Ducru-Beaucaillou, St-Julien 2016 1.5L

The history of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is closely linked with that of the five families who have owned it and lived in it since it was built in 1720. One of the 61 red ‘grands crus’ classified as a second cru in the famous Bordeaux Wine Classification of 1855, it has been in the Borie family for over 60 years. Today, while many Bordeaux chateaux are owned by remote conglomerates or absent landowners, the borie family lives on the estate on a daily basis and continues to put its imprint on his highly reputed estate, with the assistance of loyal and enthusiastic team.

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou boasts some of the most precious terroir in all of St.-Julien: Located less than a kilometre from Bordeaux’s climate-moderating Gironde estuary, the estate heavy with beaux cailloux ('beautiful pebbles') “can challenge Léoville Las Cases and the Médoc First Growths in quality each year.” Those are the words of no less an authority than Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, whose origins lie in the early 18th century, owes its name to the ‘beautiful stones’ that characterize its terroir and whose exceptional wine-making assets translate into the finesse and elegance of its wines. It is because of its terroir that Ducru-Beaucaillou is often considered the epitome of the Saint-Julien AOC label. It is one of the 14 second crus from the 1855 classification, which includes 61 of the 75 best Bordeaux wines and one of the rare wines in the « super seconds » category. Château Ducru-Beaucaillou and its vines are perched on a magnificent site in the Médoc, offering incomparable views over the Gironde estuary which, almost 4 miles wide at this point, creates its own micro-climate. It is one of the only castles in Bordeaux to be built directly of the cellars, and one of the only ones still inhabited by its owners.