Tag Archives: france

Ducru Beaucaillou: its reputation surpasses its ranking

Let’s start exploring some individual chateaux in Bordeaux with excellent reputations. Of course the wine does most of the communication on behalf of the chateau but it is always interesting to know the history of the estate and the philosophy behind the winemaking.

I’ll start with Ducru Beaucaillou because I’ve been wondering about this estate for some time. It is a Saint Julien second growth wine. It has an excellent reputation for being incredibly consistent throughout the last century. In fact, Ducru Beaucaillou has had an excellent reputation within and outside of France since the 18th century. Some say that Ducru Beaucaillou is of higher quality than a second growth. While prices of the wines reflect the chateau’s reputation, they are not nearly as high as those of first growth wines. It is widely recognized that Ducru Beaucaillou is a great deal amongst the top Bordeaux wines. SoDivin has 17 different vintages of Ducru Beaucaillou from 1918 to 1998.

The estate is now managed by the third generation of the Borie family. In 1953 the Borie family was one of the first chateaux to hire the famous enologue Emile Peynaud to guide them in the vines and in the cellar. Peynaud is widely regarded as changing enology in France. He explained scientifically and mathematically each step of the vinification process which demystified the winemaking process. The Borie family benefited from Mr. Peynaud’s knowledge early on in his career. This and a strong attachment to traditional winemaking methods outlawing chemicals and very high standards in general have built Ducru Beaucaillou’s reputation over the decades and centuries.

The vines are comprised of about 50 hectars of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc.

It is worth exploring this chateau with a reputation that surpasses its 2nd growth ranking.
Here are links to the Ducru Beaucaillous that SoDivin has in stock:

1918 DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU
1955 DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU
1964 DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU
1966 DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU
1970 DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU
1971 DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU
1972 DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU
1975 DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU
1976 DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU
1978 DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU
1982 DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU
1983 DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU
1986 DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU
1990 DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU
1992 DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU
1997 DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU
1998 DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU

Rare and Vintage Wines, Reactive Service

SoDivin is a collection of the most revered, sought after wines from the most prestigious chateaux in France:

We are the only wine boutique that specializes exclusively in rare and vintage French wines and alcohols. The depth and bredth of our cellar is impressive: 110 vintages, hundreds of the top chateaux and everything is ready to drink. Our customer service is on par with the product we sell. We understand that such luxururious wines require individual knowledge and individual attention and reactive customer service. We ship all over the world within 24 hours of receiving your order: 19th and 20th century wines with 21st century service.