Le Petit Ducru de Ducru-Beaucaillou 2018 750ml

Blackberry and blueberry aromas with black licorice and dark violets that follow to a medium to full body with ultra fine tannins and a pretty finish. Very fine texture.

The Merlot-dominated 2018 Le Petit Ducru De Ducru-Beaucaillou (there's 40% Cabernet Sauvignon) is another dense ruby/purple-hued effort offering lots of cedar, green tobacco, damp earth, and darker currant-like fruits to go with a medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured mouthfeel. It has ripe tannins and plenty of baby fat that hides solid underlying structure. It's well worth seeking out and is going to put a smile on your face any time over the coming decade as well.

The 2018 Le Petit Ducru de Ducru-Beaucaillou, to give it its full name, was still "Lalande-Borie" when I tasted it from barrel. Aged for 12 months in 30% new oak, it has a pretty bouquet, less precocious than I remarked back then, with brambly black fruit, crushed rock and a light wilted iris scent. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, the oak now nicely entwined, whereas before I thought that it might take 3–4 years to fully integrate. There is ample ripeness, though this remains classic in style, possessing fine delineation and just the right amount of sapidity to urge you back for another sip.