Had a very tasty '90 a couple of years ago. That’s my only experience with DB.
Count me as a fan! Still have a few '81s and '82s in the cellar. Loved the '78s and '79 s although they are all gone. Unfortunately, as a few others mentioned, they ( like all super seconds) are no longer in my price range.
Cheers!
Marshall
Will do, Andy. It’s for a dinner I’m having with Merrill Lindquist.
82, 85, and 86 were winners with big time aging in the cellar. HOWEVER, the more recent vintages of Ducru have changed rather substantially in terms of style, and the price increases have been more than substantial. I’m not a buyer at these price levels. 2009 for $300+? Um, no thanks.
Bruce
1998 Ducru has been delicious when I’ve had it.
Well, the 1982, 1970, 1961 are memorable experiences with Ducru, the latter the single best wine for at least 5-6 years in my early wine life (it was a simply perfectly stored bottle) … so I have bought several vintages afterwards.
Unfortunately many bottles vintages 1986 to 1990 often were ruined by a TCA-like chemical smell … always a gamble when opening one … but the clean bottles were vg to outstanding, but not really great.
I did like the 1996 and 2000, but other vintages left me somewhat unexcited … good, but nothing you HAVE to own.
So … ok, not THE MOST overrated by far, but maybe “a little bit” …
That could well have been the “chemical stuff” - most probably from wood treatment in the cellars.
Well, I’ve never be a huge fan of this wine or St. Julien in general. Got blasted some years back when comparing a few super seconds from '96 and I decided that the '96 Calon Segur (not a super second) was much better than the DB. I, however, was happy with my assessment as the Calon was and is much more affordable.
Sitting on the fence there ‘a little bit’ Gerhard.
I’m sure the '82 was delicious (can’t comment, haven’t tried it) - but so was every other wine made in Bordeaux that year. And just because a Chateau makes a good wine twice a decade doesn’t give them the right to strut around St. Julien pretending to be a 1st Growth.
Diane: not a direct comparison with the Tignanello, this was just the aperitif. The Leo Barton (my WOTN) was had side by side.
And since no one has offered a more overrated wine (in Bordeaux) I think I’ll stick with Ducru-Beaucaillou.
Thanks for your comments.
I had the 2000 last month. Mind blowing delicious. So another no vote.
What Alex seems to be saying is that he doesn’t like traditionally made clarets. As far as I can see, this is not a discussion about quality, but about taste.
I recently tasted several vintages of Ducru at the estate. 2012 is for me, one of the best left bank wines I tasted. 2009 and 2005 were as good as one would expect from a top wine in a great vintage. In fact, 2005 was so good, I went out to purchase a couple of bottles. The surprises were 2004 and 2006. Both of them were made without too much extraction. 2004 was almost ready, a beautiful fragrant, perfumed claret. 2006 was a little more backward, but is probably going to be the better of the two. So, I have to say, I have to respectfully disagree with Alex.
And since he is looking for alternatives to his “overrated” wine, I hereby nominate Troplong Mondot. It’s hard to enjoy wines like their 2010, which tipped the scales at 16.2% alcohol. I would also nominate recent vintages of Haut Brion, who have not made a wine worthy of the estate since 2008.
O yeah,and I would add Lafite.
This is correct. And I think the problems extended into the mid- and even late-90s, although perhaps they were not as bad as in the late 80s. A 1982 I had last summer was absolutely beautiful, and the 2000 and beyond vintages I have tasted on occasion have seemed well made and clean, although my ability to evaluate young Bordeaux for long term potential is unproven. I have not really loved the 1999 that much - I picked up a few bottles at $50 each a few years ago - but I think it may in part be the vintage.
I have had the 82 few times and it was excellent.
The next best vintage for Ducru was 1996. I had a bottle last last year and it was terrific.
2000 and 2005 are excellent too.
I haven’t tasted 2001 recently.
2002 was bad. I did not like 2003 Ducru (many others have).
2004 was so-so.
I stopped buying Ducru after 2005. The price is too high.
Did anyone else notice this besides me??? 
Rauzan is the most overrated wine in Bordeaux…
Very nice, Diane. Have a great time!
I am not sure what the most overrated Bordeaux is (I’d probably nominate certain Right Bank franken-wines), but my most disappointing wine has been Leoville Las Cases. The only LLC that lived up to its hype was the awesome '96 and that wine still needs an age to come around. The 75, 78, 79, 81, 83, 86, 90 have either been bad, so-so or a tannic blackhole (like the 86 tasted in 2008).
I don’t think that Ducru is overrated quality wise, it’s absurdly priced nowadays eP but that’s sadly quite common now in the Bordelais. Ducru needs time and very often lots of it but if you have patience you are rewarded. Bottles of the 66,70 & 78 lately showed great, 78 still young and the 82 is right now turning into something great. Even a bottle from the desastrous 77 vintage was a good food wine 2 years ago. Opening a Ducru too early leads to wrong conclusions. 98 still needs time and while it won’t become a stellar wine I believe it will be really fine around 2020.
Another “no” vote. Had the '96 a couple of weeks ago and it was terrific
My experience is limited to some vintages in the 80’s but all were very good: 81, 83, 85, and 86. I’d also agree that it seems to be a wine that needs time to resolve. I had an 83 within the last year or so and it seemed like it could still go a few years. Do I prefer other second growths? Yes, but that doesn’t mean that this is the most overrated wine either.