2004 Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou

[DRT]

From a half bottle purchased from The Wine Society.

Nice powerful aroma when decanting. Still a very youthful colour. A fantastic combination of barnyard and red, sweet fruits on the nose. Heavy mouth feel, very smooth and silky on the palate. Dark, brooding fruit. Redcurrant, I think, followed by a huge wave of tannin. The first part of the experience oozes class and elegance. The follow-up punches you in the face in a "what do you think you are doing?" kind of way. But then comes the finish, which is long, complex and satisfying. A beautiful wine that is nowhere near ready.

I bought this because I really like their second wine (or is it second label or second Château or just something else they do?) La Croix de Beaucaillou and wondered whether the 4x price for the 2nd Growth was worth it. It is, if you can afford it. I'll keep buying La Croix by the case and perhaps Ducru by the bottle or half bottle when I feel flush.

[DRT]

Half an hour later the aggression from the tannins has gone and the wine is perfectly balanced and delicious from beginning to end. Lovely jubbly.

[djewesbury]

Sounds lovely!

[DRT]

Sounds lovely!

It is. But it's very small

[LGTrotter]

Half bottles are notoriously useless. I have bought half bottles of champagne in the past only to discover that the only real solution is to open another one. I thought that port would be a good thing to drink from a half bottle but the development is peculiar.

Not a bad price though to try Ducru. And good to hear at least one of the 04s are OK.

[DRT]

good to hear at least one of the 04s are OK.

I bought cases of halves of 04 from Batailley and Langoa Barton, both of which are very nice indeed, albeit that the LB needs quite a while in the decanter to open up as it is quite impenetrable at the moment.

[djewesbury]

We drank the Clos du Marquis and Croix de Beaucaillou 04 before I left for Berlin. Both wonderful and beautifully expressive. I don't know the source of your anti-04 prejudice, Owen.