Tasting Note: With loads of minerality, a terrific opaque purple color, and slightly more structure and tannin than either Poyferre or St.-Pierre (and that’s saying something), this is a blockbuster, fabulous Ducru Beaucaillou that should be at its best a good decade from now and last 40-50 years. The proprietor is not alone in thinking this is the finest Ducru Beaucaillou since the 1961. The classic wet rock, creme de cassis, subtle oak and gravelly stoniness of the vineyard come through in this spectacular, full-bodied, gorgeously pure and intense effort. This is wine for the ages that should be forgotten for at least a decade. Proprietor Bruno Borie thinks this wine is as superb as their 2009. Slightly more structured and less flamboyant than its older sibling, it is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot from the very best parcels of the vineyard. This wine tips the scales at 14% natural alcohol but has a normal pH of 3.6, which is one of the characteristics of this vintage (high alcohol, normal pH), which thus accounts for the freshness and precision found in most 2010s. 98+ Robert Parker- Wine Advocate- Feb 2013

Producer: One of the 'super seconds', Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou was my first Bordeaux love - its bright orange labels stood out and I decided to buy one, try it, and fell in love with it! This estate is owned by the Borie family and really should be a first growth except for the fact that they will never change the classification system! They always need a decade of ageing before drinking, but a great year will live to pensionable age! The oldest I had was 1945 (in around 2003) and it was one of those wines that will never leave my memory!

Country: France | Region: Saint-Julien, Bordeaux | Alcohol: 14% | Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot