| Young, fresh raspberries on the nose. A deep raspberry-like color. Now, see, this is one 1999 that has a sembleance of a tannic structure behind it. But more appropriately the wine is defined by a balance and elegance. A quite nice bouquet for this young wine. Medium bodied. This tends to contradict the general notion that the quality of the wines in the Medoc declines in 1999 the further north one ventures. This wine is superior to the Margaux-appellation examples I've tasted so far-- or, some Pauillac favorites as well, for that matter. My enthusiasm is tempered because this is hardly what I would characterize as an "outstanding" wine. However, I find it quite easy to drink down the hatch. In one sense, it is a nice dalliance from the typically heavier and full-bodied Medocs that I usually drink. This is one of the first 1999s that I'd be interested in buying more of. You know, this would be a good wine of which to have a case or so in half-bottle format to drink over the next 15 years. It has some nice sweet fruit on the palate, and I continue to be impressed by the sweet raspberry nose. The wine really displays some fine wine-making. The finish does come up a bit short. It is a ninety-pointer, but, perhaps, only because they really focused on the selection and wine-making. The 1999 Ducru was poised to garner a higher score if it had made a bigger impression at the end. It did not. (Well, I'll qualify that: It did show admirably with the whoopie pie.) But, in the end, it is a 90-point wine-- something I've had trouble saying about most other Bordeaux wines from the vintage of 1999. A quite nice wine. Rating: 90 points. |
