- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2022 has been released for £2,244 per 12×75.
- ‘Uncompromising in many ways’, said Neal Martin, who rated it at 95-97 points.
- Buyers looking for value might want to consider the 2016, 2018 and 2020 vintages.
As part of this year’s Bordeaux En Primeur campaign, Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2022 has been released at €186 per bottle ex-négociant, up 19.2% on the 2021 release (€156 per bottle).
It is being offered by the international trade for £2,244 per 12×75, up 17.6% on the 2021’s opening price (£1,908 per 12×75).
At this price, the 2016, 2018 and 2020 vintages look better value in relation to today’s release. See more pricing analysis below.
Critics’ scores
Neal Martin (Vinous) awarded the wine a barrel range of 95-97 points, calling it ‘one of the most dense and muscular’ of the Château’s history. He added that the 2022 Ducru-Beaucaillou ‘threatens to overwhelm the senses’ while still young, noting that the bottle tasting will be particularly important.
William Kelley (Wine Advocate) assigned it a score of 94-96 points, deeming it a ‘punchy, modern Saint-Julien reminiscent of a hypothetical blend of the 2018 and 2020’.
James Suckling gave the wine a barrel range of 97-98 points, calling it ‘full-bodied with powerful tannins, yet fine and layered’.
Fair Value analysis
There is no significant correlation between Ducru-Beaucaillou Market Prices and Neal Martin scores – the chosen critic for Liv-ex’s ‘Fair Value’ methodology.
That said, Ducru-Beaucaillou prices are 65% correlated to Antonio Galloni scores. Liv-ex members on Silver packages and above can find out more via the Fair Value Tool.
Based on the chart above, buyers looking for value in back vintages might want to consider the 97-point 2016 and 2018 vintages; they are available at a discount of 14.4% and 26.5% respectively to today’s release. The 2020, which was scored a barrel range of 96-98 points by Neal Martin, is also available at a 14.4% discount to today’s release.
The lower-scoring 2014 also looks attractive.
Other releases
Le Petit Ducru-Beaucaillou 2022 has also been released at €22.20 per bottle ex-négociant, and Madame de Beaucaillou 2022 at €12.60 per bottle ex-négociant.
Our Bordeaux En Primeur 2022 page contains everything you need to know about this year’s campaign. You can also sign up for our daily En Primeur email alerts using the form below.
Liv-ex analysis is drawn from the world’s most comprehensive database of fine wine prices. The data reflects the real time activity of Liv-ex’s 620+ merchant members from across the globe. Together they represent the largest pool of liquidity in the world – currently £100m of bids and offers across 16,000 wines.
