Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou, Saint-Julien, France 2018

The origins of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou lie in the 18th century when the Beaucaillou castle (named after the large pebbles in the vineyard) was purchased by Bertrand Ducru. In the 1855 Classification of Bordeaux, this Saint-Julien property was ranked as a Deuxième Cru or Second Growth. Today it is considered one of the "Super-Seconds" and one of the leading estates of Saint-Julien.

" Looking at the 2018 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, I was stopped in my tracks at this beauty and continue to think 2018 is an incredible vintage for Bordeaux. Checking in as 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that was raised in new barrels, it has an essence of cassis character as well notes of tobacco leaf, dark chocolate, crushed stone, and cedar pencil. Cut from the same cloth as the 2009, although with slightly more polished tannins, it's full-bodied and massively concentrated and structured, yet flawlessly balanced, with incredible purity and no hard edges." Jeb Dunnuck 100