1986 Ducru-Beaucaillou, St-Julien

“The wine offers up a pure, precise and very deep nose of sweet cassis, cigar ash, a very complex base of gravelly soil tones, a nice touch of cedar and a topnote of cigar wrapper. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and tangy, with outstanding focus and bounce, a lovely core of fruit, ripe, well-measured tannins and a long, complex and very soil-driven finish. This is a classic vintage of Ducru-Beaucaillou in the making, and the re-released bottles are stellar. The wine is just starting to drink, but like so many of the top 1986 wines from the Médoc, it still has room to grow and would continue to benefit from further cellaring.” (10/2020)

“Blackberry, mint and black pepper abound here. The palate has serious structure, with an emphasis on liquorice, restrained vanilla, cedar and earth. It's still pretty concentrated and voluptuous. Recorked at the château in 2001. The exact blend was not recorded, so the blend shown reflects the vineyard plantings, with 5% Petit Verdot. (JA)” (05/2019)

“A monster in its infancy. Almost black in color, with intense cassis, herb and mint aromas and superrich, dense cassis and licorice flavors. May last forever. (TM)” (10/1992)

“The 1986 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou showed beautifully, with a ripe, layered, seamless profile. Ripe currants, leafy tobacco, and earthy, spicy nuances all define the aromatics, and it has a terrific sense of freshness, medium to full body, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It's fully mature but there's plenty of life here, and it opens up nicely with time in the glass. I don't see any upside, but this will clearly evolve and hold nicely for over the coming 15+ years. It's a beautiful Ducru-Beaucaillou that's worth seeking out.” (10/2023)

“Medium brick in color with a touch of brown, the 1986 Ducru-Beaucaillou reveals growing notes of dried mulberries, kirsch and raisin cake with nuances of celery salt, dried bay leaves, truffles and charcuterie plus hints of old leather sofa and fallen leaves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has quite a powerful structure with firm, chewy tannins and bold freshness supporting the muscular, dried berries flavors, finishing long with a dried mint kick. (LPB)” (08/2020)