Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
This Second Growth Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is simply superb. Robert Parker describes the wines from this “Super Second” in his tome on Bordeaux to be the perfect essence of “elegance, symmetry, balance, breed, class and distinction.” If a reclassification were ever to be in the cards, Château Ducru-Beaucaillou would surely have a shot at First Growth status.
The property had a sterling reputation from being classified as a Second Growth in 1855 and was sold in 1866 to Lucie Caroline Dassier for one million francs. Dassier was the wife of the famous negociant Nathaniel Johnston. Johnston performed numerous experiments at Château Ducru-Beaucaillou to protect the vines from various rots and diseases. He developed the first solution for mildew by creating what is now called, “Bordeaux Soup.” This concoction is a mixture of lime milk and copper sulfite used to cure the vines of mildew. It is still used to protect against mildew today.
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is unique in so many aspects. One of which is that it receives part of its namesake from the terroir that is specific to this estate. The estate’s signature Gunz gravel reflects the sun’s rays and offers the perfect drainage for the 50 hectares Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines. The name, “Beaux Cailloux,” loosely translates to, “beautiful stones.” The winemaking team firmly believes these special pebbles do all the work on the estate in transforming their precious grapes into astounding, mineral-driven wines with tremendous ageing potential. Guests to the chateau are sometimes given a token of souvenir in the form of a velvet-boxed pebble from the land around the estate.
TASTING NOTE
1982 Ducru-Beaucaillou is medium brick colored, it comes galloping out of the glass with bold, expressive notes of Black Forest cake, preserved plums and mincemeat pie with hints of cigar box, star anise, eucalyptus and espresso plus wafts of roasted nuts and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, generous and opulent, the palate has beautifully ripe, fine-grained tannins and tons of youthful fruit, finishing with epically long-lasting layers of preserved black fruits and exotic spices.
ROBERT PARKER – 97POINTS
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