2019 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou, Saint-Julien, France, 750mL, [100 points]

The 2019 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou stands as a monumental achievement in Saint-Julien, regarded by many as the wine of the vintage—and perhaps of the entire Médoc. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, it was aged entirely in new French oak, resulting in a towering, age-worthy wine of precision and power. Its dense purple hue foreshadows the intensity within, while the bouquet explodes with layers of crème de cassis, graphite, damp earth, tobacco leaf, violets, and black truffle. On the palate, it is both concentrated and impeccably balanced, with refined tannins, saturated black fruits, and a long, chiseled finish. Though taut and structured today, the wine evolves gracefully with air, revealing silky textures and notes of black chocolate, cigar box, and slate. A wine of profound complexity, Ducru-Beaucaillou 2019 is a throwback to Médoc’s golden age while maintaining the polish and confidence of the modern era. This is a château firing on all cylinders, producing a wine that will easily evolve for half a century or more.