Ducru Beaucaillou 1985 (750ML)

95 Points, Zachys Buying Team: "We had this wine over dinner while in Bordeaux tasting the 2014s - easily one of the highlights of the entire trip. Perfectly mature and is currently drinking the way Bordeaux was intended to be consumed - with age and enough sweet fruit to complement the tertiary development. This wine is all about elegance, no hard edges, classic St Julien cedar, truffle, and damp earth are joined by tobacco and cinnamon. Tongue-staining, long finish. It is a wine that transports you back to old world style claret, where the wine doesn't clobber at 12.5% alcohol. It is truly a special treat to have this wine with this provenance and condition." 4/14

90 Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Proprietor Bruno Borie mentioned that this was a late vintage. They started to pick on 30th September, finishing on 11th October. He didn't have exact grape percentages for this year, but he thinks it is probably 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. Pale to medium brick-brown colored, the 1985 Ducru-Beaucaillou slowly unfurls to reveal notes of Christmas pudding, dried cranberries and bouquet garni with nuances of cast iron pan, dusty soil and woodsmoke. Medium-bodied, the palate has a firm, chewy backbone and oodles of freshness with a core of dried herbs and stewed tea and a slightly rustic finish." 08/20

92 Points, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate: "A wine of extraordinary charm and elegance, the dark garnet-colored 1985 Ducru-Beaucaillou has a floral, cedary nose intermixed with red and black currants as well as flowers. The wine is fully mature and soft, with beautiful concentration and purity." 1/03