Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

Ruby with a rich bouquet of fruit, spices and floral notes. On the palate flavors of cherry and raspberry with notes of pepper, cinnamon and floral. Long finish, nice balance with fine soft tannins ending with earthy notes. Enjoyable now, a few more years will benefit. The ‘21 is a real insight for what the Riservas will taste like. Rated #7 wine of 2025 by spectator. — 6 days ago

Doug Powers

9.6

Sweet dark plum aromas and flavors, this wine still shows nice structure and has many more years ahead before it reaches maturity, long, lingering finish, excellent Bordeaux that will likely longer than me!! — a month ago

with Monique and Jim

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Deep opaque core, thin ruby rim. Deep slightly spicy creme de cassis , blackberry , charcoal embers , grafite . On the palate this is quite intense but has good freshness , and ripe but firm , quite dry tannins . Creme de cassis , blackberry , grafite , crushed rocks , quite saline and fresh in style , oyster shell and sea breeze hints . Well balanced alcohol and good length grafite , saline tinged finish . This is actually quite enjoyable , though obviously way too young , fresh and detailed with cool fresh dark fruit and grafite nuance. Better in 10 years and will last well a further 10-15 maybe more . Really enjoyed the style and balance of this . — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed from red Solo cups over the course of an hour. No formal notes. At this stage, the 2015 is more than giving, full of delicious ripe orchard fruits, tiny bubbles, racy acidity and minerals. I imagine this vintage will be really easy to love over the next 20 years or so. — a month ago

Paul T HB

9.4

This will be a day 2 wine. 1 glass today and it just has that day 2 feeling. — a month ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium light lemon straw colour , very fine constant bubbles . Quite restrained and mineral on the nose , with some light toasty notes , white flowers , lemon oil . Quite closed . On the palate this is really quite intense and mineral , oyster shell , chalky , limestone hints . Some lemon pith and a lightly toasty with a saline hint , fresh acidity , long and detailed , refined and very balanced . Really young still , needs time to open and will be long lived . Better in 5- 10 years and will last well a further 5-10 years — 2 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Ruby core still , quite wide garnet rim . Still quite young looking . This is quite exotic at first with some Asian spice , rose water , floral hints and after a while red cherries , red currant and blackberry . On the palate this has more of the darker fruits , dark cherry , blackberry with some spicy , wet slate and , lightly herbal , tobacco notes . Fresh acidity and fine but noticable tannins . Quite long and detailed , saline with spiced tea tinged finish . Quite reserved and understated but enough fruit and mid palate to cover the structure . This is drinking well now with time in the glass , and will continue at this level for another 10 years or so . So exotic and enticing on the nose , and with great poise and freshness on the palate, really great showing. — 2 months ago

Tom Garland

9.2

2 hour decant(little fine sediment). A splendid dark magenta with some bricking. On the nose: subdued but enticing notes of blackberry, cassis, cigar wrapper, clove, pine, maybe a touch of brett. Taste: silky, still youthful at 20 wine with blackberry, red fruit, graphite, spice, and a medium smokey licorice tar finish. YUM..good but expecting more for the year..will wait a few years for next attempt. — a month ago

with Brenda

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Something for my Wagyu Burger.

I do enjoy this producers style/craft. Also, enjoy the elegance of St. Julien. 2012 is a vintage Sofia & 1 worked harvest at Clerc Milon. So, the 2012 vintage will always be a special vintage for me, even if it was only one that was good to very good for the right terroirs and producers. Just wasn’t special like; 00, 05, 09, 10, 16 or 19 etc..

Having said all that, this Ducru is not the 2012 star of the region. It’s elegant but falls short on depth, character & umpf, which are things I have grown to expect and have experienced from this producer in many vintages.

The palate shows, soft, round & velvety M-M+ tannins. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, some of both plums, slightly baked strawberries & circling raspberries. Slightly dry tobacco w/ ash, soft leather, sandalwood, mid, dark, rounded spice, nutmeg, clove, some cinnamon & vanillin, dark most earth with clay & dry leaves, herbaceous notes, very soft & elegant graphite, a touch of of mid berry cola/licorice, dark withering flowers, red roses, nice acidity with nicely balance, good tension/structured, elegant finish that last nearly two minutes and long sets on rounded dark spice.

@EmiratesLoungeDubai — a month ago

Dean Quintal

9.5

Deep, dense red-purple hue. licorice, toasty oak, and subtle mocha notes. Dark fruits like blackberry and plum are noticeable, but it's more restrained than overtly fruity.
full-bodied, with sultry dark fruits (black cherry, plum), dark chocolate, licorice, and spice. Can’t wait for at least another 5 years before I try this again. Didn’t feel too you but feels like it will be better with age. — 2 months ago