2024 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

The 2024 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a sleek, elegant wine. Silky tannins give the 2024 its distinctly mid-weight, lithe personality. Readers will find a gracious Ducru built more on persistence and nervy tension than size or opulence. Blue/black fruits, lavender, cloves, menthol and chocolate open over time. It will be fascinating to see how this ages.

- Antonio Galloni (04/2025)

Excellent depth with very good concentration. Lots of dusty, small-grained tannins. Densely packed, with nervy minerals, blackberries, dark chocolate, violets and cassis. Full-bodied and very fresh, with a lengthy finish. Structured and tightly framed. Shows good potential. 86% cabernet sauvignon and 14% merlot.

- Zekun Shuai (04/2025)

As to the Grand Vin, the 2024 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is based on 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot, resting in 100% new oak. Its deep purple hue is followed by a terrific 2024 that defies the challenges of the vintage. Pure cassis, darker currants, graphite, crushed stone, and sappy violet notes all emerge on the nose. It's medium-bodied, with a beautifully layered, concentrated mid-palate, ripe yet velvety tannins, and a great finish. This classic Saint-Julien will benefit from bottle age and is another brilliant effort from the team. It's one of the richer, more structured wines in the vintage, yet it remains balanced, precise, and never overdone. (05/2025)

Deep garnet-purple in color. Strides out with classic notes of crushed black currants, fresh black plums, and pencil shavings, plus hints of violets, licorice, and black olives with a touch of menthol. The medium-bodied palate delivers a firm frame of grainy tannins and well-knit freshness to support the blackberry flavors and spicy undertones, finishing on a lingering anise note. (05/2025)

The 2024 Ducru-Beaucaillou is showing well at this stage, unfurling in the glass with a perfumed bouquet of dark berries, flowers, gentian and fresh licorice, interwoven with delicate spicy nuances. Medium to full-bodied, layered, and seamless, it is lively and refined, with somewhat firm tannins leading to a gently grippy finish. This was harvested between September 30 and October 15.

- Yohan Castaing (04/2025)