The 1989 Ducru Beaucaillou has an unenviable reputation as a hit 'n miss wine, since this was the period when the château suffered a TCA infection in the roof. This bottle seemed to have been affected, but perhaps that diverts you from this rather humdrum Ducru compared to recent spectacular vintages courtesy of Bruno Borie. The nose is staid and lacks fruit concentration in the context of the vintage, dusty and smudged. The palate is medium-bodied with dry tannin, somehow hollow and shallow with a very one-dimensional finish that doesn't exactly leave you begging for another sip. If you want to play Russian roulette, then go for the 1989, though personally I would prefer to drink any vintage from the last decade. Tasted April 2016.