1981 | Château Ducru-Beaucaillou | Saint-Julien

A vintage I seldom see anymore, the wine is more interesting on its complex nose, due to the tobacco, cigar leaf, ash, cedar, thyme, leaf and red berry nose. Medium bodied, soft and with fresh, bright red fruits on the palate, this requires drinking sooner than later.

Producer Information

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is a well-regarded wine estate in the Saint-Julien appellation of Bordeaux's Haut-Médoc wine region, on the so-called "left bank" of the Gironde estuary. The estate and its eponymous grand vin (the estate's principle wine) was rated a second growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. It is often described as the quintessential Saint-Julien – deeply colored and powerfully ripe, yet balanced and harmonious. The grand vin usually needs 10 years of aging and can last for decades. A second wine, Croix de Beaucaillou, is also produced from the Ducru vineyard. The 75-hectare (185-acre) vineyard is situated in the southeast of the appellation, north of the village of Beychevelle and bordering Branaire-Ducru and Beychevelle to the south, with Léoville and Langoa Barton to the north. The Ducru-Beaucaillou château and estate lies relatively close to the broad Gironde estuary, which moderates the local microclimate and gives some protection from frost and hail. On the deeper gravel layers of the vineyard there is enhanced drainage, evening warmth, and a protective layer stopping the subsoil from drying out in heat waves. Alluvial deposits and a high clay content enrich the soil, and the vineyard takes its name from these "beautiful stones". It is planted 70 percent to Cabernet Sauvignon and 30 percent to Merlot. Grapes are sorted in the vineyard on mobile tables to promptly separate out any unhealthy grapes, and specific vineyard plots are vinified separately. Barrel-ageing uses between 50-80 percent new wood, depending on the vintage. The château is unusual for the region in being built directly over the wine cellars, and in that it is still inhabited by the family who own the estate. The Borie family also own the châteaux Lalande-Borie in Saint-Julien and Ducluzeau in Listrac-Médoc. The estate also produces a second wine, La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou – a blend of 60 percent Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder Merlot and a little Petit Verdot. The third wine, Le Petit Ducru, inverts these proportions and is 60 percent Merlot with around 35 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and the remainder, Petit Verdot.

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