On the nose the wine is very nuanced, as you should expect from a 30 years old Bordeaux. According to my tasting group, barn, black tea, leather and anise come to mind, with some cassis representing the fruit that is still left in the bouquet. In the mouth it has an earthy flavour profile, with some chocolate, pleasant tannins and a fairly long aftertaste.
In the past I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity of tasting a few old Bordeaux wines. This is the first time that not only I’m fascinated by the achieved age, but I’m also completely pleased with the experience.
The fact that the bottle has been delivered ex Château and “Rebouché au Château en 2011” (due to TCA contamination), probably did play a crucial role in guaranteeing that the wine is pristine. When a bottle is kept for twenty or more years, the specific conditions it has been stored definitely plays a big role.
The more the wine ages the more relevant the vintage becomes as well. On this aspect this bottle also scores high, the 1989 Bordeaux vintage having been a great one, considered by some even superior to the iconic 1982.
I personally have high regard for Château Ducru-Beaucaillou. The Château itself is among the ones that impressed me the most when I first visited the Médoc in 2011 for the en primeur tasting of the highly praised 2010 vintage. The nice girls that welcomed us with delicious strawberries and the kindness of the Borie family, who owns the Château since 1941, made the overall experience unforgettable.
2010 was a great vintage, the Asian were turning crazy for Bordeaux wines, fighting for allotment and pushing up prices. Château Ducru-Beaucaillou was picking up this trend, but in the meantime keeping an eye of regard for the less hyper but more stable European market.
When I went back for the third time in 2014 for the en primeur tasting of the mediocre 2013 vintage, Bruno Borie was there in person, warmly welcoming us and thanking us for showing up in a year where Asian virtually disappeared.
I got to appreciate again the kindness and the uniquely French charme of Bruno Borie when in 2017 I spent an evening in his company dining and enjoying a few vintages of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou at ARVI, where this bottle currently sells for 189 CHF.
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Type: Red
Vintage: 1989
Producer: Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
Price range: Luxury (>100 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 5/5