1985 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Community Tasting Notes (223) Avg Score: 91.7 points

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  1/25/2024 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine: 93 Points

  CdB BoG; 1/25/2024-1/27/2024 (Denver): This was in a great place right now, was not decanted so maybe drank over 90 min in the glass? Normally Ducru needs many hours of air to show well for me, so this was exceptional.
  Lost my notes, but remember this as classic and still plenty of fruit, great structure still plenty of tannins and acid for a long life.

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  12/30/2023 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 91 Points

  The finale of Bordecembre ... this is number 43. Yes, 43 Bordeauxs this past month of December 2023.
  
  Fruit! There's still fruit, how amazing. Pencil lead and graphite development over the 1 hour as I slowly sipped this precious Saint-Julien!
  
  Some brick-brown colour, this is classically mature. The rim looked like it was perhaps 3mm. Its amazing how this kind of looked old (Early-1990s) but the palate with some sweetness.. spoke to me like it was 2003?
  
  I guessed.. Ducru-Beaucaillou 2003. When unveiled... Right maker (It was a stab in the dark!), but 1985. Amazing provenance!
  
  Nose had some dried cranberries, light smoke and dried herbs too. Medium bodied, with that amazing tannic backbone. I loved the freshness from the M acidity.
  
  On the medium-length finish... Silky with such softness, and cassis too. Drink up, this is towards the end of its zenith.
  
  It seems some 1980s Ducru have a reputation of TCA or being corked, but this one is still fresh with luscious secondary and tertiary notes.
  
  I read that proprietor Bruno Borie mentioned that this was a late vintage. Harvesting only finished on 11th Oct.
  
  This is so old that Borie did not even have exact grape percentages for this year, but he thinks it is probably 70% Cab, with 30% Merlot.
  
  Vintage:
  Decanter.com described this as a 5/5 vintage, one which is wonderfully consistent and seductive too.
  
  Whilst the vines suffered heavy frost damage in winter, and spring was stormy and wet. Then came, May and early June with violent hailstorms.
  
  But.. this was followed by a period of good weather during the crucial flowering period. July saw hot temperatures alternate with periods of rainfall, while August was somewhat cooler and drier.
  September was one of the hottest and driest on record, promoting good ripening, and late September onwards through October saw good conditions for the harvest.
  
  Best Appellations from 1985:
  The finest wines come from the top properties where the most rigorous fruit selection was carried out. I copied some below..
  (St Estephe) Cos d’Estournel performed strongly, outshining many first growths.
  (St Julien) Ducru-Beaucaillou, Gruaud-Larose, Leoville-Barton and Leoville-Las-Cases have evolved nicely.
  
  "Old is Gold" theme, pre-NY eve dinner hosted by brother RN who kindly brought not one, but TWO 1985s along. Enjoyed by KS, LN, H, WMK, A, Eng, LMC, L and me. Happy New Year.. its 2024!
  
  Grand Imperial, Plaza Damas, Hartamas in KL, Malaysia
  30th Dec 2023

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  12/12/2023 - dcwino wrote: 92 Points

  Fathers' Gathering (Sushi Nakazawa): Another bottle that the sommelier enthusiastically recommends. I believe this is a recent release as the label is the new version. Youthful, strong Jalapeno, cassis and lead pencil. Medium concentration, a bit hollow middle. Really solid traditional Bordeaux but hurts @$1,000.

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  10/6/2023 - AdinG wrote: 89 Points

  Past it’s prime in my opinion.

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  9/15/2023 - yinha wrote: 93 Points

  This grand dame is drinking beautifully - enjoyed at Fleur de Sel along with one of their Blanc de Blanc offerings. Chef advised 86’s going strong as well!

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