Ducru-Beaucaillou 1961 to 2004 over dinner

A wine-pages.com offline at which eleven of us gatherered to enjoy a range of DBs accompanies by London's finest steak. Unfortunately the intended provider of the 2000 and the 1995 had fallen ill so the line-up wasn't as comprehensive as we'd hoped.

The event confirmed the impression I had from the vertical last year: Ducru Beaucaillou shows lots of elegance, fine textures, restraint – no wildness and grippy tannins like the Gruaud; it's suave compared with the severity of Las Cases and much less obviously cedary than the Bartons – the upshot is that it is classy and impressive, but for me it doesn’t deliver the excitement that the other top St Juliens can.

• 1999 Gosset Champagne Brut Grand Millésime 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  Everything about this was just right - the tang, the richness, the zest, all in perfect balance - plump and mouthfilling

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• 2004 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Warm, ripe and smooth, still showing a lot of oak, the most sumptuous wine on show tonight

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• 2003 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  More reserved than the '04, with a lot of fine tannins, serious – it didn’t have any of the heat or sugariness that some ‘03s have

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• 2002 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Lean, stalky, with spice and earth on the fruit, very fresh. The greenness was too much for some

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• 2001 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Badly corked

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• 1999 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Warm and ripe, lacking a bit of oomph

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• 1998 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Quite ripe, but spicier than the '99, with more cedar, more precise, lots of substance, very fine

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• 1996 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Showed a close kinship to the '98, a tad leaner, spicy but elegant, fine

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• 1991 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Oxidising slightly, soft, a bit green, it was OK but no more.

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• 1989 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  At first I thought this might be corked; there was an earthy tone here, and it was all very muted

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• 1986 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Another badly corked bottle

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• 1983 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Not far behind the 1982 really, this too showing smooth and rich, though leaner, earthier

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• 1982 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Smooth, ripe, smoky and rich, still young, very attractive without being thrilling

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• 1957 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Served blind, this had me guessing at '86. Earthy, dry spicy edge, savoury, very classic claret – very fine

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• 1967 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Served blind alongside the '57, this was warm, ripe and rich, not very big, but taut, bright and alive. I guessed '76.

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• 1978 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  The only wine to show any funk, and not much of it, deep, gamey, racy, still very lively.

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• 1970 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  In a similar vein to the 1978 – a velvet texture, mulberry fruit, fleshy, zesty

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• 1961 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Murky and oxidised

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• 1988 Château Coutet Barsac 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Creamy, showing coconut and crème brûlée, but fresh and enticing

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• 1985 Dow Porto Vintage 90 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Spirity, with raisin fruit, hot ginger and violets

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