2023 Grand Puy Ducasse
Buying options
Tasting notes
A classic, beautifully balanced wine, the 2023 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse checks in as 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, all brought up in a mix of new and used barrels. Its deep purple hue is followed by classy and classic Pauillac darker currant fruits intermixed with notes of smoky tobacco, freshly sharpened pencils, and spicy wood. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has the vintage's charming, rounded, yet nicely concentrated mouthfeel and outstanding length. It has some charm even today yet will probably hit its early drinking window in 5-7 years and keep for 30 years or more if well stored. Drink 2031-2055.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2023 Grand-Puy Ducasse is a real beauty. Aromatic and vibrant, with gorgeous mid-weight structure, the 2023 is seriously beautiful right out of the gate. Lavender, cloves, menthol, graphite, dried herbs and incense are all finely sketched in the glass. This energetic Pauillac is wonderfully rendered. What a delight.
The 2023 Grand-Puy-Ducasse has a plusher bouquet compared to its Pauillac peers, though it manages to retain satisfying delineation, raspberry and blackcurrant mixed with tobacco and forest floor. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, well-judged acidity, moderate length with a minty finish. Drink over the next 15 to 20 years.
About the producer
The 40 hectares of this Pauillac Fifth Growth are spread across three sites, pieced together in the 18th century by Pierre Ducasse. Today owned by France’s Crédit Agricole bank, they have some very fine vineyard land, with their northernmost plot neighbouring Mouton and Lafite.