1986 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou Saint-Julien 750 ml

Nothing compares to perfectly cellared Bordeaux. It’s an unparalleled sensory experience that can only be achieved through expert winemaking and diligent patience. And bottles like this exquisite 1986 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou are next to impossible to get directly from the estate… normally. 

Ducru-Beaucaillou is commonly listed among the unofficial “Super Seconds,” a small circle of wines designated as Second Growths in the 1855 classification, but agreed to rival the First Growths in quality. And this library masterpiece comes with perfect provenance directly from the Château cellar. There have been no hand-offs, and no middlemen involved in procuring this Ducru-Beaucaillou—it will hit your glass in pristine condition, exactly as the château intended. It’s nothing short of phenomenal.

From one of the best vintages of the decade, the 1986 exudes the class and elegance that has ranked Ducru-Beaucaillou among Bordeaux’s best. It was tasted by the winemaker and re-corked in 2011, and the ullage (space in the neck of the bottle) was refilled with the very same wine, ensuring an immaculate bottle that shows off how much 35 years can elevate an already-spectacular wine. 

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou wines are famously built for cellaring, and this bottle proves it. A rich garnet in the glass, with preserved cherries and raspberries, spice box, leather, truffle, licorice, and fennel precisely knitted together on the nose.

Currently entering its prime, this wine has the legs to continue maturing for nearly two more decades. That’s owing to the strength of the 1986 vintage, which ranks among the best of the ‘80s. 

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou has some of the best terroir in all of St.-Julien, defined by its beaux cailloux (“beautiful pebbles”). Dotting the vineyards, these quartz pebbles force the vines to dig deep for water and nutrients. Adding to the hardship, the vineyards are planted at an exceptionally high density—10,000 vines per hectare—spurring intense competition between the vines. All of these factors combine to encourage the type of revelatory concentration and richness that keep us coming back to Ducru-Beaucaillou wines.