Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Madame de Beaucaillou 2022

The origins of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou lie in the 18th century when the Beaucaillou castle was purchased by Bertrand Ducru. In the 1855 Classification of Bordeaux, this Saint-Julien property was ranked as a Deuxième Cru or Second Growth. Today, it is considered one of the "Super-Seconds" and one of the leading estates of Saint-Julien.

Interestingly, this illustrious château — unlike almost all those in Bordeaux — was not originally named after a family, but after its incredibly special soil and unique terroir full of large stones. Beaucaillou means "beautiful stone." It wasn't until 1795 that the Ducru name was added to the Château when it was acquired by Bertrand. Monsieur Ducru commissioned renowned Parisian architect Michel-Louis Garros to design and build the new château. Since 1941, it has been owned by the Borie family, a prestigious and deeply-rooted Bordeaux wine family that helped the modern era of the Château.

The vineyards of Ducru-Beaucaillou are planted on gravelly soils on the banks of the Gironde estuary, where they are the deepest in the commune. The Château's 75 hectares are planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvinon and 30% Merlot, with an average vine age of over 35 years. All grapes are harvested manually and each vineyard plot is vinified separately. Blending occurs after malolactic fermentation and the first racking. The wines see between 50-80% new French oak depending on the vintage.

Château Ducru-Beacaillou’s Madame de Beaucaillou debuted in 2019 to celebrate the estate’s 300th harvest. More importantly, the wine stands as a tribute both to Madame Monique Eugène-Borie — the long-reigning Chairwoman of Ducru’s Supervisory Board — and the extensive succession of women whose contributions were instrumental in Ducru-Beaucaillou’s development, renown and success.

Madame de Beaucaillou is crafted from predominantly Merlot supplemented with Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, all sourced from the Ducru-Beaucaillou’s 16-hectare Haut-Médoc vineyard. The Madame is made with the same superior winemaking practices and meticulous attention to detail as the estate’s esteemed Grand Vin, yet it is remarkably more approachable in its youth. The Madame de Beaucaillou pours a hypnotic deep purple in the glass, offering intense dark berry and stone fruit aromas tinged with notes of crushed violets and spice. The attack is dense and concentrated, though that richness is balanced by a lovely freshness. Brimming with fruit, flavors of Morello cherry, blackberry and cassis unfurl across the palate, infused with a light earthy minerality and swaddled by silky, sensuous tannins that guide you towards a long, elegant finish. Spectacular tonight, this beautiful Bordeaux will age gracefully for the next 5-10 years.