1966 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
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Tasting notes
Transparent browning ruby. Very mature nose. Nose of slightly sweaty velvet. Like the 1983, this has the smell of another era! An old wine. Dry and a bit drying. But a great survivor! It has a finish. An antique. (JR)
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 1966 Ducru-Beaucaillou has a mushroom, briny nose that is too herbal for my liking, lacking the panache of say, the 1966 Latour or 1966 Château Margaux (the latter tasted by chance just a couple of days before this.) The palate is medium-bodied with solid tannins, a little foursquare, serious and lacking a bit of charm. Maybe this was better a couple of decades ago, but I still expect more given the quality of the 1970 or 1961. Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château.
Medium brown colored with a touch of brick, the 1966 Ducru-Beaucaillou gives up savory notions of smoked meats, sautéed herbs and tapenade over a core of salted nuts, Fig Newtons and tobacco. Medium-bodied, the palate has a lot of freshness with finely grained tannins and loads of perfumed nuances coming through on the finish. While not generally a very long-lived vintage, this is still wonderfully elegant, graceful and delicious!
About the producer
Second Growth estate Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou in Saint-Julien is one of the Super Seconds, an elite group of properties producing wines that regularly compete with the finest in the Médoc.