2001 Ducru Beaucaillou
By Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou
2001 Ducru Beaucaillou from Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, St-Julien, Bordeaux
The iconic 2001 Ducru Beaucaillou from the esteemed Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou signifies a triumph in a vintage year that was not without its challenges. This St-Julien jewel, from a Bordeaux vintage characterised by a balanced climate and an impeccable harvest, showcases the resilience and finesse of expert viticulture coupled with astute winemaking abilities.
A Vintage That Demanded Mastery
The year 2001 was one where Mother Nature exerted her will upon Bordeaux's vineyards, demanding patience and precision from vintners. The result at Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou was nothing short of miraculous—a velvety concoction that straddles power and elegance with ease. With two decades of quiet slumber in the cellar, it comes to life with an opulent bouquet of crème de cassis interwoven with notes of cedar and tobacco—a harmonious symphony befitting the nose.
The Palate Chronicles: Evolution of Elegance
Upon tasting, the 2001 Ducru Beaucaillou unfurls on the palate with sumptuous layers of ripe blackberry and plums, dressed in a tannic structure that has softened to perfection. As a reflection of its terroir’s capability to nurture the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend to illustrious heights, this wine presents complex secondary flavours of graphite and forest floor that whisper tales of its storied roots.
The artistry of its makeup aligns superbly with its investment potential as this stellar offering not only satisfies with its depth but promises continuity in its ascent to vinous prominence in years to come.
Savouring the Investment Appeal
For aficionados poised at the intersection of oenological passion and astute investment, the 2001 vintage of Ducru Beaucaillou from Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou offers an exquisite opportunity. This is a testament to a year that yielded one-of-a-kind masterpieces; it is no mere drop in the ocean of fine wines but a pearl fished from great depths—a vintage that underscores an investor’s portfolio as sagaciously as it would complement a gourmet dining experience.
Market price (CAD)
$2,580.00
12x75cl
Highest score
92
POP score
129.17
Scores and tasting notes
Tasted at Farr’s Ducru-Beaucaillou dinner at the Ledbury. The 2001 Ducru is showing very well, better than I expected given its performances a few years ago. Here, it has a warm, rounded, almost sensual bouquet with black fruits, bay leaf and cedar – certainly more generous and expressive than the 2000 but without the same level of complexity or delineation. The palate is just entertaining the notion of secondary flavours with some intriguing gamey notes infusing the dark black fruit with the finish seasoned by the Cabernet Franc. This should drink well over the next decade. Tasted October 2010.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Nov 2011
Somewhat light-bodied for a Ducru, with a 1999-like personality, this blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc is a forward, medium-bodied, pretty effort revealing notes of cranberries, black cherries, cassis, and earth. Full of finesse, but lacking concentration as well as depth, it should be consumed over the next 10-12 years.
Robert Parker Jr - The Wine Advocate, 29 June 2004