Le Petit Ducru de Ducru Beaucaillou 2018
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is located in the Saint-Julien appellation, in Bordeaux. It was classified Second Growth in the Bordeaux classification of 1855. The 75-hectare vineyard is located to the south-east of the appellation, near the village of Beychevelle and bordering Branaire-Ducru. It sits near the river, which protects from frost and hail, and on the deeper layers of gravel, drainage is improved, evening heat and a protective layer preventing the subsoil from drying out during heat waves. Alluvium and a high clay content enrich the soil, and the vineyard takes its name from these “beautiful pebbles”. In 1942, Francis Borie took Ducru-Beaucaillou in annuity from Fernand Odon Desbarats de Burke. A fierce builder, the energetic merchant from Correze was also a passionate winegrower at Château Haut Batailley, a classified Grand Cru from the neighbouring town of Pauillac. In 1959, Jean-Eugène Borie, succeeding his father, undertook a meticulous work of restoring the vineyard and the cellars. Quickly abandoning the family négoce business, he dedicated himself to the development and modernisation of the property to put it entirely at the service of the wines of the château.
Le Petit Ducru de Ducru-Beaucaillou is a Bordeaux blend predominantly of Merlot, completed with Cabernet Sauvignon. Aging lasts 12 months in barrels, with 1/3 new wood.
Grape varieties: 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon