Tasting Notes
Vinous 91
Moderately saturated ruby-red. Aromas of redcurrant, cedar and tobacco. At once juicy and soft, with currant and tobacco flavors. Offers a silky texture and lovely volume but not quite the structure or grip of the 2002. But this is lush, captivating claret.
Robert Parker 92
Tasted at Farr’s Ducru-Beaucaillou dinner at the Ledbury. The 2001 Ducru is showing very well, better than I expected given its performances a few years ago. Here, it has a warm, rounded, almost sensual bouquet with black fruits, bay leaf and cedar ” certainly more generous and expressive than the 2000 but without the same level of complexity or delineation. The palate is just entertaining the notion of secondary flavours with some intriguing gamey notes infusing the dark black fruit with the finish seasoned by the Cabernet Franc. This should drink well over the next decade. Tasted October 2010.
JancisRobinson.com 16.5
68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Aged for 18 months in French oak (90% new). Relatively late harvest in October after some quite irregular weather. Tricky crumbly corks. Blackish crimson. Lots of tertiary ripe-fruit flavours. Nicely balanced with some ferrous notes and round fruit. Lighter than the Bruno-era (2003 onwards) wines, without noticeable tannin. Not desperately long but lovely nose.
Anticipated maturity: 2010-2027
