1966 Ducru Beaucaillou

The 1966 Ducru-Beaucaillou has a mushroom, briny nose that is too herbal for my liking, lacking the panache of say, the 1966 Latour or 1966 Château Margaux (the latter tasted by chance just a couple of days before this.) The palate is medium-bodied with solid tannins, a little foursquare, serious and lacking a bit of charm. Maybe this was better a couple of decades ago, but I still expect more given the quality of the 1970 or 1961. Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château.

Medium brown colored with a touch of brick, the 1966 Ducru-Beaucaillou gives up savory notions of smoked meats, sautéed herbs and tapenade over a core of salted nuts, Fig Newtons and tobacco. Medium-bodied, the palate has a lot of freshness with finely grained tannins and loads of perfumed nuances coming through on the finish. While not generally a very long-lived vintage, this is still wonderfully elegant, graceful and delicious!