Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2025

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou sits in Saint-Julien on the left bank of the Gironde, on a singular bed of Gunzian gravel made up of Pyrenean jasper, flint, quartz and agate. These beautiful pebbles, the beaux cailloux that name the estate, drain freely and hold the day's heat, pushing the roots deep and ripening the Cabernet Sauvignon fully while keeping the wine fresh. The blend pairs Cabernet Sauvignon, which brings structure, cassis and length, with Merlot for flesh and roundness. Fermentation is followed by malolactic conversion to soften the malic acidity, then eighteen months in French oak, where slow oxygen exchange polishes the tannins and adds cedar, tobacco and cocoa. The 2025 has intense aromatics, with blackcurrant and fresh raspberry over oak spice and a fine mineral edge. The palate is full and firmly structured, with dark fruit, ripe tannin and a long finish that rewards cellaring. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees and decant well ahead. It suits beef, lamb and game.