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Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou Saint Julien 2012 1.5Ltr

size
1.5Ltr
country
France
region
Bordeaux
appellation
Saint Julien
WE
95
JS
95
DC
93
WA
93
WS
93
VM
92
JD
92
WE
95
Rated 95 by Wine Enthusiast
This is a wine with big tannins and big fruit. You can feel the wood rather than taste it, certainly smell it initially before the black currant aromas kick in. Impressive and sumptuous, it has a solid density that layers with the smoky character of the fruit and wood. Rich and complex, it needs to age. Drink from 2025. (Cellar Selection) ... More details
Image of bottle
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Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou Saint Julien 2012 1.5Ltr

SKU 936348
Case Only Purchase
Long-term Pre-Arrival
$2655.78
/case
$442.63
/1.5Ltr bottle
Quantity
min order 6 bottles
* This is a Long-term Pre-arrival item and is available for online ordering only. This item will ship on a future date after a 4-8 months transfer time. For additional details about Pre-arrival Items please visit our FAQ page.
Professional Ratings
WE
95
JS
95
DC
93
WA
93
WS
93
VM
92
JD
92
WE
95
Rated 95 by Wine Enthusiast
This is a wine with big tannins and big fruit. You can feel the wood rather than taste it, certainly smell it initially before the black currant aromas kick in. Impressive and sumptuous, it has a solid density that layers with the smoky character of the fruit and wood. Rich and complex, it needs to age. Drink from 2025. (Cellar Selection)
JS
95
Rated 95 by James Suckling
Mesmerizing aromas of blackberries, licorice and mint. Wet stones too. Full-bodied and tight with super-refined and polished tannins that are pinpointed and elegant. It caresses your palate. Savory and salty on finish. Electric for the vintage. Better in 2018. (Suckling)
DC
93
Rated 93 by Decanter
Excellent fruit, texture and length on the palate. Lovely middle palate and finish. This one shows class. Pity about the silly overweight bottle.
WA
93
Rated 93 by Wine Advocate
Deep garnet in color, the 2012 Ducru-Beaucaillou offers up expressive, exuberant scents of warm kirsch, black raspberries and wild blueberries with hints of sassafras, cedar chest, pencil lead and dried mint plus a waft of dried leaves. Medium-bodied, the palate has lovely freshness and a fair bit of chew, complementing the youthful black and red fruit layers, finishing on a lingering earthy note.
WS
93
Rated 93 by Wine Spectator
Offers an almost lavish feel, with layers of warmed fig, blackberry paste and raspberry coulis lined with ganache, anise and fruitcake flavors. A rock-solid graphite note lines the finish, showing just the slightest twinge of the vintage's austerity. A very admirable effort. Best from 2018 through 2027.
VM
92
Rated 92 by Vinous Media
The 2012 Ducru-Beaucaillou has a well-defined and quite concentrated bouquet with blackberry, bilberry and cedar aromas that open nicely in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, fine balance and grip. This is a well-proportioned Saint-Julien with just the right amount of bitterness that lends an edginess to the finish. Very fine. Tasted blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.
JD
92
Rated 92 by Jeb Dunnuck
Showing well and certainly in its drinking window, the 2012 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is still ruby-hued and has a solid bouquet of ripe currants, dried tobacco, saddle leather, and truffles. More medium-bodied on the palate, is has silky tannins, a balanced, elegant mouthfeel, no hard edges, and a great finish. It doesn't have the depth or concentration of a truly great vintage but shines for its complex, elegant, balanced profile. It will certainly evolve and drink well for another 20+ years.
Product Details
size
1.5Ltr
country
France
region
Bordeaux
appellation
Saint Julien
Overview
Mesmerizing aromas of blackberries, licorice and mint. Wet stones too. Full-bodied and tight with super-refined and polished tannins that are pinpointed and elegant. It caresses your palate. Savory and salty on finish. Electric for the vintage. Better in 2018. (Suckling)
barrel

Vintage: 2012

2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in. The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.
green grapes

Varietal: Red Bordeaux

Bordeaux red wines are widely regarded as being the finest red wines produced anywhere in the world, regularly topping awards lists and generally being amongst the most sought after and collectable bottles available. The secret to their success and their particularly memorable and refined characteristics is the fact that Bordeaux red wines are made from a blend of grape varietals, most commonly from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes, helped by a touch of Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc. The other two key Bordeaux grape varietals which are also used in the blend of many of these excellent wines are Malbec and Carménere, although it is becoming less common to see these in use today. The art of blending primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape varietals is something which has been much imitated around the world, as it produces a wonderfully balanced, rounded yet massively complex and flavorful wine, ideal for oak aging The acid and tannin levels in each of these grape varietals is balanced and tempered by the blend, and generations of expertise has gone into the careful selection and cultivation of such quality grapes.
barrel

Region: Bordeaux

There are few wine regions in the world with a reputation as glowing and well established as that of the Bordeaux, in France. Situated mainly around the Dordogne and Gironde rivers, Bordeaux makes the most of its humid climate and rich, clay and gravel based soils to grow some of the finest examples of red and white grape varietals on earth. Wineries in this region have been in operation for hundreds of years, and have carefully developed the expertise required for the production of carefully balanced and utterly delicious blended red and white wines, alongside some exceptional single variety bottles. Many of the chateaux found in Bordeaux have become household names, due to their prestige and the excellence of their products, grown with love and dedication by heritage wineries in this beautiful and special region.
fields

Country: France

French winemakers are subjected to several laws and regulations regarding the wines they produce, and how they can be labeled and sold. Such procedures are designed to increase the overall quality of the country's produce, and also to ensure that wines made in each particular region or appellation are of a character and type which is representative of the area. Thankfully for consumers of wine world-wide, the French have a particularly high reputation to uphold, and seem to do so flawlessly. Every year, wineries from all over France produce millions upon millions of bottles of fine wine, making the most of their native grape varieties and the excellent terrain which covers most of the country. From the expensive and exquisite red wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, to the white wines and cremants of central France, the French are dedicated to providing the world with wines of the highest quality and most distinctive character.
Customer Reviews
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More Details
barrel

Vintage: 2012

2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in. The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.
green grapes

Varietal: Red Bordeaux

Bordeaux red wines are widely regarded as being the finest red wines produced anywhere in the world, regularly topping awards lists and generally being amongst the most sought after and collectable bottles available. The secret to their success and their particularly memorable and refined characteristics is the fact that Bordeaux red wines are made from a blend of grape varietals, most commonly from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes, helped by a touch of Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc. The other two key Bordeaux grape varietals which are also used in the blend of many of these excellent wines are Malbec and Carménere, although it is becoming less common to see these in use today. The art of blending primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape varietals is something which has been much imitated around the world, as it produces a wonderfully balanced, rounded yet massively complex and flavorful wine, ideal for oak aging The acid and tannin levels in each of these grape varietals is balanced and tempered by the blend, and generations of expertise has gone into the careful selection and cultivation of such quality grapes.
barrel

Region: Bordeaux

There are few wine regions in the world with a reputation as glowing and well established as that of the Bordeaux, in France. Situated mainly around the Dordogne and Gironde rivers, Bordeaux makes the most of its humid climate and rich, clay and gravel based soils to grow some of the finest examples of red and white grape varietals on earth. Wineries in this region have been in operation for hundreds of years, and have carefully developed the expertise required for the production of carefully balanced and utterly delicious blended red and white wines, alongside some exceptional single variety bottles. Many of the chateaux found in Bordeaux have become household names, due to their prestige and the excellence of their products, grown with love and dedication by heritage wineries in this beautiful and special region.
fields

Country: France

French winemakers are subjected to several laws and regulations regarding the wines they produce, and how they can be labeled and sold. Such procedures are designed to increase the overall quality of the country's produce, and also to ensure that wines made in each particular region or appellation are of a character and type which is representative of the area. Thankfully for consumers of wine world-wide, the French have a particularly high reputation to uphold, and seem to do so flawlessly. Every year, wineries from all over France produce millions upon millions of bottles of fine wine, making the most of their native grape varieties and the excellent terrain which covers most of the country. From the expensive and exquisite red wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, to the white wines and cremants of central France, the French are dedicated to providing the world with wines of the highest quality and most distinctive character.