Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is a wine estate in Saint-Julien, in the Médoc, classified as a Second Growth in 1855. Its vineyard covers 105 hectares and is owned by Bruno-Eugène Borie, representing the third generation of the Borie family at the helm of the estate. The name Beaucaillou refers to the gravelly soil of its terroir, situated near the Gironde estuary.
- Owner
- Bruno-Eugène Borie
- Maître de chais
- Emmanuel Bonneau et Cécile Dupuis
- Surface (ha)
- 105.00 ha
Histoire du domaine
The documented history of Ducru-Beaucaillou dates back to 1720, when Jacques de Bergeron married Marie Dejean, heiress to the vineyard. The Bergeron family retained ownership of the estate until 1797, when it was acquired by the Béarn wine merchant Bertrand Ducru. He invested in the vineyard and cellars, and his name was subsequently associated with that of Beaucaillou. In 1855, the château was classified as a Second Growth in the Imperial Classification of Médoc wines. The estate was sold in 1866 to Lucie-Caroline Dassier, wife of the wine merchant Nathaniel Johnston. Under the impetus of Nathaniel Johnston, the estate underwent architectural transformations and, together with the estate manager Ernest David and the scientist Alexis Millardet, played a part in the research that led to the development of Bordeaux mixture in 1884. The Johnstons sold the château in 1928 to Fernand Odon Desbarats and Mary Butler de Burke. In 1942, Francis Borie took Ducru-Beaucaillou on a life lease, before his son Jean-Eugène Borie began restoring the vineyard and cellars in 1959. Bruno-Eugène Borie, son of Jean-Eugène and the resident owner, now heads Ducru-Beaucaillou SA. Technical management is in the hands of Emmanuel Bonneau and Cécile Dupuis.
