1982 Ducru Beaucaillou
By Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou
1982 Ducru Beaucaillou from Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, St-Julien, Bordeaux
The 1982 vintage from Bordeaux has often been lauded as a watershed moment for the region; a year in which the benevolence of Mother Nature conspired with the touch of vinicultural mastery to craft some of the century's most scintillating wines. The 1982 Ducru Beaucaillou from Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou stands tall among these titans, encapsulating the very pinnacle of St-Julien's offering.
Unequivocal Class and Exuberance
Four decades on, this venerated offering remains a testament to the symmetry of power and elegance. On the nose, the 1982 Ducru Beaucaillou exudes a tantalising bouquet – a vivacious mélange of blackcurrant, cedar and hints of truffle, complex yet strikingly defined. It invites connoisseurs onto a palate layered with ripe tannins that whisper tales of the estate's gravelly terroir, kissed by that year's ample sunlight.
Investment Calibre Aging with Grace
Amidst the pantheon of fine wine investment opportunities, it is vintages like this that underscore the inherently collector-worthy nature of Bordeaux’s liquid treasures. In each pour, one discovers a vibrant chromaticity that marvellously lingers; letting go only after bestowing an impeccably long finish. Its enduring vitality is a clarion call to investors looking for wines that promise both drinking pleasure and value appreciation over time.
The 1982 Ducru Beaucaillou continues to triumph as a paragon of maturity. Unlike younger vintages that might beckon with precocious charm, here lies a stately grace – opulent yet composed, magnanimous yet meticulously sculpted by the seasoned hands that have long-defined Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou’s craft.
Worthy of its illustrious birth year, this framed expression boldly articulates why the 1982 remains one of the most sought-after enclaves in fine wine portfolios. While it steadfastly approaches its peak, one teeters on the edge of splendour when investing in this St-Julien jewel.
In summing up, the 1982 Ducru Beaucaillou effortlessly showcases why this vintage continues to captivate discerning palates and prudent investors alike. For those whose cellars grace its presence, it bears witness to an epochal harmony of climate and craftsmanship that once adorned a legendary Bordeaux vintage.
Current market price
£3,910.00
12x75cl
Highest score
97
POP score
230
Scores and tasting notes
"The harvest lasted 16 days from the 16th September," proprietor Bruno Borie mentioned about the 1982 Ducru-Beaucaillou. Medium brick colored, it comes galloping out of the glass with bold, expressive notes of Black Forest cake, preserved plums and mincemeat pie with hints of cigar box, star anise, eucalyptus and espresso plus wafts of roasted nuts and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, generous and opulent, the palate has beautifully ripe, fine-grained tannins and tons of youthful fruit, finishing with epically long-lasting layers of preserved black fruits and exotic spices.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 13 August 2020
At a charity dinner in Charleston, SC, the 1982 Ducru Beaucaillou from my cellar was the only corked bottle out of twenty-two. A subsequent tasting revealed one of the all-time great Ducrus, probably matched or eclipsed by several recent vintages (i.e., 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2008). The 1982 is still 5-8 years away from full maturity, but it exhibits a dense ruby/plum/garnet color to the rim as well as a sweet perfume of forest floor, spice box, cedar, and copious quantities of black fruits. Medium to full-bodied and beautifully pure with sweet tannins, this wine has aged more slowly than I initially expected. It is the finest Ducru Beaucaillou produced after the 1961 and before the 2003. With respect to the 1990, I do not own any of this wine, but it was the last of a series of vintages between 1986 and 1990 that were affected by the TCA-like contamination in the estate's chai, which was completely destroyed and then rebuilt, eliminating the source of these smells. Not every bottle is affected by this, but I do not have any source for this vintage. Release price: ($140.00/case)
Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #183 June 2009
This is a wine that I had forgotten about. It shows beautiful sweet tobacco, flowers, and currants on the nose. It's full body, silky with fine tannins. It's ready and pretty. Served from imperial bottle.
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com, January 19th 2011
Tasted at Pebbles/Zachy's 1982 dinner in Hong Kong. I have never been a huge fan of this Ducru Beaucaillou, although this is definitely one of the better bottles that I have encountered. It is less dusty and austere on the nose than I expected, less subdued here with mulberry and mint notes informing the lifted black fruit. The palate is nicely balanced and slightly animally (a touch of brettanomyces making sure this Saint Julien looses it concentration for a moment.) There is good length here, but it does not really 'take off' in the way that Leoville Poyferre '82 or Gruaud Larose '82 does, the burly tertiary finish resolutely foursquare. It is just a little sullen and conservative. Tasted November 2012.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Jan 2013