TN: 1981 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien)

WINE TALK
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  • 1981 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (11/14/2014)

After our older Bordeaux tasting few weeks ago I came with two conclusions- (a) concentrate on one to two wines for a dinner is better. (b) Try some of the older wines at leisure instead of intense tasting. So, we opened at home for dinner. (but what a terrible cork! It literally fell apart after opening though there was no sign of past seepage, leaking, or any other problem. If fact, the wine was in great shape!)

It was actually as enjoyable or even more than the '70 I tasted recently. Very Very aromatic upon opening (I opened in the living room and I got a call from the kitchen- mmm… what’s the good smell?) With nice violet on the nose, and I agree with previous notes regarding the graphite and earthy notes. Within an hour in the carafe it opened even more. Very good on the palate (well balanced). I don’t think it faded over the dinner, but we did need to give it an hour ‘rest’ in the middle and got back to it later in the evening. It was so enjoyable we finished it all, so no day 2 tasting/testing (took as 3 hours or so). Brighter purple color compared with the '70, but the nose was so wider (I think both would be good choice).

(93+ on grade, but recently I realized the notes are more meaningful than the number)

If you have one in good storage, enjoy!

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I’ve also had some good '81s from the better prodcers… If reasonably well-stored these Bordeaux will last and improve forever! Well, just about! :slight_smile:

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Good to read about a healthy bottle of this as the last couple of '80s Ducru-Beaucaillou I’ve opened were corked (the most recent one an '81). Their '78 is probably my favourite vintage of D-B so far, and definitely one of my favourite '78s in general.

As regards concentrating over fewer wines over dinner (or lunch), that’s pretty much the only way I have wine the past many years. I used to attend Vinexpo (in Bordeaux and HK) regularly, and, once in a while, the en primeur in Bdx, but gave those up in 2011 - the tastings had become way too crowded and hectic (plus I became very busy at work since then). I do miss the nightly dinner parties that came with Vinexpo though - those were great.

Best,

N

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I purchased two of these 81’s from Fass last year. I had the first one in September, and mine was also very aromatic upon opening. Looking forward to the second one.