Terrific Bordeaux with expressive blackberry fruit and great complexity. After at least a two hour decant there secondary notes of cedar, leather and chocolate. Unusually bright for a Bordeaux and drinking very well right now.
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Not as strong as the last bottle I had. A clean, fresh nose of fresh black currant, blackberry, anise, leather, and dark chocolate. Linear and poised on the palate. Has really nice fruit and overall complexity. Very nicely balanced, but perceived acidity perhaps a bit high at this stage. A bit more serious than the 2000 Léoville Poyferré tasted alongside.
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Initially somewhat dumb, but it opened out after a while to reveal an elegant, tightly structured wine, quite intense with some fine tannin and a fairly long finish. Just about ready and should keep well.
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Deep garnet colour. Complex nose of cedar, vanilla, blackberries, blueberries and forest floor. Structured and taut in mouth, with backbone but complexity. Fruity still and full-bodied, plenty of tannins, but not overwhelmingly so, and integrating well. And the finish.....what a finish! Lingers and dances on the tongue for ever. Exquisite ! Don't know if it will last....and soar....like the '82 DB has, but this 2000 has a long, illustrious life ahead.
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One of my favorite vintages of Ducru-Beaucaillou that I can recall, and clearly better than any vintages from the 1990s. It was clearly the best wine in a truly impressive group of wines. Classic Bordeaux aromas of black currant, blackberry, tobacco, damp earth, leather, graphite, and cedar created a gorgeous nose. As charming and beguiling as the nose was, it was even better on the palate. The balance was exceptional, and will only improve once the tannins soften and the freshness increases. I'm so glad to have another case of this, and look forward to following this for the next 20+ years.
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Sublime...and then some! The quintessential gentleman's claret, this lives up to the reputation as the Lafite of Saint Julien. Divine nose of graphite, cassis, mild spice, earth, and pencil shavings. The palate is sheer class with a mouth feel that is rarely experienced in the world of fine wine, simply magic. More complex than the nose and with fine delineation, the palate moves the goalposts. The 2000 is still a bit young, not equaling the development of the 96, but will surpass it in another 10 years. My score is based on current consumption, this wine has plenty of room for improvement. 97+ Pts
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This has come into its own. Give it lots of time in the decanter (2 hours). Beautiful aromas of black fruits, cedar, vanilla. On the palate, a medium bodied quintessential left bank Bordeaux. Drinking now.
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A deep colour; a refined, perfumed nose of cassis and vanilla; elegant, concentrated blackcurrant fruit on the palate, with hints of mint and menthol. Just about ready but will keep for many years. Very fine.
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Served for 50th anniversary dinner - tenderloin of beef - with 2 other Bordeauxs. Truly declicious. Probably the most tannic of the 3, but complex and long-lasting.
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this wine was not ready to drink at all in 2016. no amount of air made it open up enough to be even a shadow of what it could be. This is as much beloved a chateau by me as possible but if so had to put a year to open a 2000 Ducru i would say 2027
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Drank over three days, alongside a 2005 SHL. The bouquet screamed GREAT VINTAGE LEFT BANK CLASSED GROWTH from the outset. Blackcurrant, blackberries, herbal teas, warm gravel, hot black stones, peppers, graphite, funk, river bottom mud, and rainforest sous-bois oozed from the glass. Oozed is my preferred descriptor here as the bouquet alone imparted an impression of muddy viscosity, as a great Port might, though without the sweetness. This is not a 'pretty' wine, and though more rustic offerings can be had, this wine delivered all the finest elements of backward Bordeaux in most elegant fashion. Layered palate of generous complexities, already hinting at quaternary elements. Incredible balance, throughout the elegant attack, palate-coating middle, bracing back, and complex finish. Had it at 95, with a 96 point upside.
The wine closed down on the second and third days; it did not fall apart. All of the gentle coaxing applied yielded no appreciable result. An experience akin to sitting alongside a sage who the fates have decreed cannot speak that day. One may sense its profundity abstractly, but it cannot be known concretely. I would have scored it 93-94 on both days, but having tasted it on the first day, my overall score stands at 94-96. Time will tell. I would be interested to learn of anyone who has a similar experience with this wine. It likely has 20 plus years from now.
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gave this plenty of decant time but somehow this bottle never showed us the love and the intensity and richness one would expect. No detectable flaws but rather simple. I am probably being a little critical as considering the vintage this should be a lot more impressive. Maybe just in a dumb phase or just an off bottle.
Decanted from magnum this fabulous Ducru explodes on the tongue and lasts longer than John Humphry's career.
No grey hair here though for while deeply complex (unlike Johanna Konta) it is young, fit and Coltishall (like Johanna Konta).
Hardly tannic, almost sweet, it displays the farmyard aromas of a posh estate - Duchy Original?
I had to be restrained from finishing the entire magnum - well done Rachel, for the second half the next day was even more sublime. 99.5/100 - docked .5 for coming to an end.
Lovely nose of black fruits, vanilla, complex spices, undergrowth. On the palate, very tight and mineral-centric, even after a couple of hours of air. Give this another couple of years.
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Decanted about an hour. This was soft and elegant. Rich flavors. Well balanced and in a good spot right now. Feel this still has a long life ahead of it. 94+
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Developing nicely, the wine serves up soft, silky, dark red, ripe fruits, wet earth, cigar box and cedar characteristics. If you have a bottle, it's a good time to pop a cork and check it out.
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This pristinely-cellared bottle was double-decanted, allowing five hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the cleaned bottle. It was subsequently served at a birthday dinner, where it was serially tasted over three hours. Deep-to-opaque red in color, it is effusive of black currants, orange zest, tobacco, anise and truffles on both the nose and palate. Full-bodied, freshly acidic, seamlessly alcoholic (13%) and with plentiful fine-grained tannins, it gains density in the middle and closes with impressive length. While delicious now, this wine will undoubtedly get even better with more time in the cellar. Drink 2020-2035.
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opened up nicely (took a little while), strong, round, balanced, drank after a leoville poyferre '03 and was better wine...day after THG at Marcus, w. Sandra, Pol, Camille & kids
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Terrific nose with a bit of everything going on: sweet red cherry, damp earth and forest floor, with some leathers. Guessed St. Emilion for the aromatic complexity. More modern on the palate with light oak, notably sweet red cherry, vanilla, and soy. Very soft and pretty with tannins surprisingly mellow for a 2000 St. Julien. Would buy more.
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Good nose, undergrowth at first then plum and blackcurrant. A little light, dry and bitter on the palate. Nonetheless soft and with a lovely long and persistent finish. I would drink now as this is unlikely to improve. Very enjoyable.
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Annual Comparative Bordeaux Tasting (2000/2005) (Chicago, IL): There's some dusty earth on the nose, followed by a nice dose of tart red fruits. There's almost something floral about this wine, it's so elegant and light. Fresh, zippy acids that keep things going. Another one of those wines that I'd pick for immediate enjoyment today.
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S&E Wine Society - New World Reds 95+ Rating (S&E): Blind Tasting MOT=96 Color: Brick red, hints of brown probably due to age Nose: Earthy and lots of barnyard Palate: Solid tannins and dry makes me think French Bordeaux Opinion: Lovely wine, this one was the ringer (blind tasting was new world 95+ reds), delicious and so quaffable!
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Powerful bouquet of currant, black berries, and minerals with a hint of vanilla. After about 1 1/2 hours this baby began to show its true potential. A wonderful mix of black fruit, spice and mineral with a finish that goes on forever. Tannins were supple and well integrated. Going to hold off drinking another bottle for at least 5 years.
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A beauty in a pageant of bodacious blends, this full-bodied, mouth coating winner has fruit to spare-black currant, boysenberries, blackberry, black plum and all the hallmarks of fine winemaking. The 2000 is emerging as the vintage of the century with this contributor displaying exacting concentration, exquisite balance and superb structure. Bougainvillea and Belladona flower hints lead to a palate coating delight and end with sense swirling finish.
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Decanted for four hours from a double magnum. Drank this after some older wines and some young burgundy. I believe this is gradually entering its drinking window, assuming you give it enough time to decant.
Nose and palate both classic big left bank: dark fruit, cassis, leather, earth, soil. Finish lasted about 45 seconds. This bottle did not have any signs of brett. For me, this was wine of the night.
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An attractive nose with white pepper, dry earth, cedar, rocks and light cigar ash. Tannins influence the palate but even at this relatively young age they are rather smooth and have mellowed. Unlikely to ever be a great Ducru, this has the raw material to age for a long time. Paired well (arguably better than the '05) with stuffed quail.
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Very tight after opening... decanted for an hour and still pretty tight but full of flavor and structure... looking forward to more of this... dranks next to 2003 which was much more approachable and ready to drink now
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A Comparative Bordeaux blends tasting (France, NZ, US etc) with Peter: A nose of blackberries and crème de cassis with some funky, barnyard, mushroomy elements even I can recognise as brett. Also, some evolution with aromas of dry autumn leaves and dried herbs. On the palate, there is serious density, fruit weight and volume in this wine. It has a complex flavour profile, a confit of red and black fruits with underlying minerality. The brett takes away some of the fruit on the palate, as Peter says, but, to me, does not detract from this wine. The wine has excellent structure and very good length, albeit being a little drying on the finish. All class. I’ve had the Ducru a couple of times in the last two years and it is one of my favourite ’00 Bordeaux. Ideally hold for 5+ years. My wine of the flight. Cabernet Sauvignon 78%, Merlot 20% and Cabernet Franc 2%.
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ruby red, no bricking. the tannins have softened considerably. We now have no rough edges, just smooth and silky. Textbook St. Julien. Just the right of amount of concentration without being overbearing, as well as allowing the terroir to express itself, just getting better here.
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Still incredibly young, and not showing much beyond lots of primary fruit, oak, and a lot of tannin at first. Air softens it up a bit, and it becomes more fragrant and savoury with air, though never especially complex.
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U Club annual wine dinner selection. Color was dark purple and youthful. Nose was classic Bordeaux, with equal parts red fruit, earth, evergreen, ox, and lead notes. Palate was developed with some slight edge of austerity. Tight and semi ripe fruit berry, more weighted toward earth, forest, and iron. Will definitely improve with age.
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Bordeaux 2000 tasting (The Traklin - new location): double decanted 2 hours prior to enjoying dark red-black quality elegant intense left-bank aroma, with notes of blackberry, earth, spice, truffle, cassis, smoke, blueberry and tobacco full bodied, firm solid integrated tannins, excellent acidity level, wonderful harmony, great complexity, waves of pure, sweet, ripe, black cherry and spicy cassis with long, generous finish.
it was a great relief for me, as the other bottle I shared with my wine-buddies few months ago was flawed...
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Soft and open nose of dark fruit, smoke, asphalt and tobacco. The palate was silky with more dark fruit and earth. Love the texture and there is a hint of secondary development.
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Wine-Septet meeting hosted by me (chez moi): dark red-black quality elegant intense left-bankaroma, with notes of blackberry, earth, spice, truffle, cassis, smoke, blueberry and tobacco full bodied, firm solid integrated tannins, excellent acidity level, wonderful harmony, great complexity, waves of pure, sweet, ripe, black cherry and spicy cassis with long, generous finish. this will continue improving for at least another 2-3 decades!
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2000 Bordeaux Left Bank, With Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): We were scared that this would be an overdone wine( having tried the 96 recently which felt like it went on a Californian adventure) but alas it was not. The wine is young and is 5 yrs from entering its drinking window and has a feeling of "soft power". Lots of fruit, big wine, a touch on the very ripe but controlled, elegant albeit buttoned down. A wine for the future.92 for the moment but has a lot of potential given patient cellaring.
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Pretty dark, showing a bit of age towards the rim. Lovely nose, dark fruit, slightly creamy, cedar and spices. Round and sweet tannins, great freshness, good fruit and nice balance. Dry and slightly chewy towards the finish but powerful and long. Very nice & promising. 92-94+
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Opened one of these for a friends 50th and simply couldn't resist opening another last night. Stunning, textbook Bordeaux! Everything you, (I) want in Bordeaux - forest floor, graphite, pencil shavings, great acidity, smooth but ample tannins, thickish mouthfeel and a long earthy finish. Perfect balance between fruit, acid and tannins here. This is just entering its drinking window and will drink well for many years to come, at least 20. Mine won't last that long. NOTE: Decanted for 2-3 hours.
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almost a year had passed and from a different source, much more developed and very classic left bank. Entering drinking window perhaps and very good by hour 2, dranked for 4 hours, good to the last drop.
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Great floral nose, plummy, leather, creamy. Dark purple ink color. Secondary notes starting to show through with leather, cedar, mocha, tabac but fiinish not as pronounced as expected. Drunk while under the weather so perhaps not the greatest choice for enjoyment. This will live for decades. No score given.
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HDH '90 vs '00 BDX Comparative Tasting (Chicago, IL - Spiaggia): Less expressive than a more recent bottle, but showing great. Black currant and cassis core, slight eucalyptus, and fine polished but prominent tannins. Delivers as expected, and begs for some more time. A-/A
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Maybe the best 2000, except for Lalande and Angelus (for my preference currently). Huge nose of cassis, sour cherry, stewed tomatoes, fine tobacco, graphite, black tea, earth, and pencil. Along with 1985 Lynch Bages and 1996 Ducru Beaucaillou, this is one of the most seductive noses that I have ever had the joy of sniffing. Simply captivating. The palate delivers the goods and follows a similar flavor profile as the nose. The 1996 Ducru is of first growth quality and the 2000 is even better. This wine glides across your palate with such class, elegance, and breeding that you simply cannot stay away from it. 45 second finish that is incredibly complex. Wow, on bended knee! 98 Pts
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With close to 14 years of age, the tannins have softened and the secondary tobacco, truffle, black cherry, stone and cigar box scents are all over the place. Polished and concentrated, this is only going to get better and better.
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Ducru-Beaucillou dinner with Bruno Borie (Amuse Bouche): Sweet, fantastic balance. Great mid-palate, just lacks the matching finish at the moment. Wonderful wine – this is the Ducru to buy, and it happens to be one of the cheapest!
Enjoyed with Iberico pork loin with confit savoy cabbage and a natural jus
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Yet another Poopy Ducru Beaucaillou. I have certainly had nice bottles of the 2000, but the good now outweigh the bad. I see no reason to ever buy from them again unless they totally fix the problem.
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1 hour decant, very little sediment. great nose of cassis liquorice, tobacco, red meat and leather. On the palate, sweet and savory with graphite and St Julien femininity and elegance. a fine long finish. This wine doesn't leave you wanting anything more. A great wine.
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No overt flaw in this bottle, but I'm not seeing much here that lives up to its early promise and/or hype (and no, it's not "closed"). This is aromatic from the pop of the cork with sweet fruit and a heavy seasoning of cedar (not the pencil-shavings type, though, more like cedar closet aromatizers), and even though the fruit is sweet, dark-complexioned, and slick, it's fairly slender -- certainly in a classy shape -- the type of construction that would ordinarily be very transparent to whatever interesting stuff is going on underneath, but there just doesn't seem to be much of that stuff here besides a hint of something vaguely rusty. I'm also a little surprised how unstructured this is -- not much evident tannin at all. That contributes to its drinkability, but cutting the other way is the fact that it's kind of a one-note performance, so even though it's easy to drink there's just not enough here to hold my interest and make me want to drink it.
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Fruit and black currant, a complex palate and well balanced with tannins and acid. This could be a winner with any food, but perhaps it lacks focus and discipline, going in too many directions, or at least it seemed that way in comparison to the other selections at our Bordeaux 2000 dinner. Maybe as the main wine or waiting a few years might subdue this wild (by Bordeaux standards) wine.
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Yet another poopy Ducru Poopalliou. The 2000s have been awesome, pretty good, or totally flawed by Brett. The Brett in this bottle has totally destroyed any fruit that good bottles have shown.
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This is a tough one because it changed so much after we opened the bottle at Bill's restaurant. Ultimately a sensuous Bordeaux in the way that one only finds in St. Julien. Stunning.
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Return to San Anontio (Ducru Vertical); 2/21/2013-2/24/2013 (Monty): Ah, the WOTN for me. Great balanced of elegance and power. Nose of currants, cedar spice, and menthol. Palate is beautifully polished and poised, very young, with a great balance of fruit and tannin. A little closed, but the complexity is there. Some leather coming through on the mineral and cedar finish. Very long, consistent with a bottle a year ago. On the way up for sure. 95-96+
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A disappointment! Vert thin and not giving out much, drank too soon, again?? based on the 2 bottles I cannot see how this can be rated 95. Tasted blind, I would think lesser vintage everyday medoc
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Nice violet color. Perfumy with hint of fried potatoes, beetroot, spice, and earth with red fruit layered toward the end. Nice tannins with long finish. Very enjoyable. Nice!
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A big wine and probably better leave it for a few more years. 2 hours in the decanter and softens a bit, very dark and nice structure. A great wine in the making??
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Pungent aromas of truffle, flowers, mocha, cassis, blackberry, earth and cigar box come to the front without much effort. This full bodied, ripe, supple, refined St. Julien is elegant, classy and refined. With ripe tannins, the wine finishes with layers of sweet, juicy, spicy black cherries, cassis and blackberry. It's starting to come around and will be much better with a few more years of bottle age. It should have a long life.
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Slow-O 6 hours, aerate to decanter, then return to bottle for offline dinner 4 hours later. Served side by side with the 2000 Pontet Canet, the PC being the crowd favorite (i.e. more power), but the Ducru being my favorite - but just by a smidge. A very complete wine that is, surprisingly, ready to go with proper aeration. Still, by the last glass, it's obvious that the best is yet to come and all the necessary stuffing is most certainly here. Really classy drop. 13% abv, drink thru 2028
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VERY DEEP RICH JAMMY FRUIT, BLACKBERRIES, CURRANTS, AND BLACK CHERRIES IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. DECANTED FOR ONE HOUR, NEEDED TWO MORE. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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Similar impression as last bottle, but maybe this is a little less giving. At 12 years old, I would expect a little more. It starts a little barnyard, but gives in nicely to a pretty black and red berry nose. There is earth and dark mineral as well. The mouth is weighty with plenty of damn strong tannins along with strong rich red and black cherry and currant fruit. I like it now, but I hope it will improve and add plenty of nuance for later. This is a wait and see wine; maybe I will let these see twenty years before I pull another cork.
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Very comparable to the Duhart at the table in regard to quality. A less mature wine though, with a nose of vanilla and rich currants, spice. Palate had a great concentration of sweet black fruits, tea, minerals. Finish still quite tannic. This will be a stellar wine in 5-10 years.
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Chinese New Year (Home of Mike and Sandra O.): Not decanted, followed over several hours. No formal notes. This was my WOTN. After a couple hours the nose opened up, very polished, with currants, spice, flint and mint. Palate with very fine polished tannins that were quite prominent, but plenty of cassis and red berries. Finished strong, with cedar spice and earth. Seamless, polished, coming across as more noble than the Mouton. Glad I have a couple bottles of this—don’t open for at least 5yrs.
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Incredibly balanced wine. Paired well with a 7- course tasting menu, although would not recommend with a heavier menu. There is less power than i would expect, but i guess that's the beauty of st julien... On the nose dark fruits (blackberries, dark cherries). On the palate subtle but well noted tannins. Extremely long finish
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Young deep purple color strong aroma's of dark berries. excellent initial taste of blackberry - good structure and velvet tannins with a long finish. This is a beautiful full bodied yet refined bordeaux which finishes with layers of sweet and juicy berries. Obviously will be better with a few more years but i'm very happy to be drinking it now.
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Agree fully with Marco's note immediately below. I would only add that while this wine might be evidence for the suggestion that the 2000 Bordeaux are entering their drinking window, for my tastes, it is still way too early. While the tannins are softening after a decade, the palate is still very primary. Guys' Night in Westport. Thanks, Howard.
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A grab bag of wines at Ashers (Westport, CT): A fantastic wine and much more giving than the 2000 Pichon Baron opened up next to it. Lovely cassis, stones, cedary wood, graphite and earth. Complex and mouthfilling with an almost creamy texture. Fine tannins and a lenghty finish. Superb Bordeaux.
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Tasting with Stephen Lemaitre of Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou (Hawksworth Restaurant): 78% Cabernet Sauvignon / 20% Merlot / 2% Cabernet Franc. 18 months in barrel. From magnum. What can you say, this possesses an amazing complex nose, that is just starting to display some secondary characteristics. Aromas of earthy barnyard, black plums, dark dried fruits, leather, along with some herbal notes. On the palate, a strong showing of black plums, as well as dark cherries, chocolate, fresh mint, saddle leather, prunes, and spice in the form of black pepper and cloves. A massive wine, with tons of structure present. Tons of dusty tannins are evident, with a long finish, ending with notes of leather and spice. This is already drinking very well, with a long life ahead. Outstanding.
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With scents of blackberry, earth, spice, truffle, cassis, smoke, blueberry and cigar box, this big, beautiful wine seeks and gets your focus. Your palate enjoys waves of pure, sweet, ripe, black cherry and spicy cassis. With round textures and a long, generous finish, this will continue improving for at least another 2-3 decades!
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Wine from my LA Vacation; 7/23/2011-7/31/2011 (Los Angeles): This bottle was mine, brought from Cleveland. It was opened to get some air (not decanted) for about 10 hours. Certainly young and not mature, this was a pretty good showing nevertheless. A powerful wine. Cassis, black raspberries, pencil lead, minerals and some charred quality. Full bodied. Firm tannins. On the palate, the black and purple fruits dominate. Juicy texture. Long finish. Definitely a step up for me from the 96.
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WineSpectator Forums Offline; 7/29/2011-7/30/2011 (Piperade, San Francisco): This wine had four hours of decanting, decanted back into the bottle, then was drunk in my glass over 2 hours. Dark ruby red, deep red fruits, young, hint dusty; ripe fruits, balanced, good acid; moderate length finish. Nice showing but still young, restrained, needs time. I have some of these: I will wait at least 3-5 years since this is restrained (though not fully closed).
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HDH auction tasting at Tru (Chicago, IL): No signs of age in the colour. Lovely Bordeaux nose; dusty and earthy, with some lead pencil and blackcurrant notes. Very, very cerebral and austere, with lots of tannins and acidity; the texture is very St. Julien. Lacking a bit of the fruit to pair off the stemmy notes that show up on the palate; I can pick out perhaps a little bit of sour black cherries. I'd like some time for this to smooth itself out, maybe another 10 years?
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In a word, this wine was sensational, and will surely age and improve for at least 20 years. I decanted this wine, and immediately poured a small amount for evaluation. A youthful purple-ruby core, turning towards ruby-red at the rim; no signs of garnet. The aromatics of this wine were striking -- they popped from the glass like a Halladay fastball -- with aromas of spicy black fruits (boysenberry and blackberry) and over time, additional notes of vanilla and crushed rocks emerged. Equally impressive on the palate, with good grip and structure, ripe and velvety tannins, and a 40+ second finish. Great today, but I imagine this will chase perfection circa 2020.
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Germaine's dinner with P1 parents (FLM): deliciously sweet and floral. still very young and primary. dense and powerful. should be great in a few years time!
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Really kicking butt - fruit to the forefront. great nose - perfect concentration. Lingering finish without any harshness. In a very good spot finally. Still young. Will last for many years but enjoyable now. Drink or Hold.
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Very young Bordeaux, early stages of maturity, but mature enough to drink it now. Decanted for one hour. Nice nose and long palate, smooth St. Julien. Great wine!
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In between a vibrant youth and a refined maturity. Fruit is very delicate, acids are very fine and bright, tannic structure is well integrated. I like the balance but the harmony isn't quite there yet. My comment about the potential of this wine is, "it is a great lunch wine, but only a good dinner wine". Steak, just a beautiful piece of meat presented on its own, would compliment this wine. Sauces or more complex dishes don't match well as the wine becomes completely overwhelmed. Complexity of incredibly interesting flavors is a high light of this wine but they are there in a very subtle and finessed fashion. Beautiful wine but just be careful what you drink it with, you might miss the wonderful touch this was made with.
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Berry Bros & Rudd - One Day Bordeaux School (Berry Bros, London): Nose: Black fruit juice, slight leather, spice, vanilla and floral perfume Mouth: Again, black fruit, leather, spice. Some oak and perhaps vanilla. Smooth, rich, long. Medium to high tannin and alcohol. 65% Cab Sav, 25% Merlot, 10% Cab Franc. Hmm.
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14th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retro Tasting (Eugene, Oregon): A very dark wine w/ notable structure/ tannins. Dense black fruit and very long. My mind went to a mythical: if Phelps Insignia was made in Bordeaux....92 on day 2.
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Lovely perfume on the nose here. Open and expressive, classic St Julien cedar. Quite pretty; nice depth of fruit and great structure. Silky now, beautifully integrated. Excellent finish. With time this should become complex and delicious.
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I truly believe that ten years old is the first opportunity to get an idea if your Bordeaux is truly awesome. And I believe this one will be. Some stable smells- not fecal-quickly blew off and gave way to a gorgeous young claret nose of any number of Bordeaux blue, black, and red berries. There is also a barely perceptible earth soil component that is quite nice. In the mouth the tannins are firm, but nothing if not sweet and pure, and give easy access to the dark cherry and currant, and slightly wild blueberries. The wine is also smooth and balanced and quite rich and bright. There is also a little cigar box/leaf smell coming through. A little primary now, but this wine is all set for the long haul, and it will gain nuance and many levels of flavors. 95++
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Wow- after waiting for years to drink this highly rated wine, it lived up to expectations. A nice dark berrry and earthy nose. Didn't decant, but should have. A very nice complex wine with beautiful dark berry fruit flavors highlighted by a nice earthy/smoky taste. The finish was a spectacularly smooth without lingering tannic bitterness. What a treat! Fair warning though- watch for sediment to avoid mouthful of the Left Bank's finest.
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fantastic moment upon opening the bottle where me and the missus clearly identified the smell of baby poo on the nose.....wierdly not unpleasant...and disappeared within 15-20mins....what was left was the muscular, robust 2000 claret I expected....delicious and clearly geared for the long term.....lovely wine
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G6 (Jeff): Dark ruby color. Black cherry nose. Blackberry, cherry and currant with some leather notes. Incredibly complex on the mid palate. Rich elegant finish that last more minutes. Simply amazing. My personal favorite of the Left Bank 2000's and runaway winner for WOTN.
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Not doing it for me, at least yet. Shy nose, some scorched earth, graphite, red fruits. Was decanted a couple hours, but not enough. Very tart. light red fruit (cranberry?) on the finish. Sneaky tannins also pop up on the finish. Moderate to weak mid-palate. I am guessing this is in a dumb phase, seems to have the components, but pretty out of whack at the moment.
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Decanted for 4 hours after running through vinturi...still young, big and muscular but fine too.....mmmm this one has legs. Leave the rest alone for now.
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almost a shame to drink it so young (almost). Beautiful fruit and already quite harmonious. Soft tannins and a long finish. Serve with your wine buddies and some cheese and leave the port for next time.
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Orange, floral, spice, black fruit and licorice scents. Big, intense and concentrated, this deep Bordeaux offers a lot of finesse and texture in its long, intense, ripe fruit filled finish.
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Definitive Bordeaux (Mirabelle Restaurant Austin, Texas): The muscle wine in this flight of 2000 super-2nds, this is an impressive, young, closed wine with the ripest, sweetest fruit, good balance, much structure, and the acidity for long againg. Though the tasters repeatedly said it needs time, this wine was delicious for many. The Burgundians noted the tar and pencil lead on the palate, much mineral and fresh fruit, sweet extracted dark fruits, and a medium finish. It was the favorite of this salon for one European wine/restaurant vet. And it will get so much better, probably eclipse the pichon lalande in a few years.
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Opened at 3, decaned till 5:30, rebottled and took it to a dinner. Light sediment. Screaming notes of cedar and cassis. Was a table favorite, but everyone agreed that I need to keep my hands off my other 3 for atleast 10 years.
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10/23/09- opened and decanted 7:50 no sediment…dark ruby core getting clear near the rim. Smokey nose, tootsie roll?, palate of dark fruit, blackberries?, scorched earth, earthy almost stewy fruit, tannins present but not astringent, okay finish 11:05 cleaned out the bottle and noticed that there was indeed sediment. Wine has opened up very nicely over the last three hours or so. Nose is really sexy now, with toasty oak, bold fruit. Palate has gained in body, black berry and smoke. Really long finish that picks up some acidity that balances out the big bold tannins leaving a clean mouth feel. The aftertaste stays in the mouth for a long time. Give me a steak…..
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Newport-Castle Hill. decanted. nose of ripe black fruit, liquorice, tobacco, meat and leather. On the palate there's more sweet black fruit and candied cherries, prunes, a bit of soy and great St. Julien typicity with tell tale graphite .Smooth polished tannins and mouth feel, followed by a great finish. This is drinking very well and open for business.
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Just entering its drinking window. This had the characteristic soft St Julien nose of berry and hints of wet gravel. Mouthfeel was fulll bodied, with tannins which were just starting to ease and integrate, and loads of mature fruit, crushed granite, cedar, and baking spices. Finish was long and caressing and the balance was beautiful. Bravo, this one's ready.
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Wine seems to be turning in the 375's, mild harshness and subtle noise of pine, barelable put soon to be bad. Hoping it was only a one off and the remaining bolltes will return to a superior growth status. 2nd bottle was corked.
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Needs time (scored it 91 on the first day). Retasted 1 glass after three days. This was much more open and in accordance with my previous notes (graffite, black fruit, spice, leather, black coffee, ...). Conclusion: this has entered a closed state; wait a few years before tasting again. (Score reflect the 3th day taste.)
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Ducru-Beaucaillou Vertical and a Mystery Wine (Rochester, MN): Everything about this wine was huge; the nose- cedar, earth, tobacco and a new worldly density of ripe dark fruits and brutish tannins. The finish lasted at least a minute. It was surprisingly open, but clearly far from its apogee. Its such a different wine from the 83, 85, 89 and the 95. Not as much of a departure though, compared to the 2003.
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Still a bit austere for me - It has been over a year since my last bottle - my new years resolution is to wait at least another two years to try another bottle. This was decanted and tasted over six hours - it never really opened up.
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I'd seen a TN on eBob indicating that this wine was wide open so I thought I would give one a try. Huge Waste. Decanted and tried over the course of three hours: closed tight; very little is peaking out from behind that tannic door. I'll try another bottle in 3-5 years. NR.
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Tasted right after popping the cork. Wide-open, delicious, aromatic nose of ripe black fruit, liquorice, tobacco, meat and lead pencil. The palate is balanced and very tasty. Sweet black fruit, prunes, refreshing acidity, meat, liquorice, syrup, ... Velvety mouth feel, strong finish. Like a Cali cab with Bordeaux elegance. This is drinking very well now, amazingly open for such a young Ducru. You owe it to yourself to taste this now if you have more than a few bottles. Just delicious.
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Tasted at a retail wine tasting. Maybe I'm just not an old world wine kind of guy, or maybe I was just expecting too much from the name and the vintage, but I was a bit underwhelmed by this wine. Stifled nose of lead pencil and potpourri, which reminds me one of those stationary / handicraft stores that my ex used to drag me into; I hated going into those stores. On the palate, black currant, loam earth, leather, and cigar. Much more interesting. Much more, shall we say, muscular? OK -- maybe this was opened way too early. Needs time, a lot of time. Nonetheless, on this occasion, I have to give this wine my best Gallic shrug.
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Tasted in the Dominican Republic. Took awhile to open. Was much lighter styled than I had imagined. In fact, almost non descript. After about an hour the wine began to add weight and show some fruit. Still WAY too young to even consider drinking at this stage.
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Very strong nose/tastes of berries and graphite. Nose didn't jump out of the glass, but that is probably because I didn't decant it long enough. Very luxurious mouthfeel. Look forward to day two.
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A little bit of a disappointment given cost and expectation. Maybe just not showing well (an off bottle). Nice fruits and tannins but just not real blockbuster for me. Elegant but too restrained.
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Friend brought this to dinner to see how it was evolving. Wonderful farmyard nose. Perfectly balanced with ripe, rich fruit and truffles and mushrooms on the palate. This reminded me of the '82 that we had a few months ago.
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presented blind in a pop and pour environment. this will undoubtedly improve with a bit more care in the presentation. it still showed pretty damn well, and was a treat to taste. there remains an austerity and reticent profile which bodes well for the future. lucky owners will be drinking this long after i'm a legendary board memory. i'm going from recall here, so i'll concentrate on trying to give readers an opportunity to evaluate it's progress in the bottle to this point. it's a prodigious ducru. i enjoyed it more than a recent bottle of the 95. more complex, longer finish. no worries sticking this with the other 2000's in your cellar for special occasions over the next quarter century. recommended.
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Tsted at the store. Deep, dark ruby to the rim. Thick, immediately open but brooding nose of black currants, blackberries, tobacco and smoke. Medium-to-full bodied in the mouth with huge tannins that dominate the mouthfeel. There is a ton of red and purple fruit, though, and there is a freshness (what is the acidity level?) that should give the tannins plenty of time to melt away. Finish is huge, mineral, smooth. 50+5+14+17+9=95
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First ever vintage of this for me, and since I have a case (11 now), I decided to try it. It is tight, but shows nice balance and depth of fruit with hints of future improvement. Medium bodied and notes of meat (corned beef?) and spice. Medium finish. Hold for at least 5 years.
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I have the feeling this will be much better after some cellar time. Right now it doesn't open up. In fact, I think the tannins over-dominate the wine after only 30+ minutes of exposure time. So, my recommendation at this time is to pop the cork and serve right away or lay it down until a future date.
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In the glass this wine looks like Ocean Spray cranberry juice cocktail. With a scent of rubber and blue-berry, this really raised my eyebrow in apprehension. After the freaky opening this wine found its feet, and revealed a great bouquet of caramel. Thick and oily in texture, dense with ripe fruit, and great flavours of chocolate and caramel. Superbly structured and contained with ripe tannin, brilliant complexity, and a super-long, harmonious finish. After a couple of hours the wine turned a bit hard. Yet and still, this is superb, and a great wine for the long haul. And it wasn’t even corked.
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5/2/2024 - remyworldpeace Likes this wine: 97 Points
Lovely nose, blackberry, dark cherry along with a fan of tertiary notes; leather, truffle, french oak hint of unsmoked cigar and dried herbs.
Palate opened up beautifully over 90 mins showing a real concentration of dark fruits along with beautiful tertiary notes of forest floor, oak/cedar, some tobacco leaf and leather. Nice long finish showing the different layers.
EDIT: Wow, something happened after 3 hours in the decanter it opened up even further! So much complexity, balance and length. A real depth and concentration to the fruit and tertiary flavours. Very long. Absolutely stunning - gave it an extra point over my original score of 96!
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4/11/2024 - Darbus123 Likes this wine: 96 Points
2hr decant then drank over another 2 hours. Just fabulous. I had the 1996 last year and this bottle was similar. Still some layers of lovely fruit but bolstered with amazing tertiary notes. Very long and classy.
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2/29/2024 - peanutbutterskittles wrote:
On pop and pour it was dominated by cedar, tobacco, and other oak-driven notes, with some more red than dark fruit and a hint of spice. Very drying tannins, with moderate acidity.
After a couple of hours it integrated a bit more, the fruit was still muted and more red than dark, but was less disjointed with the cedar notes than it was initially.
A very fine wine with decent length, but it seems the fruit has gone into hiding and the strong secondary notes haven't shown up to the party yet.
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2/4/2024 - gew71walsh wrote: 90 Points
Didnt show as well as I expected. Opened for 75th birthday and it was surprisingly light and had lost some of its fruit. Secondary aspects had not come forward as much as I expected. Was stored for 20 years at 57 degrees and 70% humidity so I don't think provenance was an issue. Maybe my palate just likes younger wines. Had earlier bottle 3 yrs ago.
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2/2/2024 - AaronMaxwell Likes this wine: 94 Points
Enjoyed at Gozu.
Nose: Bretty leather, forest floor, stewed berries, rosemary and thyme, saline
Palette: brambles of red fruit, tobacco, leather
Finish: not much acid, gentle, luxurious
Points detracted for the fruit softening a tad much. 4 years ago, this felt like a wine with more energy (unsurprisingly)
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1/7/2024 - wabi47 Likes this wine: 95 Points
decanted 30 minutes for sediment (and needed an hour). notable funk wins over the ususal haunting nose; nice mushroom and tobacco tertiary notes; the deep fruit is there and has great length; shows how well bordeaux wines can age
day two: funk mostly gone, much more clean earth and you notice the tannin; the fruit is still there
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12/28/2023 - wineappreciation wrote: 92 Points
From a half bottle: Blackberry, raspberry, leather, mushroom, forest floor, hints of tobacco; powerful and robust, but somewhat lacking in fruit, without all that much of the characteristic elegance of the chateau; good and distinctive, but not as pleasing as hoped
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12/3/2023 - pepmi wrote: 95 Points
Day after notes. An credible wine with decades left. Almost zero sediment. Ethereal notes of cedar, tobacco, eucalyptus and blackberry.
Round in the mouth, exceptionally balanced with a finish that never stops. I have one bottle left and wish it was eleven.
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11/25/2023 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Continuing to age in a positive direction the wine has added secondary nuances of leafy tobacco, cigar box, cedar, spice, and dried flowers to its core of blackberries and currants. Full-bodied, with a nice depth of flavor, and a structured, tannic backbone, giving it the ability to age for at least 2-3 more decades. Drink from 2023-2050.
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11/21/2023 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
This is unabashedly left bank with significant tobacco and bell pepper notes while also having plenty of ripe, rich plum fruit of the vintage. Early peak drinking. Seemed to continue integrate and smooth out with air over the course of dinner.
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11/21/2023 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Celebrating K (Chicago, IL): For an estate I've always found a hair towards the rustic side, this was quite fruit forward on the palate, despite a distinct and intense pyrazine nose. Kind of a weird dichotomy there. Tannins feel pretty resolved at this point, and the softer 2000 vintage makes this feel approachable already.
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11/15/2023 - avzhang wrote: 95 Points
Great nose and balance. Still need some decanting. Very impressive wine now!
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11/11/2023 - Alohawino wrote:
Bob clarke
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11/4/2023 - liber Likes this wine: 92 Points
1st of 24, opened 2 hours then decanted 2 hours, perfect cork and level - dark, surprisingly dense ruby, hint of purple on rim; more plum than cassis, slate, some earth, pepper and spice, quite layered and attractive if not particularly classy or classic; fullish, long, quite persistent and concentrated, fine depth and balance, but not as nuanced as nose proposed, sense of fade after 90 minutes or tightening and going back into shell, at brutal end (like 03) which jars as I really like Ducru classic style full of grace which is currently absent, my bet is that this just needs more time to show its true colours, if so huge upside, 25+ years. For now a cautious F (17.5).
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10/28/2023 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Similar to prior notes after double decanting for 2 hrs; outstanding & has entered its prime drinking window, drink or hold. It was outshone by the 1990 Pichon Baron next to it, brought by Ira
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10/17/2023 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
Spectacular bottle of this drinking so well with a porterhouse steak at Hawksmoor. Double-decanted 3 hours. Youthful and full of energy with great freshness and mineral lift. That layered texture of aged Bordeaux is just coming together here and the wine shows off a fabulously pure St. Julien terroir with notes of grilled nuts, cedar, tobacco and tilled earth. There's plenty of red and black fruits still present and they are perfectly integrated into the wine which shows lots of uplifting acidity. The finish is very fine and there should be more complexity to come here in time. Just a great showing. 95+
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10/10/2023 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Lovely tonight
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9/8/2023 - Marshmarsh wrote: 94 Points
Opened after an hour into dinner at Argentinian steak house in SF.
Fine soft tannin blue fruit, cassis. Didn't get as much tertiary flavor for wine this age. Very nice, classic wine
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7/19/2023 - VindependenceDay Likes this wine: 91 Points
This did not show as well as the last time I had it. Seemed a bit thin and flat. Tannins were more noticeable, and the nose in general was not very big. I decanted it for 6 hours…maybe that was too long? Will try a shorter decant next time.
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7/14/2023 - Peech Likes this wine: 94 Points
served 40 minutes after decanting. A slight whiff of brett at first with some smoke. Still pretty concentrated but tannins were already very soft and silky on the palate. A bit savory on the after palate, almost like black olives. A bit more earthy after 1 hour in decanter. Still got the cassis notes but not so prominent at this age, although more fruit emerged about 1½ hours after decanting, with more minty notes, too. At the same age this was much softer than the 2000 Figeac I tasted last week, which was pretty surprising.
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7/2/2023 - zimmy07 Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is one of my all time favorites. I popped this after my 2003 Marguax was corked. Violets explode off the nose and first taste. backbone of blue fruits, mocha and cedar. The wine is pretty. well put together. I will hold my remaining bottles another 5-10 years, but this is ready to go with 3 hour decant
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6/27/2023 - DWStyle Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened a magnum for a dinner party. Gave it 1 hr decant at home. Cork was brittle and broken as I attempted to open it with an Ah so! May have been stored vertically before my purchase . Bouquet jumped out of the bottle upon decanting. Ton of sediment was thrown off by this wine. Double decanted and used another cork to transport .
The wine was great at dinner but started to fade as we emptied the bottle. No real color degradation. Tannins were fine and the wine still had good flavor. The finish had a little drying effect to it and the length was brief. If I had another bottle I would decant only to remove sediment and I would drink it sooner rather than later. Overall very enjoyable .
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6/9/2023 - JRavn Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent, in total balance, soft, smooth and will not develop positively anyfurther.
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4/15/2023 - hrazdiiv Likes this wine: 94 Points
Absolutely wonderful. This wine is in peak drinking form now and is about a classic Bordeaux as you can get, yet it has an element of new world freshness to it that adds another pleasant layer to the experience. Color is just a shade darker than I was expecting, with very little bricking at the rim. Nose is a bit shy at first so we let sit in the glass to open up. Nice aromas of cedar, pencil, charcoal in the first hour or so. Palate is a bit more international here, some still-present tannin nicely compliments tobacco and cassis notes that provide a bit of freshness. Second hour, more of the fruit came out on the nose, another sign it's in a great drinking window (still evolving). Harmonious finish, just got better as the night went on. Very close to rating it a (rare for me) 95 points but wouldn't rule it out next time.
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4/13/2023 - rjpbath Likes this wine: 95 Points
Profound. A really great Ducru, with everything in the right place. 24 hours on I can still taste it. Wonderful St Julien experience. No hurry, but why wait any further? Wow.
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4/12/2023 - JimHow wrote: 90 Points
From half bottle. Not a lot going on here. Seems like it needs another 20 years but I don't see how it's going to improve. Decent St. Julien bouquet. Nice, but a disappointment. Seems like I get more disappointments than successes from 2000 these days. Who knows. 90 points. Good, not great. Ducru is usually stunning.
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3/20/2023 - Rdelmer wrote: 90 Points
This seemed a bit flabby and without a lot of structure. Not sure if it’s hibernating or a flawed bottle. It was disappointing for the vintage and producer
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3/18/2023 - hectic Likes this wine: 95 Points
On its way to glory. I would still hold for 5 more years to let it enter the next level. Packed with fruit and vibrancy.
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3/17/2023 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
Another great wine dinner with Bernard Burtschy (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Youthful expressive nose displaying concentrated red and black fruit, red currant, red cherry, a hint of crème de cassis, lead pencil, light caramel, a hint of cedar and earth. Excellent concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated red fruit, rich and generous, bright acidity, strong earthy mineral, and a long sweet concentrated red fruit driven finish with lead pencil at the end. This is drinking beautifully but can easily improved for a couple more decades. Pretty impressive showing.
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2/19/2023 - Vine wrote: 95 Points
Had on successive nights with the 2000 Leoville Barton. Both incredibly good but by a vote of 2-1 we gave the Leoville Barton a slight edge. Drink or hold. Just excellent.
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1/16/2023 - werdna39 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Delicious. Beautiful balance of fruit, mild tannin, mild acidity. Lovely flavors and finish really stays with you.
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12/31/2022 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tobacco and mushroom fill the air. Fruit a bit musky. Nice wine but not a blockbuster.
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12/30/2022 - Léognan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ducru-Beaucaillou Saint-Julien GCC 2000 13% alc
Der Wein braucht 5 Stunden, bis er sich entfalten kann, und leidet mitnichten unter dem leicht bröseligen, aber überhaupt nicht durchgesipptten Korken.
Duft mit Belüftung immer feiner, mehr auf der tabakig-zigarrenkistigen als auf der fruchtigen Seite.
Am Gaumen ein sehr feiner Saint-Julien, aber aufgrund der immer noch sehr spürbaren Säure noch weit von der idealen Trinkreife entfernt, Abgang auf Lehm, etwas Kaffee und mit einem Hauch von Tertiärem (Waldboden) mittellang.
Insgesamt für mich knapp 92 Punkte, für die (nicht sehr bordeauxaffinen) Gäste tiefer, angesichts der ca. 100 CHF en primeur und aktuell geforderten (Millésima) 330 CHF nicht berauschende QPR.
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12/9/2022 - drjb Likes this wine: 96 Points
At Sumi, Noosa Junction. There appears to be significant bottle variation reported here. This bottle was opened at least 6 hours before serving with an immediate and rich nose of blackcurrant, spring flowers, liquorice and cedar before double decanting and leaving the bottle open in the cellar. At dinner that lovely nose persists and opens further with tons of complexity leading into a fine palate of rich fruit gently layered with tobacco, cedar and liquorice characters. There is a lovely line of fine almost gossamer tannins that provide great length and elegance. This is a very fine bottle with that classic Ducru elegance that recalls both Lafite and Margaux in different ways.
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11/12/2022 - mchern02 wrote: 92 Points
3 hour decant
Aromas of black and red currant, cedar, dried herbs, and dried tobacco. Fairly attractive palate, with fruit and a medium body, with light acidity and a long finish supported by chewy tannins. Good but maybe slightly out of balance.
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10/25/2022 - Stefano60 wrote: 92 Points
Ouverture une petite heure avant dégustation, sans décantation. Beau vin, robe légèrement évoluée, nez fin et agréable et bouche très soyeuse avec une finale légèrement mentholée, les tanins sont tout juste perceptibles pour rappeler que nous sommes à Bordeaux. Peut-être un petit manque de profondeur et de longueur. Cela reste un très beau vin qui a admirablement accompagné un médaillon de porc mariné (moutarde à l'ancienne, vinaigre balsamique et pointe de sirop d'érable). A mon avis dans sa plage de dégustation pour encore 4 à 5 ans, guère plus. Reste toutefois en retrait du Pichon Baron 2000 dégusté il y a peu et qui garde à ce jour ma préférence sur ce millésime.
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9/18/2022 - SalN wrote: 92 Points
I’ll keep this short and sweet. The aroma was better than the flavor. It was ok. I would not buy it again.
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9/11/2022 - Collector1855 wrote: 88 Points
200 Burgundy Grand Crus from vintage 2000, 4-day blind tasting (Singapore): Pirate flight and easy to tell as Bdx. Very strict Bordeaux aroma and palate profile here. Seriously tannic, tannic, drying on the finish. Good but not up there with Petrus, Le Pin and Latour shown in the same flight.
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8/20/2022 - paujokal Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still wonderful. Popped cork 90
Minutes before dinner and decanted last 30. Fruit still strong. Leather. Great structure. Lovely.
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7/16/2022 - Ozen Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking this beauty next to the Leoville Las Cases 1990 but this is superior to the LLC this time. Having had half a case of Beaucaillou 2000 I can only say this is a wonderful vintage for this top chateau (again one of my all time favourites). Rich, beautiful and seductive typical Saint Julien fruit and flowers. Fantastic! For now substantially better than the Beaucaillou 2003, quite comparable with the 1996 which is utterly seductive and ripe.
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3/22/2022 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding balance and silkiness. Not as complete on the finish as the 2000 poyferre just tried
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3/19/2022 - Helmut Wraak wrote: 95 Points
Just the way a 2000 left bank Bordeaux should be. On top.
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2/13/2022 - NBouras915 wrote: flawed
Badly corked
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2/5/2022 - jmarki Likes this wine: 95 Points
2-3 hour decant. Served with Porterhouse steak. Agree with prior comments describing blackberry and blueberry tones. I also picked up a bit of lead pencil. A beautiful wine with an excellent finish, my sense is that it could still soften a bit more and improve over the next 5-10 years. While I would not pass on an opportunity to drink this anytime, I think I will wait until 2025 to try the next bottle from my own cellar.
Footnote: Had the last fraction of a glass from the decanter this morning - experience was the same as the night before.
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1/4/2022 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Pretty much popped and poured. Great nose, blackberry, camphor, jam, dark chocolate and cedar. More blueberry dominant on the palate. Loads of flavor and a great long finish. Very classy. Excellent. Still youthful, think this one has upside, and a long way to go. Got better and better as it sat in the glass, my rating might be too low!
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12/31/2021 - Shugs_Claret wrote: 93 Points
Dark black and blue fruits on the nose with coffee grounds. Palate is fully mature and balanced.On the elegant side…
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12/19/2021 - VindependenceDay Likes this wine: 94 Points
6 hour decant. This was really delightful. Black fruit, cedar, graphite. Tannins were must receded into velvety smoothness. It went really well with pan fried ribeye.
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12/11/2021 - Sonoma Duck Likes this wine: 96 Points
A friend brought this for dinner. Perfect cork, medium ruby, nose explodes out of the glass. Decanted for just 45 minutes. Drinking very well now for my taste. Superb.
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12/10/2021 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 97 Points
From a bottle purchased upon release and cellared under pristine conditions. this wine was double-decanted, allowing three hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the rinsed bottle. It was then served to our wine tasting group at a holiday luncheon. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, it is opaque garnet in color at this stage. Reticent to show much within the first two hours, it subsequently blossoms into something very special. Dark plum, cassis, baking spice, cigar tobacco, savory herb and white floral aromas and flavors are buttressed with fresh acidity and plentiful fine-grained tannins. The alcohol (13%) is nicely integrated, as is the wine's oak. Dense and layered on the mid-palate, it proceeds to a finish that lingers on and on. Classic quality in every sense of the term, this is a wine that is built for the long haul. It is currently very early in its drinking window and should easily reach its fortieth birthday. Drink now-2040.
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11/27/2021 - La Grappe wrote: 94 Points
A fine, supremely elegant claret with considerable power which is excellent now but has the capacity to age for another ten years or more.
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11/26/2021 - mcktuck wrote: 94 Points
I've had a few bottles of 2000 Ducru over the last year that have ranged from good to great, and this one fell on the merely good side of the coin. Loads of mature Bourdeaux notes--dried tobacco, leather, lead shavings, spicy blackcurrants, cedar. Still a bit of tannin on the palate, but starting to resolve. This bottle just lacked that extra oomph that can make these great, but nonetheless this remains a very good wine that may need a few more years to truly peak.
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11/26/2021 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
corked :(
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9/23/2021 - ricknat1 wrote: 89 Points
maybe just too early or maybe it will not ever be great
all wines at this dinner had 5-6 hours of decanting
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9/22/2021 - platpeeps Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lead pencil shavings, cedar and cassis aromas repeated on the palate. Plush and thick textured it had a super freshness and sweet vs savoury balance. Perfect poise and structure with a fantastic length of finish. Just shaded the Les Forts 2004 simply down to the greater freshness. A remarkable wine. 95 points.
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9/16/2021 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
I think this is still too young and far from it's full potential!
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9/13/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Still holding on to its youth, though the tannic grip has eased over the past few years, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated, and packed with loads of tobacco leaf, cigar box, forest leaf, spices, and fresh, sweet, red currants. There is lift and length in the finish.
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9/9/2021 - Vine wrote: 98 Points
How do you spell awesome? IMHO this is at it's perfect drinking plateau. Don't wait too long as it is brilliant now!
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9/3/2021 - jonboy74 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Did not hold up against my grilled flank steak but afterwards it was singing. Very delicate but absolutely a delight. My first ducru. Will buy more.
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7/27/2021 - Chris Keller wrote: 95 Points
Loved this wine drank with a 2019 March Bolivar Belicoso fino... notes of earth and suede leather you know the kind that is well spread apart hell this thing smells of horse saddle and earth along with very ripe plum, sage and white pepper, clay and alluvial mineral ...this continues and notes of tobacco, leather, cassis, prune, chalk, musk, velvet cake and dark cherry!!! Amazing !!!drink now - 2051
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7/20/2021 - jmoon Likes this wine: 92 Points
Almost very good - but still tightly coiled and probably needs another decade.
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7/14/2021 - Cailles wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux 2000 - 20 Years On - 48 Reds: All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
TN: This hinted at its potential with a broad array of aromas ranging from dark fruit, cassis liquor, herbs and minerality on the nose to lots of fresh red berries and minerality on the palate. Not much complexity on the palate with a bit of a hole mid-palate but probably the wine is just not yet ready or would have needed a bit more air. The structure, in Ducru fashion, is masculine and classic but fine and airy. All in all, a solid effort.
Decanting: I guess, this would have needed 2-3 hours in the decanter.
Group average: 93.8 pts
Group rank: 14th out of 48
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6/24/2021 - RayOB Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank at 67
Incredible freshness and density. Absolutely on point with no rush in drinking window
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6/20/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 95 Points
Grand Bordeaux 2000 horizontal tasting; 6/20/2021-6/21/2021: Grand Bordeaux 2000 tasting with ~60 wines from the vintage hosted by a private collector. All wines were poured directly from the bottle with no decant and served in flights of 4. As general observations I would highlight: 1/ Today the 2000 is, without a doubt, a right bank vintage with Pomerol the star, 2/ the vast majority of wines are still going strong with hardly any past their peak 3/ On the left bank, St Estèphe was most ready to drink with a lot of wines in a closed stage right now, 4/ On the left bank, 2nd to 4th growths were generally more open for business than the 1st growths which almost all closed, only hinting at their full potential. 5/ If you must open a left bank bottle, Margaux is the safest place to look. Complete scoring overview and additional commentary included in the tasting story.
Tasting note:
Nice bouquet of mixed berries, a bit of sous-bois and sweet elements. Good harmony, fresh with tension on the palate where you‘ll also find a bit more aging notes. Tannin well built into the fabric. In this form the best Ducru-Beaucaillu I've tasted so far.
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6/5/2021 - La Grappe wrote: 92 Points
A fine, elegant, mature claret, which is perhaps just starting to decline. It has all the elements of fine claret, but with a little less vigour and definition than previously.
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5/18/2021 - Javachip Likes this wine: 92 Points
Allowed to breathe in glass 1 hour. Clear deep garnet color. Reticent at first, with volatile notes of beef blood and stewed rhubarb. After another hour, a lovely bouquet began to bloom, offering creme de cassis, fennel, lilacs, lavender, river stones, rocky soil. Similar on the palate, seamless, balanced, full body without seeming heavy. Improved steadily with air, held up fine under vacuum stopper in refrigerator for four days, showing best on second night. Seems to be somewhere between awkward late adolescence and early maturity, not showing tertiary character at this point, needing several hours of air. May need a few more years to reach its zenith, where it will then stay for decades.
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5/9/2021 - shifter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still in a beautiful place. This bottle a hair less vibrant than the last few. Wonderful accompaniment to a reverse sear Prime Porterhouse finished on my new Kamado Joe at 700F!
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5/8/2021 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is still too young to really enjoy. Fantastic nose, but still very astringent and acidic on the palate. I have a bottle in the cellar that I will give at least 5 years.
Edit—Excellent 24 hrs later. Needs a big decant and then drinking beautifully. Added 3 pts
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5/4/2021 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
very good
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4/15/2021 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
deep red purple color, plum and cassis on the nose with some dark spice notes, on the palate tannic still and a bit rowdy around the edges, this bottle retreated into itself over a couple of hours and felt very closed, that said the large scale palate of dark fruit is in full evidence and the finish is wonderfully long, so while it is showing well at a primary level I think much time is needed for this to fully reveal itself.
(****)+, 2030++
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4/10/2021 - mcktuck Likes this wine: 97 Points
Tremendous depth and elegance to this bottle. The nose still showed some primary fruits--mostly blackcurrants and blackberries with a hint of red cherry--but tertiary notes started to emerge after an hour or two in the decanter. The palate matched the aromatics with a beautifully balanced structure, finely integrated tannins and layers of complexity. Stunning now, but won't truly peak for another 5 years and will live a decade or so beyond that.
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4/10/2021 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Similar to prior note after a 1 hour double decant; outstanding, but better on day 2, hold for another year or 2, no rush
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4/10/2021 - kevinpatrick Likes this wine: 97 Points
Aged Napa versus Aged Bordeaux at Cork Vault (Charlotte, NC): Decanted 1.5 hours before sampling. Gorgeous earthy aromas of dark fruits flow easily into a rich, complex wine demonstrating a restrained strength -- black currants, blackberry, cedar. Just entering its drinking window, this wine was in exceptional form lacking nothing. Beautiful bouquet on the nose, full body on the palate of rich fruits with gently resolved tannins linger into a deliciously lengthy finish.
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4/4/2021 - Euoinos wrote: 95 Points
Cassis, lead pencil and menthol. Fine elegant tannins with a pronounced acidity that is well balanced with the mature dark fruit. Very long! Will clearly drink well for years to come.
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3/22/2021 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wow! Wow! Wow! This is at its peak and drinking beautifully. Sooo much better than the ‘96 vintage which I had recently. My recommendation is to decant this for one hour and enjoy its beauty and maturity. This won’t decline for at least a decade, but I don’t expect it will get any better than it is right now.
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2/21/2021 - gew71walsh wrote: 95 Points
For a celebratory special event. Paired with beef tournedos—obviously a great pairing. The nose was was aromatic—red berries and other fruits there and on the palate. Secondary characteristics of some cedar and other forest aspects. Balanced with some complexity. Long, long finish. This probably has years of evolution left. Don’t think I can wait that long with my last bottle (acquired as futures back in 2000).
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2/16/2021 - Ozen Likes this wine: 94 Points
A great bottle, possibly a sign the wine is getting into its own. Typical Beaucaillou flowers, violets and beautiful feminine richness. Now in its drinking window.
Being a big fan of Beaucaillou it is Interesting to see the wines follow a pretty consistent drinking curve over time. This starts to compare to the 1996 of a couple of years ago. While the 1996 starts to show some more age, still lovely but losing some of its backbone, the 2000 displays good freshness right now. Although both wines ratings at cellar tracker are close, in my book the 2000 is substantially better than the 2003, which I consider somewhat weak for this domaine, lacking weight and complexity.
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2/16/2021 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic BDX. Red and blue fruit. Lush. Still a baby. Great texture to this wine. Well made and fun to drink. Love 00 BDX right now - just entering the drinking window.
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2/10/2021 - Papies wrote: 96 Points
There few wines that upon tasting ( Andreas tasted this blind) we both go straight to “we must buy more” and this ducru albeit we have 3 more is one of them and sourcing more goes to the top of the agenda. Do we need to say more? 95-96 and a claret for the lovers of great classic Bordeaux and with a good 20yrs ahead of it and with more points to grain . Must buy
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2/7/2021 - dream Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needed perhaps the most air to come around of the 2000 second growths tonight but it eventually showed its class with great purity and classic Ducru understated elegance. Crisp and coiled with deep flavors of dark berry fruit and a very refined, crisp texture. The finish is firm but beginning to show excellent complexity with notes of graphite minerals, tobacco and cedar-spice. Fabulous potential and needs more time. 94+
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1/31/2021 - RockinCabs wrote: 94 Points
Potent nose of blackberry,, cassis and pencil here that is quite impressive tonight, but it was the palate that really shines. Palate feel is medium, but is layered and holds your interest. Pure blackberry and cassis are accented with camphor, cedar, pencil and beefy notes. Inner mouth is saturating with black fruit. A bit of brettiness / barnyard coming out as it opened up more.
WOTN in our ducru flight. Showing far better than prior bottle in 2019.
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1/30/2021 - englishman's claret wrote: 94 Points
Immediately upon pulling the cork, the 2000 Ducru-Beaucaillou shows a heavenly nose of fresh currant, fresh pencil and cedar, smoldering embers, and touches of fresh spring flowers. Fresh palate, sandalwood and beef blood with a medium body and tannins that are integrating nicely. After several hours, this becomes somewhat less articulate barnyardy, detracting from the beauty of the wine. Distinctly better than prior examples but I doubt this will ever break into the top tier of Ducru-Beaucaillou, particularly those in the Bruno Borie era from 2003 on.
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1/23/2021 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Double decanted for 2.5 hrs, deep ruby with slight lightening on the rim, dark fruit with some leather, med/firm tannins, long finish; outstanding, just entering its prime drinking window, drink or hold
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1/21/2021 - Bobby Burgundy wrote: 94 Points
Very nice from a half bottle from the 750 I’d let it ride another 3 to 5 years
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1/18/2021 - zimmy07 Likes this wine: 97 Points
This wine has it all. This is a top 10 wine for me and I have had maybe a dozen times now. So elegant and balanced. Still needs 10-15 more years and I know it, but cant help it. Violet, mocha, toasted oak, and an earthy backbone that juts gives this such great structure. This wine is so well integrated. It is powerful it is big, but it is so balanced and so rounded. Not a hard edge. Never disappoints. Drank with some heavy hitters and this wine still shines. just amazing, time to go find even more bottles
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1/15/2021 - Sonoma-W wrote: 87 Points
Disappointing! Old school, earthy, barnyard, minima fruit left. A bit better on night 2
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1/9/2021 - paujokal Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent upon opening. Outstanding after 2 hr decant and kept getting better. Leather and black raspberry. Tannins perfect. Structured but soft. Still many years left but drinking incredibly well right now.
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1/8/2021 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Pretty special Bordeaux. Maybe the first time I’d gotten classic St Julian notes from Ducru. Explosive aromatics of sage, mint and cedar notes. Palate was quite polished and seamless with tannins rather mild and acidity low, giving it a plump approachable feel. Deep sweet palate, mint and black currant notes intermingle. Lengthy mint tinged finish with hints of coffee and cedar. Powerful restrained fruit really makes it a delicious and slightly forward bdx. Given the pedigree, I suspect will improve but this is damn good now.
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1/2/2021 - mattstolz11 wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful wine in a really great place right now. We decided to open it late into the evening so it was PnP but it still would definitely benefit from a couple hours of decanting because it was just hitting its stride at the end of the night. Initially a pleasant and not-overpowering hit of classic Bordeaux barnyard that settled in and integrated into a bit more earthy pencil shaving and cigar type note as it got some air, but with plenty of blackberry and cherry to carry it. Incredible nose on this wine is the thing that sticks with me most.... Decant a couple hours and drink now or plenty of life to continue holding and enjoy down the road.
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12/30/2020 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Initially seemed a little advanced but became smooth and luxurious.
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12/14/2020 - BROpus One Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great bottle but still not quite at it's peak. I'd hold another 5+ years
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12/13/2020 - Wine Gombie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted: 2 hours, could have been a bit longer, but not bad.
Color: A bangin’ opaque deep burgundy with a corona on the edge.
Nose: Blackberries, black currant, plum, prune, cherry, and raisin right off the bat and in my face. A smoke aroma leaning towards almost an ash was also pretty forward. There was a green pepper hanging out in the midpalate. As well as a buttery vanilla, loam, leather, spice, and a certain minerality on the back palette. We also noticed a nice earthiness, kind of a peatmoss mixed with terroir sense happening too. Not Dirty McDirtyness terroir, but enough dirtiness to balance out the fruit.
Taste: Cherry, blackberry, plum, leather, wet stone, and a fresh bouquet of flowering herbs just before the bolt. There is a certain velvetiness that dances around your mouth, that will envelope your palette with the long lusciousness of smooth fruit. The finish has a voluptuous, lush, silky, tannin that goes on and on. And ya know, within that nice long finish there were hints of tobacco smoke, cedar, and a pleasant tartness that makes you beg for more.
Final Thought: This is drinking pretty well right now, BUT, this still needs another 5 years or so to fully develop. Good thing we’ve got another bottle!!
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12/4/2020 - msauer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bei Thomaso,TDF
(Zu) kellerkalt. Kam schnell zur Blüte
Überraschend wenig maskulin, eher St-Jul- artig: elegant, fein. Dezente Frucht. Ziemlich lang
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11/26/2020 - shifter Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decant 2 hours before dinner and followed for another hour. Another stunning bottle in perfect condition. Drinking so young and vibrant. Definitely benefits from air. This bottle was showing a notch below the last one.
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11/3/2020 - Rich.Herbs Likes this wine:
Excellent, as many notes attest to, but I felt it was a bit muddled as if it is transitioning from something real good to something fantastic. I enjoyed it now, but I think it will move on to something better within 5 years or so.
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10/28/2020 - JFS23 Likes this wine: 95 Points
41st birthday, paired with medium rare grilled filet and creamed spinach. 3 hour decant. A really seamless, fully integrated experience. Nose with cedar, leather, spice, and olive. The palate was typical St Julien medium body with currant, cassis, and some earthy tones but all wrapped in a smooth velvety texture. 20-30sec finish. My fiancée said it was like 'fairy dust'. 3 more bottles left to look forward to in the future.
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10/18/2020 - wineforth Likes this wine: 95 Points
Second of three bottles bought in a mixed super second case en primeur from the Wine Society. Improved since the bottle 5 years ago. Lovely violet nose giving way to blackcurrant and plums. Now elegant as opposed to lightish and the tannins are extremely soft, with a stiff backbone and more body than is immediately apparent lurking in the background and just a hint of dark bitterness on the long finish. The last of the great old style Ducru before the more modern approach from 2003. At its peak now (I said that 5 years ago!) and will be lovely for a decade and more depending on your taste. Beautiful.
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9/17/2020 - irvingn Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank this beauty over 3 hours. It is young and vibrant but in a great place. It took about an hour of air for it to develop but once it did it was off to the races. It was complex but fruit driven. No doubt this will continue to evolve gracefully but it was great to taste it in this phase.
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9/15/2020 - OenoEd Likes this wine: 93 Points
I last reviewed this in July 2018, when I scored it 95. This is my 6th tasting of this beauty since release. It’s less flamboyant than it was then, less floral, less ripe fruit. I think this is entering a “dumb” stage as it is currently showing lots of tobacco, red pepper, sorrel, lemon thyme, and bitter chocolate. Tannins are powerful but silky and well integrated. The restraint on the moderate finish is a good clue that it’s early drinking window is closing. It wasn’t much different, maybe just a little softer, after a 5 hour decant. I’ll not open another bottle for a few years; as it will probably gain 2-3 points as it transitions from herbaceous to more appealing secondary qualities; it will wake up.
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9/5/2020 - AllRed wrote: 95 Points
Time to Taste 2000 Bordeaux (R&D's): Blind. Shows just the slightest bit of bricking at the meniscus, but the core is still youthfully dark and opaque garnet. Opens with a perfumed floral quality, quite pretty, with black currants underneath. It develops a powdery note along with some red fruit elements. Somewhat firm on the palate, it's hard to believe this is 20 years old. Flavors of red plum, currants and green tobacco. Remains pretty and primarily black-fruited as it sits in the glass. Lengthy finish. I guessed that this was one of the five Pauillacs and settled on Lynch Bages.
My #2, Domino's #4
Group #3, 49 pts
2015 finish: not tasted
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8/30/2020 - RayOB wrote: 92 Points
Drank at Home
Rich velvety and pure. Lot's of life
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7/18/2020 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 94 Points
Round, full and resolved after three hours of decanting. It started to show layers of fruit, smoke, cassis and herbs. Very enjoyable now with lots of life left.
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7/6/2020 - Ricky99 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice fruit forward posture on this wine right now... was stacked up against 95 L'Angelus and 98 Troplong and was right there.
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7/4/2020 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 95 Points
SS's Frenchie! Wine Night: This was exceptional tonight and a great show of power and wine-making skills. So good and in its prime. My WOTN 95-96
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6/24/2020 - KenK Likes this wine: 95 Points
In a great place, still a bit young if anyth8ng after 20 years. Dark rich long and dense. Sweet dry savory fruits with beautiful balance.
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6/12/2020 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 98 Points
Magnificent and exceptional. No need to wait, as it is tremendous now.
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6/5/2020 - thwacker Likes this wine: 96 Points
just coming into its prime, cassis and tobacco, outstanding beautiful bouquet and mouth-coating with a long finish; good balance and earthy, leathery aspect.
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5/22/2020 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
6 years since we have tried this ( Papies 92) and back then we said this is a wine for the future and indeed this is now kicking into high gear. We feel this is now in but just at the start of its drinking window and really has easy another 20 years in it. Requires decanting and def the 30 mins we gave it helped.
So elegant and albeit is blessed by the St Julien juicy ness of fruit it is subtle and effortless. Silky yet firm tannin, some secondary touches but this is really just starting to show that side. We waited 20 years to deliver and this was the right choice. Superb wine and withought being a screamer this is such a singer of a wine. 94
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5/18/2020 - wdcwine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Have been through a case of this over the last 5 years and has gotten progressively better. I drink a lot of wine from this region, a lot of 2000s, and I couldn’t name a better bottle for the value from this vintage. Wine begins to open after a 30-45 minute decant. Some may argue with me, but I believe it is at peak - screaming Ducru right from the decant. Fruit shines through. In the glass up against the light you can see it is a twenty year old but the nose is strikingly powerful for a 2000 and could easily pass for a Bordeaux half it’s age. On the palate the wine shows the classic cedar and black current notes every left bank Bordeaux fanatic loves. I’m not sure it necessarily gets “better” from here but I easily see this wine drinking at this level for another decade. Drinking this makes me excited to think what the 2009, 2010, and most of the more recent vintages will look like in another decade which are arguably even of a higher quality than this.
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5/9/2020 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just a bit behind my last bottle. Fantastic bdx in the middle of its (long) drinking plateau. Tannins are integrated and pretty mild at this point. Fruit still quite forward, leaning towards dark red notes along with plenty of leather and mint character. Typical polished at Julian character — sauve mouthfeel, somewhat soft, with excellent balance. Lengthy finish with mint character repeating, and just a hint of dryness. Comfortably in drink/hold phase. Don’t see it getting better, but certainly won’t fade for a long long time.
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4/25/2020 - melzar wrote: 93 Points
From 375: Hard to believe, but at 20 years, this wine has still not peaked. Some sediment thrown, but tannin still dominates the palate. Initially menthol dominates the nose. After an hour or so the fruit appears.on the nose, and palate. Good acidity and a pleasant fruity finish.
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3/12/2020 - shifter Likes this wine: 97 Points
Black currant, cinnamon, green pine, lots of spice on the nose. Showing integrated tannins and a velvety smooth texture and finish. Drinking beautifully now and for at least another 20-30 years.
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3/12/2020 - winelover1808 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow. Classic st Julian. A more feminine wine vs a classic Pauillac IMHO. Pencil lead, violet expressive perfume; medium plus body bursting with flavor but still good acidity and a long smooth finish. Wish I had another bottle! 2000 Bordeaux is open for business!
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2/23/2020 - Mathijs81 Likes this wine: 100 Points
Yes, you read it ... perfect score ... THE best thing I have tasted from St. Julien so far.
I saw so many good things on this vintage, and a bit scared to pop the cork too early.
But hell, went to see a good friend after a long time and still another bottle to spare.
And bingo ... we drank it along a lovely 2012 André Delorme Rully ( Burgundy ). What an afternoon.
No formal notes, as this was simply stunning from the first snif till the last drop in the glass.
Perfect in any way, after 20 years still so dark in the glass, looks like it was bottled yesterday.
Now I understand why so many of you have given it such a long shelf life ...
Nose - very typical Ducru for me, so special, so unique, a smile to the face and a tear to the eye.
Taste - good round, chocolate, spices, cedar, rich, smooth, sexy, hedonistic
Finish - it held so long in the mouth I couldn't count ... gained even more weight with time.
Yes, I do have a weak spot for Ducru Beaucaillou and they hit a homerun with their 2000 vintage.
If you have more then one cellared, suggest you pop one now, get your feet up, crank up the fireplace and enjoy !
Mathijs
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2/1/2020 - La Grappe wrote: 93 Points
A soft, silky, yet profound wine, so elegant, so smooth, so long. Excellent.
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1/17/2020 - alexfrank Likes this wine: 94 Points
I was sworn into the Washington State Bar Association yesterday, so my wife and I pulled this out to celebrate. Decanted for a little over two hours and enjoyed for another two, this wine was just beautiful. On the nose, black cherry and blackcurrant, cedar, tobacco and black olive were absolutely pouring out. One of the most ebullient, expressive noses on a wine I've ever enjoyed.
On the palate, it was rich, concentrated and mouth-fillingly (is that a word?) lush. Following from the nose on the palate were the above-mentioned dark fruits, as well as a hint of blueberry and honey on the front end, as well as savory elements such as more cedar and a bit of leather. Beautiful, long-lasting finish. Based on my admittedly limited experience with high-end Bordeaux, I would have guessed that, based on this wine's richness and concentration, it was from Pauillac, not St. Julien. "Dialed in" and "majestic" were my final thoughts. What a fantastic bottle of wine.
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12/27/2019 - LTTC Likes this wine: 93 Points
(SYP) tasted blind. First guess: Pauillac; Second guess: St Julien.
Tobacco, graphite, ocean air, forest floor and salty dried plum on the nose. On the palate, well-integrated tannin, fresh acidity, good tension and length. Focused and polished. It should hold for another decade easily. 93+
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11/30/2019 - brouigu1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
After opening the first bottle in July and finding it corked I was nervous opening this one too.
Happily it was great! Dark purple and no real signs of age. Nose was somewhat muted at first but after an hour decant it opened up with dark fruits, leather, allspice and hints a vanilla.
The palate was lush, balanced and beautifully mouth-coating. Well integrated, soft yet present tannin, red & dark fruits, leather and hints of herbal flavors.
Drinking very well and a nice balance of aged wine and fresh wine. A few more years and the secondary flavors will dominate so I am glad I popped this now.
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11/23/2019 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Leather and spice and lively fruit after about 45 minutes open. Barnyard on the nose, which faded. Still plenty of life.
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11/11/2019 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 89 Points
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/11/ducru-beaucaillou-vertical-showcases.html
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11/4/2019 - La Grappe wrote: 95 Points
This wine seems to get better and better. It has ripe, red berry fruit, cedary notes and a little spice; very poised and elegant and with a long finish. No doubt it will keep, but it seems to be ideal for drinking now. Claret at its best.
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10/28/2019 - _water.into.wine_ wrote: 89 Points
Ok... I'm not sure if something wasn't quite right here. DB is one of my all time favorite producers, so getting a chance to try this filled me with such excitement. That said, I found this seriously developed, and as such, there is a chance this could have had some storage issues. Given I have tried many of the older vintages that were much fresher, I will hold judgement until I can try again.
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10/10/2019 - cbuhlman wrote:
45 minute decant. really tough cork to extract.
ruby red, no bricking
medium weight +
Textbook St. Julien terroir. ripe cabernet fruit and currant with orange peel and leather and light spice box and savory finish.
As mentioned previously, not an excellent Ducru because it just doesn't have the weight and mouthfeel of a truly excellent vintage. Drink or hold 5 years
92-94
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9/21/2019 - La Grappe wrote: 91 Points
Quite a deep, mature colour. Full on the palate, with blackcurrant fruit and classic cedary notes. Very elegant, but there is a slight woodiness which detracts somewhat.
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9/11/2019 - TheGreenFrog wrote:
Two hour decant. Closed but thick with promise. Leave for another 5 years and try again!
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9/6/2019 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium weight Ducru, a beautiful wine for the future. Harmonious. Gets better and better in the glass. For me, Ducru takes a long time to come around but you can enjoy this one now even though there’s much better to come. Scored conservatively.
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8/3/2019 - theRealPepe Likes this wine: 94 Points
My first 2000 Ducru opened, and after all these years, it is still too young! Many beautiful elements to this wine that seem to signify a future superstar. Tannins still need time to meld with the fruit, tobacco and cedar. Opened at 19 years of age and still potential to improve. I will not open another bottle for five years. Young, not ready, yet still Outstanding.
This wine was double decanted in the morning, then reopened in the evening about 2 hours before consuming.
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7/26/2019 - Ricky99 Likes this wine: 90 Points
surprised at the intensity of the nose - cedar, leather, etc.. enjoyable and still has tims.
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7/22/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Classic and classy, 2 hours of air added more softness and brought this around quite nicely. The wine is full-bodied, concentrated, and tannic. There is a strong sensation of cedar, tobacco leaf, herbs, spice and bright, fresh red berries from start to finish. You can easily give this another decade in the cellar for more secondary nuances and enjoy it over the following 2 decades after that.
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7/14/2019 - brouigu1 wrote: flawed
Sadly it was corked
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7/5/2019 - lifebreath wrote: 93 Points
This wine needs a good decant of at least an hour and preferably more. The wine, while accessible now, seems like it’s a little shut down, which is consistent with the almost nonexistent sediment. The wine should continue to evolve nicely over the next few years and open up more.
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7/5/2019 - fastcar888 wrote: 98 Points
Quintessential 2000 Saint Julien. It just continues to get better and better, with added complexity and flavor. The nose alone is worth 95 points. Decanted for 5 hours. A memorable, seamless, soft monster. Drink now.
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6/15/2019 - Larre Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wow! So classical and in a nice phase now. Will probably evolve nicely for 10-15 years. Great wine! 96+
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5/26/2019 - Smart Likes this wine: 96 Points
Popped up with aromas of fruits and tobacco. Very fruity and silk and soft in texture. Drink it now and don't miss its peak.
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5/17/2019 - Lord of the Bottles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Judgement of Exchange Arcade: California vs Bordeaux (RA's take): Smoky red fruit nose. Bell pepper and dark fruit palate. Lovely and balanced. If the finish was longer would be 95 pointer, very well balanced.
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5/16/2019 - jskuek Likes this wine: 95 Points
Good balance with structure, complex wine. Savory, sea salt, minerals are just part of the characters ... i would be perfect if it's finishing was longer ... excellent wine
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5/15/2019 - Kevnzworld wrote: 94 Points
Short decant
A delicious blend of dark berries, earth, and some vanilla from the oak.
The age has stewed the berries somewhat while allowing for the secondary flavors of tobacco and chocolate to emerge
Long earthy finish with some tannin. As the bottle opened up in hour two, the fruit began to fade and the wine became a little unbalanced.
The tannin may mellow somewhat with time, but the fruit may as well.
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5/7/2019 - Richnieset wrote: 95 Points
Secant at least one hour.
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5/5/2019 - RockinCabs wrote: 92 Points
Ducru Beaucaillou - 90 year Retrospective (Boston Harbor Hotel): Although there were no "dogs" at this table, the 2000 was perhaps the one wine that underwhelmed a bit. Cut from a different approach than the wines in flight #2 the blackberry fruit is layered with mineral, truffle and oak at the moment. On the palate herbal characteristics of the cabernet were on display above the fruit, masking the beautiful gingerbread spice, morello cherry and cocoa powder notes in this wine.
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5/5/2019 - englishman's claret wrote: 93 Points
90 years of Ducru Beaucaillou: The 2000 Ducru Beaucaillou really needs a couple hours of air to show its best, so that's what I gave this. Very typical to the 00 DB, this shows an intense mineral, truffle, oaky nose around a blackberry base. Slightly diffuse on the palate. The 2000 vintage isn't my favorite as they are evolving faster than might have originally been thought and seem to become lighter rather than more profound with age, but one does get some strange looks throwing a vertical tasting without it - so, voila.
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5/4/2019 - La Grappe wrote: 94 Points
This is almost the perfect claret: silky, elegant, composed, with refined fruit and mature flavours. Very fine.
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4/15/2019 - englishman's claret wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured, this starts out with a big whack of toasty oak. But after an hour and a half, this integrates nicely showing a cedary, mineral-filled nose with lavender and gingerbread accents. This is slightly coarse and granular on the palate, but admittedly that's more a theme of the 2000s than a specific criticism of Ducru Beaucaillou. Will open a couple more of these in just a few weeks and will give them more time - I wouldn't be surprised if they smooth out with a couple hours in the decanter.
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3/24/2019 - Robert Pavlovich Likes this wine:
Dark red plum, earth, tobacco accents on the nose. Really nice depth of fruit on the palate. There's a brightness to the fruit, with good medium acidity. Shows solid drive and persistence on the finish. Very well put together and in a good (secondary) place right now.
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3/23/2019 - Bro-rolo Likes this wine: 95 Points
There Was a Blackout @ The St. Regis...and Other Tales; 3/22/2019-3/24/2019 (a different Canoe): sheet a bdx 2000 [insert Chateau here] is gonna be fyre no matter what...fyre like fyre fest before those kids found out it was cheese sandwich fest lol...but this sheet was fyre like if Kendall Jenner had actually shown up to fyre fest lol...so yeah it was good bro
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3/19/2019 - La Grappe wrote: 94 Points
The colour is quite dark and showing maturity. The palate is full, intense, elegant and with excellent balance, the fruit fresh and concentrated. This is now drinking very well and is perhaps at its peak. A very fine claret.
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3/5/2019 - lepetitchateau wrote: 94 Points
The nose was a thing of beauty - marvelously integrates, vibrant and rich, it turned out to be the best part of the experience as the mid-palate was pleasant but weaker than hoped. Yet, still delicious!
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3/3/2019 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Braxton Cellars Cellar Raid (Libertyville, IL): Another great example of this wine (also had an '82) aged perfectly.
Lots of fresh moderate dark robust cherries, older horse saddle, and dried rose petals.
Palate still shows great density and length. This should age well for decades.
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3/3/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Raid the Braxton Cellar (Braxton Cellar - Libertyville IL): Small glass, brief note from memory. Black plum and cassis with very good weight. Still slightly backward, but everything is very impressive harmony. I certainly want to enjoy a bottle from 2025 or 2030 forward.
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2/12/2019 - Lipsman Likes this wine: 97 Points
A powerhouse claret. Deep flavors of herbal anise, menthol, dark cherries and plums with great length. Full bodied, a huge, sexy, evolved wine. Benefits from 15-20 minutes in a decanter or your glass. Drink now - 2030.
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2/5/2019 - cbuhlman wrote:
four years since last bottle, and still in the same place for maturation.
brittle cork, not much sediment. Decant.
ruby red, no bricking, tannins fully resolved, taking on some soy notes- yet remains quite fresh. This wine is slightly more than medium weight and nothing near extracted,an excellent example of St. Julien terroir. ripe cabernet fruit and currant with a little orange peel and leather and light spice box and savory finish.
I will ding this a couple points from excellent because it just doesn't have the weight and mouthfeel of a truly excellent vintage, but still excellent for Bordeaux lovers.
Drink up over the next 5 years.
92-94
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1/30/2019 - cephomer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank blind to end our Bdx tasting at Kittle House last nite. Very generous coffee aromas on the nose. Medium body, classic bordeaux elements--lead pencil, damp earth, cigar box. Excellent length, plenty of fruit integrated well with the various tertiary elements here. Very nice wine drinking very well.
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1/7/2019 - fastcar888 wrote: 97 Points
Decanted for 6 hours. Extremely powerful and complex wine tasting darks fruits, graphite with great concentration and complex terroir taste . The finish lasts for at least 60 seconds. This wine is ready to drink right now. No need to wait. You will be handsomely rewarded.
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12/9/2018 - Bourgognefreak wrote: 91 Points
Loads of power - exotic jammy bouquet but less so on the palate.
Needs more time and will become better with more time.
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11/3/2018 - La Grappe wrote: 94 Points
Quite a deep colour. Full on the palate, with quite sturdy blackcurrant fruit, overtones of cedar and smoke and good length. Very stylish, with restrained power and impeccable length.
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9/6/2018 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cassis, pepper, dark fruit, and leather on the nose. Dark berries, cedar, tobacco, and more cassis notes on the palate. Excellent balance and long finish. Classic and beautiful Bordeaux.
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8/6/2018 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful nose of cedarwood, dark cherry liquere and graphite. Full-bodied with rich dark berry fruit and graphite flavors. Wears an elegant robe of texture and is balanced by perfect acidity. The finish is still fairly tannic but showing a superb bite of complexity with notes of minerals and spicebox. Still young and evolving but hard to resist now. Simply one of the great vintages of Ducru. 95+
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7/21/2018 - sdr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ducru Mini-Vertical (3030 Ocean, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): DrinkBordeaux’s bottle. Clearly a great vintage for Ducru, this 2000 is sweet and stylish. Loads of blackberry and dark raspberry fruit. Perfumed. Delicious. Very Left Bank. Still on the young side but no longer primary. Fabulous future. Graded conservatively for now.
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6/11/2018 - gpritsch wrote: 97 Points
OMG. Brought this wine to a wine tasting with a bunch of other greats (Latour, Mouton, ...) . and LOVED this wine. The nose, the palate, it was right there. I rated the Latour lower initially, although as the night progressed the Latour grew. The Ducru was right there, from the first 30 min post opening. Ordered some more...
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6/6/2018 - OenoEd Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow! What a panoply of food friendly aromas, and consistent flavor: cumin, caramelized cabbage, bitter chocolate, violets, coriander, baked black berry pastry. Delicious, vibrant, long finish, 20 great years ahead, plenty of stuffing and character through the long finish.
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4/14/2018 - mischwine wrote: 97 Points
WOW!!!!!! enjoyed with MK at Cut 432....amazing bottle of wine - balanced, true St. Julien! Overly impressed!!
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4/7/2018 - lepetitchateau wrote: 96 Points
Honestly, I was quite taken aback by how good this wine was! I have always thought well of Ducru, but this was a higher level of sophistication than I had been aware the Château was producing. Balanced, smooth, rich vibrancy, but in harmony with its structure. Not yet at its peak. Beautiful, and Yum.
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3/28/2018 - Markus IWC wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux 2000 tasting, wine #3: dark blue fruit, tobacco, popcorn, fresh manure, salty sea notes. Massive polished fruit, elegant structure. Round and smooth mouthfeel, discreet tannins. Closed at first but opens up with time in glass. Will benefit from additional cellar time. BV=1, WV=0
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3/1/2018 - Deano D Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinks great now. Elegant and balanced.
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2/18/2018 - Sip&Swish Likes this wine: 94 Points
Blackcurrant pastilles, Violets, Sweet tobaccco powder - like from a snuff box, dried sage, a touch of green bell peppers and fennel, slightly bitter valrhona milk chocolate, decaying damp leaves with a granitic minerality in the background. Quite delicate despite being clearly masculine with a rigid structure and very vibrant acidity still at this stage. Has a long and lush finish with insistent fine grained tannins. Outstanding quality from a warm vintage.
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2/9/2018 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 Likes this wine: 95 Points
At 18 years of age, it displays somewhat of a contradiction in character. It clearly shows signs aging and yet it’s youthful and vibrant with acidity and concentration. Dark ruby color turning orange rust at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose gives off smoky incense, dried meat, black olives and sun dried black cherries. The palate is full-bodied dry, vibrant and silky. Flavors of leather, pencil shavings, scorched Saint-Julien earth and charcoal accentuate the elegant blackberry, orange peel and tangerine flavors. This is truly complex and elegant. Finishes long and sumptuous with hints of black olives and vanilla. Drink now until 2030.
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1/28/2018 - daloz Likes this wine: 98 Points
Wow
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1/22/2018 - Lipsman Likes this wine: 98 Points
What a powerhouse. The aromas loft plums, black cherries, elegant spices and dark fruits. The palate is deeply saturated with these aromas plus anise, smoky earth flavors, saddle leather, and wood rose. The complex flavors go on and on with complete poise and balance. This Ducru is a knockout right from the bottle. Do not decant. It is so open knit, just let it unfurl in your glass. What a delight. Do not hesitate to open a bottle. This is why we cellar wine.
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12/6/2017 - Jamie Manley wrote: 98 Points
I do not even know how to describe this, I need to find some new descriptors. As always, starting with the nose I continue to find this stewed tomato quality in great years of Ducru. This may be the best yet. It is subtle and adds a nuance that I find truly unique. Then add in rich cherry, cassis, tobacco, earth, leather, and pencil, and you are in for a wild ride. It is a nose of nobility that oozes class and breeding. One of my all time favorites, though still short of 78 La Chapelle and 02 Le Bourg. The palate is spellbinding on delineation and complexity alone, then followed with this velvet sixty second finish and you are submitted. How this chateau has not been elevated to first growth status is beyond me. This bottle was from perfect provenance with cork, color, and fill all in pristine order. If you only have a few, you may want to hold off for several more years. This will develop more and the 96 Ducru is in a beautiful place right now. I cannot recommend this enough, well worth seeking out. 98 Pts
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11/15/2017 - Jmf17 Likes this wine: 94 Points
So. ... Wine decanted 45 or more minutes before the first tast, which was from a small pour made at the time of decanting.
Nothing on the front end at all. Pause. ... Then BOOM! A finish of extraordinary depth and complexity that lingers...
Quite a bit later another taste: we begin to get both front and back end.
Great depth and complexity thereafter.
Extraordinary.
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11/11/2017 - ToddArisWonderwines Likes this wine: 86 Points
It can be drink direct from the bottle but a little decanted will give you more pressure. Deep color with cassis, berries, and cedar surely a wonderful vintage.
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11/10/2017 - Honeyburst Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wow, wauw, weeeeeh - what a wine. Granted this is still youthful and vibrant, and yes it has such a long life ahead of it, and yes this might clearly end up being an even bigger wine, but my oh my is this a great experience. It has expression, class and a pristine balance. This will make it almost impossible to leave your bottles in the cellar.
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9/19/2017 - La Grappe wrote: 94 Points
Quite a deep colour; the nose is opening out, with elegant blackcurrant fruit which is apparent on the palate also. Very refined, elegant and full, with a little tannin in the back ground still. A lovely wine now, but still with a long life ahead, and should develop further.
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7/16/2017 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 95 Points
Still drinking beautifully, but this has a long way to go. The color is still a youthful deep ruby. On the nose, it's starting to show off some signs of maturation, with some truffle, leather, and tobacco. There's plenty of fruit to go around, however. On the palate, this is charming, elegant, and very giving. The tannins are quite soft at this stage. Acidity was in a good place. It's only lacking the complexity that it will most certainly gain with more bottle age. Everything else is there, and I expect this to hit its prime drinking window in 5+ years.
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6/25/2017 - RayOB wrote: 95 Points
Drank at Home
Still going strong and opening up even more.
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5/26/2017 - bordeaux_bro Likes this wine: 96 Points
Popped and poured. This wine is in a perfect spot right now. Fine tannins and acidity. Beautiful balance and complexity, this is clearly past its primary phase but just entering its secondary phase with a full throttle mouth coating palate and a heavenly nose of cedar and just the right amount of funk. Not quite as burly as a Pauillac or Las Cases, this has a more delicate character.
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5/16/2017 - vinofile wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 2 hours prior to dinner in at Café de Paris (WA).
Nothing spectacular and I experienced nothing that others have reported in their reviews. I purchased the wine upon release and it was appropriately cellared. I think the expression “sill closed up – needs more time” applies. Nice warm finish but that is all that was memorable unless you like something that tastes like liquid leather. Fresh fruit? Not at all. Is Bordeaux worth the price and time? My only “ah-ha” with aged Bordeaux recently was with a 1996 Chateau Calon-Segur. After a disappointing tasting with friends, I re-corked the bottle and tried a sip the next day --- much improved. Re-corked it and tried again –Wow. So, lesson learned here was let an aged Bordeaux breathe for at least 2 to 3 days! I will try that next time but my palate has definitely migrated south to Chateauneuf de Pape.
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5/14/2017 - VAGenius Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nose of currant, tobacco leaf, minerals, earth and a hint of dates. Deep, rich, leathery palate with dried red fruit, gravel, dusty black currant and a hint of bittersweet chocolate. Long finish of bold but resolved tannins, black tar / asphalt, quartz and a long, loamy finish.
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4/26/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
The perfume delivers tobacco, smoke, forest floor, truffle and red fruit notes. The palate, working in tandem, delivers pretty, fruits that are softly textured, sweet and fresh. There is a polish to the finish. This is drinking well now, and why not, it's looking forward to its 18th birthday soon.
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2/24/2017 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Terrific Bordeaux with expressive blackberry fruit and great complexity. After at least a two hour decant there secondary notes of cedar, leather and chocolate. Unusually bright for a Bordeaux and drinking very well right now.
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2/22/2017 - King Julien wrote: 95 Points
Drank at Norman's Orlando, decanted about 1 hour. Excellent over the next 2 hours.
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2/18/2017 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 94 Points
Not as strong as the last bottle I had. A clean, fresh nose of fresh black currant, blackberry, anise, leather, and dark chocolate. Linear and poised on the palate. Has really nice fruit and overall complexity. Very nicely balanced, but perceived acidity perhaps a bit high at this stage. A bit more serious than the 2000 Léoville Poyferré tasted alongside.
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1/21/2017 - La Grappe wrote: 93 Points
Initially somewhat dumb, but it opened out after a while to reveal an elegant, tightly structured wine, quite intense with some fine tannin and a fairly long finish. Just about ready and should keep well.
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1/20/2017 - RISM Likes this wine: 96 Points
Deep garnet colour. Complex nose of cedar, vanilla, blackberries, blueberries and forest floor. Structured and taut in mouth, with backbone but complexity. Fruity still and full-bodied, plenty of tannins, but not overwhelmingly so, and integrating well. And the finish.....what a finish! Lingers and dances on the tongue for ever. Exquisite ! Don't know if it will last....and soar....like the '82 DB has, but this 2000 has a long, illustrious life ahead.
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12/16/2016 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 97 Points
One of my favorite vintages of Ducru-Beaucaillou that I can recall, and clearly better than any vintages from the 1990s. It was clearly the best wine in a truly impressive group of wines. Classic Bordeaux aromas of black currant, blackberry, tobacco, damp earth, leather, graphite, and cedar created a gorgeous nose. As charming and beguiling as the nose was, it was even better on the palate. The balance was exceptional, and will only improve once the tannins soften and the freshness increases. I'm so glad to have another case of this, and look forward to following this for the next 20+ years.
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12/15/2016 - Jamie Manley wrote: 97 Points
Sublime...and then some! The quintessential gentleman's claret, this lives up to the reputation as the Lafite of Saint Julien. Divine nose of graphite, cassis, mild spice, earth, and pencil shavings. The palate is sheer class with a mouth feel that is rarely experienced in the world of fine wine, simply magic. More complex than the nose and with fine delineation, the palate moves the goalposts. The 2000 is still a bit young, not equaling the development of the 96, but will surpass it in another 10 years. My score is based on current consumption, this wine has plenty of room for improvement. 97+ Pts
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12/2/2016 - la turque wrote: 94 Points
This has come into its own. Give it lots of time in the decanter (2 hours). Beautiful aromas of black fruits, cedar, vanilla. On the palate, a medium bodied quintessential left bank Bordeaux. Drinking now.
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10/8/2016 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 94 Points
A deep colour; a refined, perfumed nose of cassis and vanilla; elegant, concentrated blackcurrant fruit on the palate, with hints of mint and menthol. Just about ready but will keep for many years. Very fine.
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10/3/2016 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
Russk. Wow! 92 plus points.
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8/3/2016 - jbehrendt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Served for 50th anniversary dinner - tenderloin of beef - with 2 other Bordeauxs. Truly declicious. Probably the most tannic of the 3, but complex and long-lasting.
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7/21/2016 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
Russk. Barry's Wizards Tasting at the Ritz. One of my favorites in a very good tasting, but singing on day 2.
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6/16/2016 - mariano42 Likes this wine: 93 Points
this wine was not ready to drink at all in 2016. no amount of air made it open up enough to be even a shadow of what it could be. This is as much beloved a chateau by me as possible but if so had to put a year to open a 2000 Ducru i would say 2027
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6/5/2016 - Motz wrote: 95 Points
Drank over three days, alongside a 2005 SHL. The bouquet screamed GREAT VINTAGE LEFT BANK CLASSED GROWTH from the outset. Blackcurrant, blackberries, herbal teas, warm gravel, hot black stones, peppers, graphite, funk, river bottom mud, and rainforest sous-bois oozed from the glass. Oozed is my preferred descriptor here as the bouquet alone imparted an impression of muddy viscosity, as a great Port might, though without the sweetness. This is not a 'pretty' wine, and though more rustic offerings can be had, this wine delivered all the finest elements of backward Bordeaux in most elegant fashion. Layered palate of generous complexities, already hinting at quaternary elements. Incredible balance, throughout the elegant attack, palate-coating middle, bracing back, and complex finish. Had it at 95, with a 96 point upside.
The wine closed down on the second and third days; it did not fall apart. All of the gentle coaxing applied yielded no appreciable result. An experience akin to sitting alongside a sage who the fates have decreed cannot speak that day. One may sense its profundity abstractly, but it cannot be known concretely. I would have scored it 93-94 on both days, but having tasted it on the first day, my overall score stands at 94-96. Time will tell. I would be interested to learn of anyone who has a similar experience with this wine. It likely has 20 plus years from now.
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5/15/2016 - RuralTom wrote:
40th birthday at Ruth's Chris. An amazing and vital bottle, well integrated with copious dark berry notes.
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5/1/2016 - bon vivant wrote:
gave this plenty of decant time but somehow this bottle never showed us the love and the intensity and richness one would expect. No detectable flaws but rather simple. I am probably being a little critical as considering the vintage this should be a lot more impressive. Maybe just in a dumb phase or just an off bottle.
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4/2/2016 - Levinsb wrote:
Beautiful nose, plenty of fruit showing but still tannins to last. Went all too quickly
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3/12/2016 - Paul Igny Likes this wine: 99 Points
Decanted from magnum this fabulous Ducru explodes on the tongue and lasts longer than John Humphry's career.
No grey hair here though for while deeply complex (unlike Johanna Konta) it is young, fit and Coltishall (like Johanna Konta).
Hardly tannic, almost sweet, it displays the farmyard aromas of a posh estate - Duchy Original?
I had to be restrained from finishing the entire magnum - well done Rachel, for the second half the next day was even more sublime. 99.5/100 - docked .5 for coming to an end.
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2/20/2016 - la turque wrote: 93 Points
Lovely nose of black fruits, vanilla, complex spices, undergrowth. On the palate, very tight and mineral-centric, even after a couple of hours of air. Give this another couple of years.
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2/6/2016 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted about an hour. This was soft and elegant. Rich flavors. Well balanced and in a good spot right now. Feel this still has a long life ahead of it. 94+
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1/22/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Developing nicely, the wine serves up soft, silky, dark red, ripe fruits, wet earth, cigar box and cedar characteristics. If you have a bottle, it's a good time to pop a cork and check it out.
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12/19/2015 - S_stas wrote: 92 Points
Some definite funk here. Typical bottle variation at play. Over all good juice nonetheless.
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12/16/2015 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 96 Points
This pristinely-cellared bottle was double-decanted, allowing five hours in decanter prior to funneling back into the cleaned bottle. It was subsequently served at a birthday dinner, where it was serially tasted over three hours. Deep-to-opaque red in color, it is effusive of black currants, orange zest, tobacco, anise and truffles on both the nose and palate. Full-bodied, freshly acidic, seamlessly alcoholic (13%) and with plentiful fine-grained tannins, it gains density in the middle and closes with impressive length. While delicious now, this wine will undoubtedly get even better with more time in the cellar. Drink 2020-2035.
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11/29/2015 - Dehrmann Likes this wine: 94 Points
opened up nicely (took a little while), strong, round, balanced, drank after a leoville poyferre '03 and was better wine...day after THG at Marcus, w. Sandra, Pol, Camille & kids
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11/23/2015 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 93 Points
Terrific nose with a bit of everything going on: sweet red cherry, damp earth and forest floor, with some leathers. Guessed St. Emilion for the aromatic complexity. More modern on the palate with light oak, notably sweet red cherry, vanilla, and soy. Very soft and pretty with tannins surprisingly mellow for a 2000 St. Julien. Would buy more.
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11/14/2015 - Dehrmann Likes this wine: 92 Points
Solid
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10/30/2015 - wineforth Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good nose, undergrowth at first then plum and blackcurrant. A little light, dry and bitter on the palate. Nonetheless soft and with a lovely long and persistent finish. I would drink now as this is unlikely to improve. Very enjoyable.
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10/29/2015 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Annual Comparative Bordeaux Tasting (2000/2005) (Chicago, IL): There's some dusty earth on the nose, followed by a nice dose of tart red fruits. There's almost something floral about this wine, it's so elegant and light. Fresh, zippy acids that keep things going. Another one of those wines that I'd pick for immediate enjoyment today.
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10/14/2015 - JonnyG wrote: 91 Points
An Outstanding Array of High-End Wines at a Charity Dinner (Fairmont Miramar, Santa Monica): Somewhat shy and unexpressive, with none of the telltale blueberry notes. Muted fruit and spice. Fine tannins.
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9/18/2015 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 96 Points
S&E Wine Society - New World Reds 95+ Rating (S&E): Blind Tasting MOT=96
Color: Brick red, hints of brown probably due to age
Nose: Earthy and lots of barnyard
Palate: Solid tannins and dry makes me think French Bordeaux
Opinion: Lovely wine, this one was the ringer (blind tasting was new world 95+ reds), delicious and so quaffable!
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9/1/2015 - klausner1 wrote: 87 Points
This bottle was somewhat one dimensional and disappointing.
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8/7/2015 - dars_blog Likes this wine: 96 Points
Powerful bouquet of currant, black berries, and minerals with a hint of vanilla. After about 1 1/2 hours this baby began to show its true potential. A wonderful mix of black fruit, spice and mineral with a finish that goes on forever. Tannins were supple and well integrated. Going to hold off drinking another bottle for at least 5 years.
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7/4/2015 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 95 Points
A beauty in a pageant of bodacious blends, this full-bodied, mouth coating winner has fruit to spare-black currant, boysenberries, blackberry, black plum and all the hallmarks of fine winemaking. The 2000 is emerging as the vintage of the century with this contributor displaying exacting concentration, exquisite balance and superb structure. Bougainvillea and Belladona flower hints lead to a palate coating delight and end with sense swirling finish.
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7/3/2015 - starkravingmad Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for two hours; Earthy nose; Silky smooth; hint of cherries. Still young
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4/20/2015 - Romol Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 2.5 hours. Still young, but allready very good with a few hours in the decanter. Has a lot of potential. No hurry to drink.
94 pts.
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3/16/2015 - yofog wrote:
Deep, pure, and totally classic, but it's really a decade from it's drinking window and tasting it was more about recognizing it's awesomeness.
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3/5/2015 - hman888 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for four hours from a double magnum. Drank this after some older wines and some young burgundy. I believe this is gradually entering its drinking window, assuming you give it enough time to decant.
Nose and palate both classic big left bank: dark fruit, cassis, leather, earth, soil. Finish lasted about 45 seconds. This bottle did not have any signs of brett. For me, this was wine of the night.
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2/26/2015 - cabber wrote: 96 Points
Bordeaux 2000: Left Bank v. Right Bank (Manhattan Beach, CA): Tasty, earthy. Really liked this. Opened up nicely even at this young age after two hour decant.
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2/19/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 92 Points
An attractive nose with white pepper, dry earth, cedar, rocks and light cigar ash. Tannins influence the palate but even at this relatively young age they are rather smooth and have mellowed. Unlikely to ever be a great Ducru, this has the raw material to age for a long time. Paired well (arguably better than the '05) with stuffed quail.
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2/18/2015 - Smooth Jazz Does not like this wine: 80 Points
One of the lamest bordeaux I've ever had
Extremely simple upon opening and became cloying and undrinkable after a 1 hour decant
Ugh!!!
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2/14/2015 - Lord Rayas wrote: 94 Points
decanted for 3-4 hours. rather enjoyed this after all the oldies. young and robust but showing signs of evolvement.
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2/2/2015 - RayOB Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank at Andrew Edmunds
This really is a lovely wine with great consistency. Still wonderfully open and on point.
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2/2/2015 - Ricky99 wrote: 92 Points
Very tight after opening... decanted for an hour and still pretty tight but full of flavor and structure... looking forward to more of this... dranks next to 2003 which was much more approachable and ready to drink now
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1/16/2015 - d'Artagnan wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux 2000: dégustation horizontale (Restaurant Tandem): Un beau vin dodu et large, assez droit, noble et bien né, avec cette austérité Médocaine charmante. Un vin encore bien jeune, mais excellent. 93
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12/25/2014 - HowardNZ Likes this wine:
A Comparative Bordeaux blends tasting (France, NZ, US etc) with Peter: A nose of blackberries and crème de cassis with some funky, barnyard, mushroomy elements even I can recognise as brett. Also, some evolution with aromas of dry autumn leaves and dried herbs. On the palate, there is serious density, fruit weight and volume in this wine. It has a complex flavour profile, a confit of red and black fruits with underlying minerality. The brett takes away some of the fruit on the palate, as Peter says, but, to me, does not detract from this wine. The wine has excellent structure and very good length, albeit being a little drying on the finish. All class. I’ve had the Ducru a couple of times in the last two years and it is one of my favourite ’00 Bordeaux. Ideally hold for 5+ years. My wine of the flight. Cabernet Sauvignon 78%, Merlot 20% and Cabernet Franc 2%.
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11/26/2014 - cbuhlman wrote: 96 Points
ruby red, no bricking. the tannins have softened considerably. We now have no rough edges, just smooth and silky. Textbook St. Julien. Just the right of amount of concentration without being overbearing, as well as allowing the terroir to express itself, just getting better here.
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11/13/2014 - salil wrote: 90 Points
Still incredibly young, and not showing much beyond lots of primary fruit, oak, and a lot of tannin at first. Air softens it up a bit, and it becomes more fragrant and savoury with air, though never especially complex.
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11/8/2014 - T.E.D. wrote: 92 Points
U Club annual wine dinner selection. Color was dark purple and youthful. Nose was classic Bordeaux, with equal parts red fruit, earth, evergreen, ox, and lead notes. Palate was developed with some slight edge of austerity. Tight and semi ripe fruit berry, more weighted toward earth, forest, and iron. Will definitely improve with age.
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10/1/2014 - Yagil wrote: 94 Points
Bordeaux 2000 tasting (The Traklin - new location): double decanted 2 hours prior to enjoying
dark red-black
quality elegant intense left-bank aroma, with notes of blackberry, earth, spice, truffle, cassis, smoke, blueberry and tobacco
full bodied, firm solid integrated tannins, excellent acidity level, wonderful harmony, great complexity, waves of pure, sweet, ripe, black cherry and spicy cassis with long, generous finish.
it was a great relief for me, as the other bottle I shared with my wine-buddies few months ago was flawed...
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7/21/2014 - BradE wrote:
From magnum. Very good, but still young. Very drinkable now, but will benefit from a few more years in the bottle.
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6/27/2014 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Nose one can smell from 3 feet, great juice by all means!
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5/29/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 92 Points
Soft and open nose of dark fruit, smoke, asphalt and tobacco. The palate was silky with more dark fruit and earth. Love the texture and there is a hint of secondary development.
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3/13/2014 - Yagil wrote: 94 Points
Wine-Septet meeting hosted by me (chez moi): dark red-black
quality elegant intense left-bankaroma, with notes of blackberry, earth, spice, truffle, cassis, smoke, blueberry and tobacco
full bodied, firm solid integrated tannins, excellent acidity level, wonderful harmony, great complexity, waves of pure, sweet, ripe, black cherry and spicy cassis with long, generous finish.
this will continue improving for at least another 2-3 decades!
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3/3/2014 - lestingray Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still strongly fruit driven with only the beginnings of secondary characteristics starting to appear. a delicious and satisfying wine
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2/22/2014 - pikemasterflash wrote: 92 Points
Broken cork upon opening. Floral nose. Musty and smooth. Maybe I'm scoring higher because I knew what it was
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2/6/2014 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
2000 Bordeaux Left Bank, With Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): We were scared that this would be an overdone wine( having tried the 96 recently which felt like it went on a Californian adventure) but alas it was not. The wine is young and is 5 yrs from entering its drinking window and has a feeling of "soft power". Lots of fruit, big wine, a touch on the very ripe but controlled, elegant albeit buttoned down. A wine for the future.92 for the moment but has a lot of potential given patient cellaring.
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2/6/2014 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
Pretty dark, showing a bit of age towards the rim. Lovely nose, dark fruit, slightly creamy, cedar and spices. Round and sweet tannins, great freshness, good fruit and nice balance. Dry and slightly chewy towards the finish but powerful and long. Very nice & promising. 92-94+
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2/2/2014 - Tubbs wrote: 96 Points
Opened one of these for a friends 50th and simply couldn't resist opening another last night. Stunning, textbook Bordeaux! Everything you, (I) want in Bordeaux - forest floor, graphite, pencil shavings, great acidity, smooth but ample tannins, thickish mouthfeel and a long earthy finish. Perfect balance between fruit, acid and tannins here. This is just entering its drinking window and will drink well for many years to come, at least 20. Mine won't last that long. NOTE: Decanted for 2-3 hours.
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1/26/2014 - danielk168 wrote: 92 Points
almost a year had passed and from a different source, much more developed and very classic left bank. Entering drinking window perhaps and very good by hour 2, dranked for 4 hours, good to the last drop.
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1/5/2014 - DSR wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic bottle, drinking beautifully now. Aromatic nose and layers of fruit on the palate with a long finish.
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12/18/2013 - guile wrote:
Great floral nose, plummy, leather, creamy. Dark purple ink color. Secondary notes starting to show through with leather, cedar, mocha, tabac but fiinish not as pronounced as expected. Drunk while under the weather so perhaps not the greatest choice for enjoyment. This will live for decades. No score given.
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11/16/2013 - wlinen wrote:
11.16.13 - value $190; rating RP95; drink now - 2030
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11/13/2013 - RayOB wrote: 95 Points
Drank at DuCru Dinner
Drinking beautifully now with silky smooth tannins and a lovely nose of black fruits. What's not to like?
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9/20/2013 - Nutty08 wrote:
HDH '90 vs '00 BDX Comparative Tasting (Chicago, IL - Spiaggia): Less expressive than a more recent bottle, but showing great. Black currant and cassis core, slight eucalyptus, and fine polished but prominent tannins. Delivers as expected, and begs for some more time. A-/A
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9/14/2013 - Jamie Manley wrote: 98 Points
Maybe the best 2000, except for Lalande and Angelus (for my preference currently). Huge nose of cassis, sour cherry, stewed tomatoes, fine tobacco, graphite, black tea, earth, and pencil. Along with 1985 Lynch Bages and 1996 Ducru Beaucaillou, this is one of the most seductive noses that I have ever had the joy of sniffing. Simply captivating. The palate delivers the goods and follows a similar flavor profile as the nose. The 1996 Ducru is of first growth quality and the 2000 is even better. This wine glides across your palate with such class, elegance, and breeding that you simply cannot stay away from it. 45 second finish that is incredibly complex. Wow, on bended knee! 98 Pts
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8/18/2013 - Serge Birbrair Likes this wine:
Soooooooooooooo ready for business! Pure "sex in a glass", I don't see how this can get any better.
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7/25/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
With close to 14 years of age, the tannins have softened and the secondary tobacco, truffle, black cherry, stone and cigar box scents are all over the place. Polished and concentrated, this is only going to get better and better.
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7/18/2013 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 96 Points
Ducru-Beaucillou dinner with Bruno Borie (Amuse Bouche): Sweet, fantastic balance. Great mid-palate, just lacks the matching finish at the moment. Wonderful wine – this is the Ducru to buy, and it happens to be one of the cheapest!
Enjoyed with Iberico pork loin with confit savoy cabbage and a natural jus
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6/11/2013 - Charlie Carnes Does not like this wine:
Yet another Poopy Ducru Beaucaillou. I have certainly had nice bottles of the 2000, but the good now outweigh the bad. I see no reason to ever buy from them again unless they totally fix the problem.
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6/10/2013 - cbuhlman wrote: 97 Points
1 hour decant, very little sediment.
great nose of cassis liquorice, tobacco, red meat and leather. On the palate, sweet and savory with graphite and St Julien femininity and elegance. a fine long finish. This wine doesn't leave you wanting anything more.
A great wine.
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4/1/2013 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 89 Points
No overt flaw in this bottle, but I'm not seeing much here that lives up to its early promise and/or hype (and no, it's not "closed"). This is aromatic from the pop of the cork with sweet fruit and a heavy seasoning of cedar (not the pencil-shavings type, though, more like cedar closet aromatizers), and even though the fruit is sweet, dark-complexioned, and slick, it's fairly slender -- certainly in a classy shape -- the type of construction that would ordinarily be very transparent to whatever interesting stuff is going on underneath, but there just doesn't seem to be much of that stuff here besides a hint of something vaguely rusty. I'm also a little surprised how unstructured this is -- not much evident tannin at all. That contributes to its drinkability, but cutting the other way is the fact that it's kind of a one-note performance, so even though it's easy to drink there's just not enough here to hold my interest and make me want to drink it.
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3/30/2013 - Rich.Herbs Likes this wine:
Fruit and black currant, a complex palate and well balanced with tannins and acid. This could be a winner with any food, but perhaps it lacks focus and discipline, going in too many directions, or at least it seemed that way in comparison to the other selections at our Bordeaux 2000 dinner. Maybe as the main wine or waiting a few years might subdue this wild (by Bordeaux standards) wine.
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3/24/2013 - Charlie Carnes wrote: flawed
Yet another poopy Ducru Poopalliou. The 2000s have been awesome, pretty good, or totally flawed by Brett. The Brett in this bottle has totally destroyed any fruit that good bottles have shown.
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2/28/2013 - willthethrill Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a tough one because it changed so much after we opened the bottle at Bill's restaurant. Ultimately a sensuous Bordeaux in the way that one only finds in St. Julien. Stunning.
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2/28/2013 - Wine_lvr wrote: 92 Points
Deep red. Lots of leather covered with berries. Very balanced wine, hints of red berries. At the beginning of maturity. Drink - 2030.
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2/24/2013 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Return to San Anontio (Ducru Vertical); 2/21/2013-2/24/2013 (Monty): Ah, the WOTN for me. Great balanced of elegance and power. Nose of currants, cedar spice, and menthol. Palate is beautifully polished and poised, very young, with a great balance of fruit and tannin. A little closed, but the complexity is there. Some leather coming through on the mineral and cedar finish. Very long, consistent with a bottle a year ago. On the way up for sure. 95-96+
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2/22/2013 - danielk168 wrote: 89 Points
A disappointment! Vert thin and not giving out much, drank too soon, again?? based on the 2 bottles I cannot see how this can be rated 95. Tasted blind, I would think lesser vintage everyday medoc
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2/21/2013 - Win-E wrote: 94 Points
Nice violet color. Perfumy with hint of fried potatoes, beetroot, spice, and earth with red fruit layered toward the end. Nice tannins with long finish. Very enjoyable. Nice!
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1/27/2013 - danielk168 wrote: 91 Points
A big wine and probably better leave it for a few more years. 2 hours in the decanter and softens a bit, very dark and nice structure. A great wine in the making??
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10/18/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Pungent aromas of truffle, flowers, mocha, cassis, blackberry, earth and cigar box come to the front without much effort. This full bodied, ripe, supple, refined St. Julien is elegant, classy and refined. With ripe tannins, the wine finishes with layers of sweet, juicy, spicy black cherries, cassis and blackberry. It's starting to come around and will be much better with a few more years of bottle age. It should have a long life.
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10/12/2012 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Slow-O 6 hours, aerate to decanter, then return to bottle for offline dinner 4 hours later. Served side by side with the 2000 Pontet Canet, the PC being the crowd favorite (i.e. more power), but the Ducru being my favorite - but just by a smidge. A very complete wine that is, surprisingly, ready to go with proper aeration. Still, by the last glass, it's obvious that the best is yet to come and all the necessary stuffing is most certainly here. Really classy drop. 13% abv, drink thru 2028
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9/22/2012 - buckeye76 wrote: 94 Points
VERY DEEP RICH JAMMY FRUIT, BLACKBERRIES, CURRANTS, AND BLACK CHERRIES IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. DECANTED FOR ONE HOUR, NEEDED TWO MORE. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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9/16/2012 - wbduval wrote: 93 Points
Dark fruit and earth on the nose. Cassis and dark berries on the palate. Strong tannic background. Should smooth out nicely in years to come.
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7/25/2012 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 91 Points
Similar impression as last bottle, but maybe this is a little less giving. At 12 years old, I would expect a little more. It starts a little barnyard, but gives in nicely to a pretty black and red berry nose. There is earth and dark mineral as well. The mouth is weighty with plenty of damn strong tannins along with strong rich red and black cherry and currant fruit. I like it now, but I hope it will improve and add plenty of nuance for later. This is a wait and see wine; maybe I will let these see twenty years before I pull another cork.
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5/29/2012 - PC73 Likes this wine:
Seriously impressive stuff. Lovely palate of cherries, dark red fruits, cassis. Really balanced wine. Enjoy if you're lucky enough to have some.
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4/26/2012 - RayOB Likes this wine: 96 Points
Goedhius Bordeaux Cru Classe Tasting (Saatchi Gallery): Polished cassis, blueberries, earth and vanilla. Rich complex mouth with silky smooth tannins. Deep long length. What's not to like about this wine? Amazing.
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2/4/2012 - macker100 wrote: 94 Points
Very comparable to the Duhart at the table in regard to quality. A less mature wine though, with a nose of vanilla and rich currants, spice. Palate had a great concentration of sweet black fruits, tea, minerals. Finish still quite tannic. This will be a stellar wine in 5-10 years.
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2/4/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 95 Points
Chinese New Year (Home of Mike and Sandra O.): Not decanted, followed over several hours. No formal notes. This was my WOTN. After a couple hours the nose opened up, very polished, with currants, spice, flint and mint. Palate with very fine polished tannins that were quite prominent, but plenty of cassis and red berries. Finished strong, with cedar spice and earth. Seamless, polished, coming across as more noble than the Mouton. Glad I have a couple bottles of this—don’t open for at least 5yrs.
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1/22/2012 - Vpmacedo wrote: 96 Points
Incredibly balanced wine. Paired well with a 7- course tasting menu, although would not recommend with a heavier menu. There is less power than i would expect, but i guess that's the beauty of st julien... On the nose dark fruits (blackberries, dark cherries). On the palate subtle but well noted tannins. Extremely long finish
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1/19/2012 - BMcD77 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Young deep purple color strong aroma's of dark berries. excellent initial taste of blackberry - good structure and velvet tannins with a long finish. This is a beautiful full bodied yet refined bordeaux which finishes with layers of sweet and juicy berries. Obviously will be better with a few more years but i'm very happy to be drinking it now.
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12/31/2011 - Les Clos wrote: 94 Points
Prachtig glas nog jong maar oh zo lekker al
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11/11/2011 - Pknut wrote:
Agree fully with Marco's note immediately below. I would only add that while this wine might be evidence for the suggestion that the 2000 Bordeaux are entering their drinking window, for my tastes, it is still way too early. While the tannins are softening after a decade, the palate is still very primary. Guys' Night in Westport. Thanks, Howard.
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11/11/2011 - mdefreitas wrote: 94 Points
A grab bag of wines at Ashers (Westport, CT): A fantastic wine and much more giving than the 2000 Pichon Baron opened up next to it. Lovely cassis, stones, cedary wood, graphite and earth. Complex and mouthfilling with an almost creamy texture. Fine tannins and a lenghty finish. Superb Bordeaux.
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10/7/2011 - MattTM wrote:
Tasting with Stephen Lemaitre of Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou (Hawksworth Restaurant): 78% Cabernet Sauvignon / 20% Merlot / 2% Cabernet Franc. 18 months in barrel. From magnum. What can you say, this possesses an amazing complex nose, that is just starting to display some secondary characteristics. Aromas of earthy barnyard, black plums, dark dried fruits, leather, along with some herbal notes. On the palate, a strong showing of black plums, as well as dark cherries, chocolate, fresh mint, saddle leather, prunes, and spice in the form of black pepper and cloves. A massive wine, with tons of structure present. Tons of dusty tannins are evident, with a long finish, ending with notes of leather and spice. This is already drinking very well, with a long life ahead. Outstanding.
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8/1/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
With scents of blackberry, earth, spice, truffle, cassis, smoke, blueberry and cigar box, this big, beautiful wine seeks and gets your focus. Your palate enjoys waves of pure, sweet, ripe, black cherry and spicy cassis. With round textures and a long, generous finish, this will continue improving for at least another 2-3 decades!
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7/31/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
Wine from my LA Vacation; 7/23/2011-7/31/2011 (Los Angeles): This bottle was mine, brought from Cleveland. It was opened to get some air (not decanted) for about 10 hours. Certainly young and not mature, this was a pretty good showing nevertheless. A powerful wine. Cassis, black raspberries, pencil lead, minerals and some charred quality. Full bodied. Firm tannins. On the palate, the black and purple fruits dominate. Juicy texture. Long finish. Definitely a step up for me from the 96.
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7/30/2011 - aagrawal wrote: 92 Points
WineSpectator Forums Offline; 7/29/2011-7/30/2011 (Piperade, San Francisco): This wine had four hours of decanting, decanted back into the bottle, then was drunk in my glass over 2 hours. Dark ruby red, deep red fruits, young, hint dusty; ripe fruits, balanced, good acid; moderate length finish. Nice showing but still young, restrained, needs time. I have some of these: I will wait at least 3-5 years since this is restrained (though not fully closed).
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6/25/2011 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
HDH auction tasting at Tru (Chicago, IL): No signs of age in the colour. Lovely Bordeaux nose; dusty and earthy, with some lead pencil and blackcurrant notes. Very, very cerebral and austere, with lots of tannins and acidity; the texture is very St. Julien. Lacking a bit of the fruit to pair off the stemmy notes that show up on the palate; I can pick out perhaps a little bit of sour black cherries. I'd like some time for this to smooth itself out, maybe another 10 years?
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5/22/2011 - pkatz wrote: 93 Points
Lovely feminine wine. Drinking well now.
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4/17/2011 - Gizmo2011 wrote: 91 Points
nice nose some Brett short aftertaste overall mouth less exciting then nose
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4/9/2011 - tbabes wrote: 96 Points
In a word, this wine was sensational, and will surely age and improve for at least 20 years. I decanted this wine, and immediately poured a small amount for evaluation. A youthful purple-ruby core, turning towards ruby-red at the rim; no signs of garnet. The aromatics of this wine were striking -- they popped from the glass like a Halladay fastball -- with aromas of spicy black fruits (boysenberry and blackberry) and over time, additional notes of vanilla and crushed rocks emerged. Equally impressive on the palate, with good grip and structure, ripe and velvety tannins, and a 40+ second finish. Great today, but I imagine this will chase perfection circa 2020.
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3/3/2011 - mwanasheria wrote: 93 Points
Blackberries, blackcurrant, vanilla, tobacco. Nicely concentrated, medium long finish.
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1/23/2011 - Lord Rayas wrote: 93 Points
Germaine's dinner with P1 parents (FLM): deliciously sweet and floral. still very young and primary. dense and powerful. should be great in a few years time!
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1/21/2011 - EyeDoc wrote: 94 Points
Really kicking butt - fruit to the forefront. great nose - perfect concentration. Lingering finish without any harshness. In a very good spot finally. Still young. Will last for many years but enjoyable now. Drink or Hold.
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1/15/2011 - dst wrote: 94 Points
Very young Bordeaux, early stages of maturity, but mature enough to drink it now. Decanted for one hour. Nice nose and long palate, smooth St. Julien. Great wine!
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12/5/2010 - cubswinws wrote: 93 Points
Nice. rich nose. Slight menthol on the finish. Has mellowed from its youth but probably needs 4 to 5 years to hit its stride.
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12/5/2010 - pc.jams wrote:
In between a vibrant youth and a refined maturity. Fruit is very delicate, acids are very fine and bright, tannic structure is well integrated. I like the balance but the harmony isn't quite there yet. My comment about the potential of this wine is, "it is a great lunch wine, but only a good dinner wine". Steak, just a beautiful piece of meat presented on its own, would compliment this wine. Sauces or more complex dishes don't match well as the wine becomes completely overwhelmed. Complexity of incredibly interesting flavors is a high light of this wine but they are there in a very subtle and finessed fashion. Beautiful wine but just be careful what you drink it with, you might miss the wonderful touch this was made with.
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11/13/2010 - chatters wrote:
Berry Bros & Rudd - One Day Bordeaux School (Berry Bros, London): Nose: Black fruit juice, slight leather, spice, vanilla and floral perfume
Mouth: Again, black fruit, leather, spice. Some oak and perhaps vanilla. Smooth, rich, long. Medium to high tannin and alcohol.
65% Cab Sav, 25% Merlot, 10% Cab Franc. Hmm.
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11/7/2010 - Grinner wrote: 94 Points
14th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retro Tasting (Eugene, Oregon): A very dark wine w/ notable structure/ tannins. Dense black fruit and very long. My mind went to a mythical: if Phelps Insignia was made in Bordeaux....92 on day 2.
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10/19/2010 - vespasian wrote: 93 Points
Lovely perfume on the nose here. Open and expressive, classic St Julien cedar. Quite pretty; nice depth of fruit and great structure. Silky now, beautifully integrated. Excellent finish. With time this should become complex and delicious.
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8/6/2010 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 95 Points
I truly believe that ten years old is the first opportunity to get an idea if your Bordeaux is truly awesome. And I believe this one will be. Some stable smells- not fecal-quickly blew off and gave way to a gorgeous young claret nose of any number of Bordeaux blue, black, and red berries. There is also a barely perceptible earth soil component that is quite nice. In the mouth the tannins are firm, but nothing if not sweet and pure, and give easy access to the dark cherry and currant, and slightly wild blueberries. The wine is also smooth and balanced and quite rich and bright. There is also a little cigar box/leaf smell coming through. A little primary now, but this wine is all set for the long haul, and it will gain nuance and many levels of flavors. 95++
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6/19/2010 - Vin Rouge wrote: 95 Points
Wow- after waiting for years to drink this highly rated wine, it lived up to expectations. A nice dark berrry and earthy nose. Didn't decant, but should have. A very nice complex wine with beautiful dark berry fruit flavors highlighted by a nice earthy/smoky taste. The finish was a spectacularly smooth without lingering tannic bitterness. What a treat! Fair warning though- watch for sediment to avoid mouthful of the Left Bank's finest.
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5/8/2010 - drunkstar wrote: 93 Points
fantastic moment upon opening the bottle where me and the missus clearly identified the smell of baby poo on the nose.....wierdly not unpleasant...and disappeared within 15-20mins....what was left was the muscular, robust 2000 claret I expected....delicious and clearly geared for the long term.....lovely wine
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5/3/2010 - kstoddard Likes this wine: 96 Points
G6 (Jeff): Dark ruby color. Black cherry nose. Blackberry, cherry and currant with some leather notes. Incredibly complex on the mid palate. Rich elegant finish that last more minutes. Simply amazing. My personal favorite of the Left Bank 2000's and runaway winner for WOTN.
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4/18/2010 - cadamson wrote: 89 Points
Not doing it for me, at least yet. Shy nose, some scorched earth, graphite, red fruits. Was decanted a couple hours, but not enough. Very tart. light red fruit (cranberry?) on the finish. Sneaky tannins also pop up on the finish. Moderate to weak mid-palate. I am guessing this is in a dumb phase, seems to have the components, but pretty out of whack at the moment.
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4/1/2010 - drunkstar wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 4 hours after running through vinturi...still young, big and muscular but fine too.....mmmm this one has legs. Leave the rest alone for now.
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3/11/2010 - TJolley Likes this wine:
Just had a taste, so no rating or elaborate tasting notes.
I can say it was showing very well!
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3/6/2010 - PGB wrote: 95 Points
almost a shame to drink it so young (almost). Beautiful fruit and already quite harmonious. Soft tannins and a long finish. Serve with your wine buddies and some cheese and leave the port for next time.
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3/5/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Orange, floral, spice, black fruit and licorice scents. Big, intense and concentrated, this deep Bordeaux offers a lot of finesse and texture in its long, intense, ripe fruit filled finish.
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2/21/2010 - austinwinesalon wrote:
Definitive Bordeaux (Mirabelle Restaurant Austin, Texas): The muscle wine in this flight of 2000 super-2nds, this is an impressive, young, closed wine with the ripest, sweetest fruit, good balance, much structure, and the acidity for long againg. Though the tasters repeatedly said it needs time, this wine was delicious for many. The Burgundians noted the tar and pencil lead on the palate, much mineral and fresh fruit, sweet extracted dark fruits, and a medium finish. It was the favorite of this salon for one European wine/restaurant vet. And it will get so much better, probably eclipse the pichon lalande in a few years.
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12/13/2009 - WStucker wrote: 94 Points
Opened at 3, decaned till 5:30, rebottled and took it to a dinner. Light sediment. Screaming notes of cedar and cassis. Was a table favorite, but everyone agreed that I need to keep my hands off my other 3 for atleast 10 years.
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10/23/2009 - stbasil wrote: 91 Points
10/23/09- opened and decanted 7:50 no sediment…dark ruby core getting clear near the rim. Smokey nose, tootsie roll?, palate of dark fruit, blackberries?, scorched earth, earthy almost stewy fruit, tannins present but not astringent, okay finish 11:05 cleaned out the bottle and noticed that there was indeed sediment. Wine has opened up very nicely over the last three hours or so. Nose is really sexy now, with toasty oak, bold fruit. Palate has gained in body, black berry and smoke. Really long finish that picks up some acidity that balances out the big bold tannins leaving a clean mouth feel. The aftertaste stays in the mouth for a long time. Give me a steak…..
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10/19/2009 - la turque wrote: 95 Points
Scored in the top 3 (2nd) against 2000 Lafite (4th), Clinet (3rd), Lynch Bages (1st). Open again in 10 years!
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10/19/2009 - cbuhlman wrote: 94 Points
Newport-Castle Hill. decanted. nose of ripe black fruit, liquorice, tobacco, meat and leather. On the palate there's more sweet black fruit and candied cherries, prunes, a bit of soy and great St. Julien typicity with tell tale graphite .Smooth polished tannins and mouth feel, followed by a great finish. This is drinking very well and open for business.
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3/7/2009 - jmd60611 wrote: 92 Points
Just delicious a bit tight on opening, but next day was really special with lovely depth and ripeness as well as an earthy bordeaux quality
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3/1/2009 - mmyette wrote: 94 Points
Just entering its drinking window. This had the characteristic soft St Julien nose of berry and hints of wet gravel. Mouthfeel was fulll bodied, with tannins which were just starting to ease and integrate, and loads of mature fruit, crushed granite, cedar, and baking spices. Finish was long and caressing and the balance was beautiful. Bravo, this one's ready.
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2/11/2009 - vasnobs wrote:
Wine seems to be turning in the 375's, mild harshness and subtle noise of pine, barelable put soon to be bad. Hoping it was only a one off and the remaining bolltes will return to a superior growth status. 2nd bottle was corked.
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12/20/2008 - Jozefs wrote: 94 Points
Needs time (scored it 91 on the first day). Retasted 1 glass after three days. This was much more open and in accordance with my previous notes (graffite, black fruit, spice, leather, black coffee, ...). Conclusion: this has entered a closed state; wait a few years before tasting again. (Score reflect the 3th day taste.)
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3/1/2008 - aof wrote: 92 Points
Ducru-Beaucaillou Vertical and a Mystery Wine (Rochester, MN): Everything about this wine was huge; the nose- cedar, earth, tobacco and a new worldly density of ripe dark fruits and brutish tannins. The finish lasted at least a minute. It was surprisingly open, but clearly far from its apogee. Its such a different wine from the 83, 85, 89 and the 95. Not as much of a departure though, compared to the 2003.
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2/12/2008 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
Ducru-Beaucaillou vertical (Institute of Directors, London): Smoky blackcurrant fruit, a citrus edge, moderate weight, fresh and very fine
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12/31/2007 - EyeDoc wrote: 90 Points
Still a bit austere for me - It has been over a year since my last bottle - my new years resolution is to wait at least another two years to try another bottle. This was decanted and tasted over six hours - it never really opened up.
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12/3/2007 - CRoame wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux. This is a great wine.
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11/22/2007 - drfibb wrote: 87 Points
tight, tannic, and far far from ready
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10/20/2007 - Eric wrote: 91 Points
Cassis. Cranberry. Young, surprisingly lush. A bit light and easy. But very pure and dusty.
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9/26/2007 - d'Yquembe Mutombo wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Pretty tasty.
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8/3/2007 - EMichels wrote: 90 Points
Red Carpet Wine Tasting: Good soft nose; A good balanced wine
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5/12/2007 - babnik wrote:
I'd seen a TN on eBob indicating that this wine was wide open so I thought I would give one a try. Huge Waste. Decanted and tried over the course of three hours: closed tight; very little is peaking out from behind that tannic door. I'll try another bottle in 3-5 years. NR.
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5/6/2007 - Jozefs wrote: 95 Points
Tasted right after popping the cork. Wide-open, delicious, aromatic nose of ripe black fruit, liquorice, tobacco, meat and lead pencil. The palate is balanced and very tasty. Sweet black fruit, prunes, refreshing acidity, meat, liquorice, syrup, ... Velvety mouth feel, strong finish. Like a Cali cab with Bordeaux elegance. This is drinking very well now, amazingly open for such a young Ducru. You owe it to yourself to taste this now if you have more than a few bottles. Just delicious.
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3/10/2007 - Paul Lin wrote: 89 Points
Tasted at a retail wine tasting. Maybe I'm just not an old world wine kind of guy, or maybe I was just expecting too much from the name and the vintage, but I was a bit underwhelmed by this wine. Stifled nose of lead pencil and potpourri, which reminds me one of those stationary / handicraft stores that my ex used to drag me into; I hated going into those stores. On the palate, black currant, loam earth, leather, and cigar. Much more interesting. Much more, shall we say, muscular? OK -- maybe this was opened way too early. Needs time, a lot of time. Nonetheless, on this occasion, I have to give this wine my best Gallic shrug.
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3/5/2007 - G SQUARED wrote: 90 Points
Tasted in the Dominican Republic. Took awhile to open. Was much lighter styled than I had imagined. In fact, almost non descript. After about an hour the wine began to add weight and show some fruit. Still WAY too young to even consider drinking at this stage.
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10/22/2006 - EyeDoc wrote: 92 Points
Showing better than the last bottle. This may really get there in a few more yrs. Elegant but firm tannins. Nice Bordeaux.
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7/11/2006 - vy#10 wrote:
Very strong nose/tastes of berries and graphite. Nose didn't jump out of the glass, but that is probably because I didn't decant it long enough. Very luxurious mouthfeel. Look forward to day two.
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6/20/2006 - EyeDoc wrote: 90 Points
A little bit of a disappointment given cost and expectation. Maybe just not showing well (an off bottle). Nice fruits and tannins but just not real blockbuster for me. Elegant but too restrained.
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5/29/2006 - TomTom wrote: 95 Points
Friend brought this to dinner to see how it was evolving. Wonderful farmyard nose. Perfectly balanced with ripe, rich fruit and truffles and mushrooms on the palate. This reminded me of the '82 that we had a few months ago.
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4/12/2006 - jeff nowak wrote: 93 Points
presented blind in a pop and pour environment. this will undoubtedly improve with a bit more care in the presentation. it still showed pretty damn well, and was a treat to taste. there remains an austerity and reticent profile which bodes well for the future. lucky owners will be drinking this long after i'm a legendary board memory. i'm going from recall here, so i'll concentrate on trying to give readers an opportunity to evaluate it's progress in the bottle to this point. it's a prodigious ducru. i enjoyed it more than a recent bottle of the 95. more complex, longer finish. no worries sticking this with the other 2000's in your cellar for special occasions over the next quarter century. recommended.
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2/1/2006 - burningstarIV wrote: 95 Points
Tsted at the store. Deep, dark ruby to the rim. Thick, immediately open but brooding nose of black currants, blackberries, tobacco and smoke. Medium-to-full bodied in the mouth with huge tannins that dominate the mouthfeel. There is a ton of red and purple fruit, though, and there is a freshness (what is the acidity level?) that should give the tannins plenty of time to melt away. Finish is huge, mineral, smooth. 50+5+14+17+9=95
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9/1/2005 - Wineosseur wrote: 93 Points
First ever vintage of this for me, and since I have a case (11 now), I decided to try it. It is tight, but shows nice balance and depth of fruit with hints of future improvement. Medium bodied and notes of meat (corned beef?) and spice. Medium finish. Hold for at least 5 years.
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1/23/2005 - How wrote: 93 Points
I have the feeling this will be much better after some cellar time. Right now it doesn't open up. In fact, I think the tannins over-dominate the wine after only 30+ minutes of exposure time. So, my recommendation at this time is to pop the cork and serve right away or lay it down until a future date.
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2/22/2004 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 95 Points
In the glass this wine looks like Ocean Spray cranberry juice cocktail. With a scent of rubber and blue-berry, this really raised my eyebrow in apprehension. After the freaky opening this wine found its feet, and revealed a great bouquet of caramel. Thick and oily in texture, dense with ripe fruit, and great flavours of chocolate and caramel. Superbly structured and contained with ripe tannin, brilliant complexity, and a super-long, harmonious finish. After a couple of hours the wine turned a bit hard. Yet and still, this is superb, and a great wine for the long haul. And it wasn’t even corked.
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