- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2023 has been released for £1,488 per 12×75.
- ‘Shows more refinement and poise than the 2022’, said Neal Martin, who rated it at 94-96 points.
- Buyers looking for value might want to consider the 2018 and 2020 vintages.
As part of this year’s Bordeaux En Primeur campaign, Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2023 has been released at €120 per bottle ex-négociant, down 35.5% on the 2022 release (€186 per bottle).
It is being offered by the international trade for £1,488 per 12×75, down 33.7% on the 2022’s opening price (£2,244 per 12×75).
At this price, the 2018 and 2020 vintages may present relative value to buyers. See more pricing analysis below.
Critical response
Neal Martin (Vinous) gave the wine a barrel score of 94-96 points. According to him, the ‘2023 has a less forceful bouquet than the 2022 and, consequently, shows more refinement and poise’. He added that it is the ‘strictest vintage he has encountered in some time’.
Antonio Galloni (Vinous) awarded the wine 95-97 points, adding that ‘the balance of opulence and vibrancy is compelling’.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW (The Wine Independent) gave a score of 95-97+ points, calling it ‘more structured than most Médoc wines this year and very impressive’.
James Suckling scored the wine 96-97 points, describing it as ‘crunchy, succulent and linear’.
Pricing analysis
While today’s release price comes in at a discount to last year’s, there remain similarly priced, high-scoring vintages available on the market. For buyers interested in value opportunities, there are options in back vintages.
The 97-point 2018 and 2020 vintages, Neal Martin’s joint-highest scoring of the past decade, are available at a small premium to today’s release.
With a Market Price of £1,520 per case, the 2018 vintage is the least expensive of these two.
The 2020 vintage, however, received joint-highest scores of the decade from both Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW and Jane Anson. Fans of these two critics may opt for the slightly more expensive 2020, available at a 7.5% premium to today’s release.
Other releases
La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou 2023 and Le Petit Ducru de Ducru-Beaucaillou 2023 have also been released today with recommended retail prices of £30.40 and £20.50 respectively.
Our Bordeaux En Primeur 2023 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 20,000 wines.
