Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Saint-Julien 1986

Blackberry, mint and black pepper abound here. The palate has serious structure, with an emphasis on liquorice, restrained vanilla, cedar and earth. It’s still pretty concentrated and voluptuous. Recorked at the château in 2001. The exact blend was not recorded, so the blend shown reflects the vineyard plantings, with 5% Petit Verdot. Drinking window: 2019-2038. Score – 95. (Jane Anson, decanter.com, Aug. 26, 2022)