Ducru-Beaucaillou Saint-Julien 2021 Bottle size: 750ml

‘The 2021 Ducru-Beaucaillou captures all the potential it showed from barrel. A delicate, understated wine, the 2021 impresses above all else with its finesse. All the elements are impeccably balanced throughout. Time in the glass brings out the wine's inner sweetness and gorgeous perfume. The balance with oak, at times a challenge here, is also flawless. With lower alcohol and therefore also less extraction from oak than recent vintages, the 2021 is shaping up to be a modern-day classic. The blend is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot, the highest amount of Cabernet Sauvignon ever here. What a wine. 2031-2061’ – Antonio Galloni, Vinous, 98/100

‘Firm, structured and pure with a cool and solid core of dark currants, blackberries, tar, pencil lead and bitter chocolate. Hints of tobacco, too. Firm but silky tannins. Very pure, with a long, mineral finish. Intense and very focused. 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot.’ – James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, 96-97/100

‘Lastly, the 2021 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou might be the wine of the vintage. It has more depth and density than just about every other wine out there, all while still bringing beautiful tannins and elegance. A blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot, harvested from September 21 to October 10th, it was vinified in wooden tronconique tanks and is still aging in new barrels. This beauty hit 12.5% natural alcohol, with a pH of 3.88 and an IPT that's just about off the charts. Deep black and blue fruits, graphite, spicy oak, tobacco, and chalky minerality all define the bouquet, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a concentrated, powerful mouthfeel, building yet fine tannins, and a great finish. Where most 2021s are going to offer plenty of up-front appeal, this is going to benefit from a solid 4-6 years of bottle age and be incredibly long lived.’ – Jeb Dunnuck, 95-97/100

‘Barrel Sample. This is a wine with enormous potential with rich tannins and dark black fruits. At the same time, it has lightness that gives it a lift of fine black currant fruits. It will age, of course.’ – Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast, 95-97/100

‘Richly scented and vibrant nose of dark fruits, liquorice and cocoa. Supple and invigorating, fresh acidity lifting the expression, nuanced and detailed. Softly grained tannins have a chalky aspect giving structure and a filling texture, lots of graphite and wet stones with black berry notes and such energy throughout. Juicy and alive, this is classic in the best sense, and has immediate charm but with the potential to age. I also love the fresh, zesty orange aspects and cool lift throughout. 2027-2050’ – Georgina Hindle, Decanter, 97/100

‘A wine that will delight Médoc purists, the 2021 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a blend of fully 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot and checks in at a mere 12.5% alcohol. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cigar wrapper, violets, loamy soil and spices, it's full-bodied, layered and velvety, with superb depth at the core, lively acids and powdery tannins. Complete and penetrating, it's a true classic, reminiscent of a modern-day version of Ducru's brilliant 1996—though today's precision winemaking means that the 2021 is unlikely to go through so long a hibernation as that vintage.’ – William Kelley, Wine Advocate, 94-96/100