Château DUCRU-BEAUCAILLOU 1976
Second Growth from the 1855 Classification, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, Médoc
The estate has had several owners since the 13th century. Until 1720, the castle belonged to the Bergeron family before being sold to Bertrand Ducru and to take its name. Ducru therefore comes from the name of the owner of the château from 1795, associated with Beaucaillou, the name of the rock specific to the soil. These are large Günz gravels whose thickness varies from 6 to 8 metres. In 1866, the winery was sold to the wife of Nathaniel Johnston, wine merchant and MP of Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, but because of the 1929 financial crisis, the Johnston family had to sell the estate to other wine merchants, the Desbarats who operated for only 12 years before to hand it over again, this time to the Borie family, who is still in charge.
The estate covers 75 hectares with the following vine population: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, and the average age of the vines is 35 years old.
The 1976 vintage is a great vintage in the north of the Médoc, even though gruelling. The hot summer brought very early grape harvesting, which was disturbed by torrential rains that filled the grapes with water. However, the 1976 wines in Saint-Julien are supple and elegant thanks to a careful selection of the best grapes.