2003 Ducru-Beaucaillou

Wine Details
Place of Origin

France

Saint Julien

Bordeaux

Color

Red

Grape/Blend

Vintages
Reviews & Tasting Notes

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Whereas most chateau proprietors of the Northern Medoc indicated a preference for their cabernet sauvignon, and many of the best 2005s from this region feature a lower-than-usual percentage of merlot, Bruno Borie expressed the opinion that "the merlot was great" and made the decision to keep nearly all of it, as he felt it brought charm, power and elegance. In fact, he explained, "in 2005 our cabernet fruit showed the softness and smoothness of merlot, while our merlot had the structure of cabernet." The 2005 Ducru blend includes an unusually high 33% merlot content and, not surprisingly, an elevated alcohol level of 13.5%. (One of my fellow tasters noted that Ducru was the only chateau he visited where the grand vin was higher in alcohol than the estate's second wine; at virtually every other property, by all reports, it was the superripe lots that were declassified.) The young wine was atypically glossy and fleshy for a young Ducru, and many early tasters whose paradigm for Ducru runs toward a more discreet, austere wine seemed not to know quite what to do about this sweeter, more modern-style vintage. Incidentally, thanks in part to the high percentage of merlot, the IPT in 2005 is 71, significantly less than the 80 registered in 2003. But the 2005 is very rich in anthocyanins, or coloring material, notes Borie.

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