Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2010

A refined and aromatic fine Saint-Julien red wine

The estate

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is the iconic Cru Classé of Saint-Julien and watches over a prestigious terroir. Over the past 300 years, six families have worked to maintain this wine’s unrivalled worldwide reputation. Owned by the Borie family since 1941, Château Ducru-Beaucaillou’s name, "beautiful pebbles", is a reference to its terroir made up of Günzian gravel. Managed by Bruno Borie, Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is at the pinnacle of the finest Saint-Julien wines. Year after year, the estate gives great joy to the lovers of fine Médoc wines throughout the world.

The vineyard

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou’s distinctiveness lies in the exceptional quality of its vineyard. The vines are planted on soils of Günzian and Pyrenean gravel deposited by the Gironde estuary nearly two million years ago. These poor soils produce exceptional wines.

The vintage

The cold winter delayed budburst. Although spring began with promising conditions, the coolness and rainfall recorded during the months of May and June led to coulure and millerandage. The summer was particularly sunny, but was marked by an acute drought that affected the vineyards. The rainfall in mid-September had a salvatory effect and preceded an ideally mild end-of-season that enabled the grapes to refine their ripening process. The harvest was carried out from September 29th to October 14th. The small, rich and concentrated berries resulted in a powerful and elegant wine. The climatic conditions in 2010 resonate with other iconic vintages such as 2009, 2005, 2000, 1982, 1961 and 1945.

The blend

Cabernet Sauvignon (90%)

Merlot (10%).

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2010: Characteristics and tasting tips

The tasting

Colour

Deep, dark violet colour.

Nose

The nose mixes fruity (black fruits) and spicy fragrances.

Palate

A beautifully rounded attack precedes a generous palate. The palate is seductive with its fine tannins, its velvety feel and its gourmet and persistent finish.