The 1985 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is an earthy, medium-bodied wine with aromas of dried fruit, herbs, and woodsmoke. Its firm tannins and rustic finish suggest it’s best consumed soon. While Decanter notes it’s light and earthy, Jancis Robinson praises its longevity and classic St-Julien character. This Bordeaux is a refined choice for those who appreciate aged wines, though it should be enjoyed in the near term.

The Wine Advocate | RP 90
Published: Aug 13, 2020
Drink: 2020-2025

Proprietor Bruno Borie mentioned that this was a late vintage. They started to pick on 30th September, finishing on 11th October. He didn't have exact grape percentages for this year, but he thinks it is probably 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. Pale to medium brick-brown colored, the 1985 Ducru-Beaucaillou slowly unfurls to reveal notes of Christmas pudding, dried cranberries and bouquet garni with nuances of cast iron pan, dusty soil and woodsmoke. Medium-bodied, the palate has a firm, chewy backbone and oodles of freshness with a core of dried herbs and stewed tea and a slightly rustic finish. 

Decanter | D 88
Published: Jun 1, 2021
Drink: 2022-2030

The 1985 Ducru-Beaucaillou has a light and earthy bouquet with notes of green pepper, graphite, liquorice and hints of leather and tobacco. Medium-bodied, the palate is firm and linear, and exhibits graphite aromas. The finish is short and a bit tight and acidic. Drink it now!
Closure: Natural Cork
Alcohol: 12.50%
Body: Full
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

Jancisrobinson.com | JR 18
Published: Sep 4, 2024
Drink: 1995-2030

Darker, bluer colour than the 1989. Very sweet and spicy. Luscious overall with a sweet start and a dry finish with real St-Julien character and still going strong. Very long lived. An excellent Ducru.

Chateau-ducru-beaucaillou.com

For 300 years, six families have nurtured an indelible bond with Château Ducru-Beaucaillou. They are forever captives of this prestigious estate, be they named Desjean, Bergeron, Ducru, Johnston, Desbarat, or Borie. Its families were never short of praise for it. Over the decades, this devotion has managed to overcome all that is accidental or fleeting, as if passion perfected Nature's opus. 

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou owes its name to its "beautiful pebbles" ("beaux Cailloux", in French) that geologists refer to less romantically as Gunzian gravel. These quartz pebbles were deposited by the ancient Garonne at the beginning of the early Quaternary period, some two million years ago. It suffices to take a walk through the vineyards to make rich lithological finds. Lydian jasper from the Pyrenees, flint, quartz, agatoids... These Gunzian gravels make for soils that are poor in plant nutrients. But it is their very agrological paucity that guarantees the qualitative excellence of the wines. A choice of nature. 

The result is in the glass. The allure is immediate. A soft, fruity attack on the palate, a voluptuousness underscored by perfectly integrated, silky tannins that culminate in an exceptionally lengthy finish. The aromas dance, flatter the nose, seduce the soul and penetrate the memory. A muse that arrives on tiptoe and leave a lasting, infinite souvenir.