Literally translated as “beautiful stones” Château Ducru Beaucaillou is a superb fine wine that owes its success to its gravelly terroir. A typical “Bordeaux Blend” of the world’s two most popular grapes (70% Cabernet and just 30% Merlot), Ducru Beaucaillou’s best vintages are also some of the most recent.

A second growth (or deuxieme cru) in the 1855 classification, Ducru Beaucaillou is what’s known as a “super second”. However, with many critics lobbying for a modernisation of the outdated classification, it is likely that Ducru Beaucaillou would today be ranked among the first growths. The second growth classification is a source of frustration to the owners, who have consistently maintained their 25th placement on the Liv-Ex power 100. A Melchior (18 litres or 24 bottles) of the 2010 Prestige Cuvee was sold at auction in China for over €11,620 cementing the notion that this is one of the most investable fine wines not only from St Julien, but all of Bordeaux.

However, investors are advised that Ducru Beaucaillou suffered issues with a Trichloroanisole (TCA) infestation from the mid-80s to the mid-90s, and as such, at least three wines from this era are considered neither drinkable nor worth investing in. Current owner Bruno Borie was brought in to eradicate the problem (which he did on all vintages post 1994). Under his stewardship, he ordered the recorking of all bottles and released a very limited amount onto the market, which received generally good feedback. Borie states the recorked bottles are in perfect condition but statistics note that a 1987 bottle is sold for under €117, while a 1984 vintage is closer to the €407 mark.

Borie also ordered a complete cellar renovation and reduced production by around 50% from 20,000 cases to between 9,000-11,000. This gave winemakers more astute focus and nine of the vintages produced from 1995 to 2010 are considered exemplary. Today, the result is a fine wine that is dense and well-structured on the palate and with correct cellaring, keeps for 10-30 years.