2010 Ducru-Beaucaillou (St-Julien)

This is intense, concentrated, spirals through the palate, grabbing you with satin-textured blackberry and bilberry fruits, showing depth and character. Plentiful tannins shot through with luscious juice from beginning to end, this stretches out, building flavours an inch at a time, confident and at the top of its game. Such well-judged appellation, estate and vintage signature, ticking all boxes of that particular holy trinity. Harvest September 29 to October 14. 100% new oak. The last vintage with Jacques Boissenot working alongside his son Eric, Virginie Sallette technical director. 100 points

The 2010 Ducru-Beaucaillou, picked 29 September to 14 October, was matured in 100% new oak for 18 months. This is more backward, sultry compared to the 2009, but there is a payload of black fruit laced with violet and cedar, a very faint ash scent emerging with time. The palate is full-bodied with powerful black fruit, a lovely granular texture and a killer line of acidity. There is a certainly headiness on the finish, atypically more so than the 2009, although it delivers extraordinary persistence. It needs another 10 years before it even thinks about entering its drinking window. Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the chateau. 96+ points