September 24, 2023 - Corked
May 19, 2023 - From a 1.5 format. Dark garnet in color with some clearing at the edges. Full, forward & aromatic nose of mature, ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blueberries, & cassis with classic cigar box overtones of tobacco & cedar, floral notes of violets, earthy/dusty, leather, cocoa/coffee, herbs, spices, minerals/graphite & a slight hint of oak/vanilla in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of balanced & smooth textured, mature, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, cranberries & pomegranate with mushrooms, cocoa/coffee, herbs, minerals & a hint of oak/vanilla. Lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present but it is close to or at its peak but should be able to continue with a several additional years of aging. Fill was at mid neck level; cork was stained 1/2 up but otherwise intact. My idea was to sample both the 750 ml (4/22/23) and this 1.5 liter in close proximity time wise to see what effect, if any the larger format had on the development of essentially the same wine. Although the notes were identical, the wine from the 1.5-liter seemed fresher and livelier than the one from the 750 ml. Hence, the higher score.
April 22, 2023 - Dark garnet in color with some clearing & bricking at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of mature, ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blueberries, & cassis with classic cigar box overtones of tobacco & cedar, floral notes of violets, earthy/dusty, leather, coffee, pepper, mocha, herbs, spices, minerals/graphite & a slight hint of oak in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of balanced & smooth textured, mature, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, cranberries & pomegranate with mushrooms, cocoa/coffee, herbs, minerals & a hint of oak. Lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present & at 42 years of age, it is close to or at its peak but should be able to continue with a few more additional years of aging. However, I doubt any further development will occur. Fill was at lower neck level; cork was stained 1/3 up but intact.
December 11, 2021 - Late night at Maison Dakota with Frenchie peeps. Drank in Grassl Cru.
Appearance deep intensity, garnet colour with sediments. Thin legs.
Nose medium intensity, with aromas of tertiary mushrooms and earth, pencil lead, some violet, blackcurrant, blackberry, black plum, animal leather. Developed.
On the palate, dry, medium acidity, medium alcohol, resolved tannins, medium+ body. Medium flavour intensity, with flavours of blackcurrant, blackberry, black plum, tobacco and pencil leaad, mushroomy earth, leather, dark animal. Medium+ finish.
Good quality. Fruits still surprisingly alive, but the savouriness overtaking the acidity sensation. Nice but is a drink up for me.
September 11, 2021 - It was fun to taste this unknown vintage of Ducru Beaucaillou a second time. Its performance was similar to the last. While not dazzling with complexity or presence, this is actually quite a nice wine from a difficult vintage, offering an easy charm, fresh red and blue fruit, and a hint of gingery sandalwood.
August 4, 2021 - Medium garnet, and slightly cloudy with some fine sediments. Nose was rather captivating with florals, red fruits and subtle clove spices and paprika, while the palate does show a good measure of power with the crunchy tannins and warm alcohol, intensity and length, savoury slightly floral briny attack, then ripe redcurrant and blackberry fruits, dried grass, nutmeg and cloves, black pepper, paprika, and a backpalate of mushrooms and coffee grounds. A complex end. Nice!
May 26, 2021 - Absolutely fantastic at 40 years old. Perfectly stored. Base neck fill. Super youthful. Drinking at peak, I believe. Might be a "B" vintage but this is no "B" wine. Lots of fruit, ripe cherry pie and tobacco dominate both the nose and the palate. Delightful with lamb chops. I think this wine will be fine for another decade but not likely to improve so if you have some, drink it!
April 10, 2021 - Corked; the palate seemed fully mature and very subtle, but still pleasant. Too bad..
December 25, 2020 - It's dying... it was OK, even pleasant after opening and decanting but soon died to tart... poured it out.
June 2, 2020 - Nicely mature; sweet blackberry; soft texture; elegant with melted tannins; sweet finish.