2012 Grand Puy Ducasse
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Tasting notes
The 2012 Grand-Puy Ducasse has a rather dour nose that is missing vigour, slightly flat red fruit laced with cedar and cigar humidor. The palate is medium-bodied with a soft opening, fine depth and acidity, ferrous in style with a fully mature finish. Perhaps more Saint-Julien in style than Pauillac, this is perfect for opening now. Tasted blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind. Smudgy colour. Sweet start. Edgy acidity. Not quite integrated – yet? Falls away on the end. (JR)
56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot. First vintage with grapes harvested into crates. Investment was made into the grape reception process, with a new rising/tipping trailer, grape reception hoppers, destemmer and optical sorting facility, enabling gentler handling of the raw material. Two egg-shaped tuns were also purchased . Deep healthy crimson. Very evolved nose. Rather winning and round. Light bodied and correct but a little austere and the fruit is so light that an oak hint shines through. (JR)
Tasted blind. Dark crimson. Fresh wood-shavings nose. Round and relatively supple. Well crafted even if it’s a little bitter on the end. Too light. (JR)
About the producer
The 40 hectares of this Pauillac Fifth Growth are spread across three sites, pieced together in the 18th century by Pierre Ducasse. Today owned by France’s Crédit Agricole bank, they have some very fine vineyard land, with their northernmost plot neighbouring Mouton and Lafite.