Ratings By Robert Parker 87 Tasting Notes The 1997 Gruaud Larose is a soft, fleshy effort loaded with olive and licorice-tinged, black cherry and cassis fruit. Smoky, new saddle leather notes also emerge as the wine sits in the glass. Offering excellent richness, medium body, moderate weight, low acidity, and soft tannin, it will provide… Read More »
Ratings By Robert Parker 89 Tasting Notes In the bottle, Gruaud Larose appears to have returned to the form it possessed when I first tasted it from cask – a stylish, surprisingly civilized, medium-bodied wine without the muscle and power expected from both this terroir and vintage. It still possesses excellent density, as well as… Read More »
Ratings By Robert Parker 89 Tasting Notes Revealing more grip and tannin since bottling, the 1995 Gruaud-Larose exhibits a dark ruby color, and a nose of sweet black cherries, licorice, earth, and spice. Rich, with medium to full body, high tannin, and subtle oak in the background, the 1995 is nearly as structured and tannic… Read More »
Ratings By Robert Parker 95+ Tasting Notes One of the stars of the vintage, and a remarkable achievement in 2008, with impressive richness, this dense purple colored wine is almost as opaque as the 2010. Spring flowers, crushed rocks, creme de cassis and some subtle oak are followed by a full-bodied, concentrated wine that transcends… Read More »
Ratings By Robert Parker 90 Tasting Notes An outstanding effort from proprietor Bruno Borie, the 2007 Ducru exhibits sweet black currant fruit, licorice, lead pencil shaving, and wood spice characteristics along with medium to full body, a velvety mouthfeel, and outstanding density as well as richness. It is a strong effort for the vintage, and… Read More »
Ratings By Robert Parker 94 Tasting Notes This classic, backward, tannic St.-Julien is made in the style of the 1996 and 1986. The 2006 Ducru Beaucaillou possesses a dense purple color along with a sweet perfume of graphite, black raspberries, cassis, licorice, and subtle toasty oak. Despite their prominent place in the wine??s structure, the… Read More »
Ratings By Robert Parker 97 Tasting Notes The 2005 Ducru Beaucaillou is a 10,000-case blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot (they used to produce 18,000-20,000 cases). It is an exceptionally powerful wine with a dense purple color, superb intensity, and a beautiful, sweet nose of spring flowers, raspberries, blueberries, graphite, and creme de… Read More »
Ratings By Robert Parker 93 Tasting Notes One can??t say enough about the efforts Bruno Borie is pouring into this wonderful estate that I have often called the ????Lafite Rothschild of St.-Julien.?? An undeniable success, the 2004 Ducru boasts sweet aromas of creme de cassis, spring flowers, pain grille, licorice, and road tar. This pure,… Read More »
Ratings By Robert Parker 96 Tasting Notes One of the most compelling Ducru Beaucaillou??s made in the last quarter century is the 2003 (which is also the first vintage to be packaged in an impressive heavy glass bottle with a special long cork). A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, it is a… Read More »
Ratings By Robert Parker 89 Tasting Notes It is good to see this wine showing much better from bottle than it did from barrel, where it had a certain leanness and herbaceousness. There is still a hint of dried herbs in the classy nose of red and black currants, cedar wood, and spice box. The… Read More »