The vineyards of Ducru-Beaucaillou were once a small part of a wider property called Beychevelle. With the death of Beychevelle’s proprietor, the Duc d’Epernon, Bernard de Valette, the estate was sold off in order to settle his outstanding debts.
By the late 1700s, the vineyards found themselves under the aegis of a gentleman named Bergeron. At this time the estate was known not as Ducru-Beaucaillou, but as Maucaillou – a compounding of mauvaise and cailloux (‘bad pebbles’), which might perhaps refer to the bothersome, stony ground beneath the vines.
Bergeron changed the name to a more romantic Beaucaillou (‘beautiful pebbles’), but died shortly after. The chateau was snapped up by Bertrand Ducru, resulting in the present name of the property: ‘Ducru-Beaucaillou’. Under his supervision the quality soared, as did prices.
His two children, Gustave and Marie-Louise, jointly inherited the estate and ran it for thirty years. Gustave saw to the renovation of the vineyards and is responsible for much of the chateau building as it stands today. The barrel cellars under the property were also built at this time.
In 1857 the ambitious Gustave bought up Branaire-Ducru from his cousins, leaving control of Ducru-Beaucaillou in 1860 to his sister, Marie-Louise. After six years she sold it on to Lucie-Caroline Dassier, the wife of merchant Nathanial Johnston, who had inherited the company set up by William Johnston (a famous immigrant of Scottish-Irish origin).
The 1855 Classification placed the estate among the five deuxièmes crus or ‘second growths’ of St. Julien. Despite it being the possession of his wife, Johnston soon lavished most of his attention on the estate; he went so far as to try and rename it ‘Beaucaillou’ in order to remove association with its previous owners, but could not obtain permission to this effect.
The estate’s prestige continued to rise during the late 1800s, but trouble was just around the corner. The Phylloxera infestation and mildew epidemic struck France’s vineyards in unison, wreaking untold destruction.
Interestingly, Ducru-Beaucaillou spearheaded the solution to mildew when its manager Ernst David slathered the estate with a vibrant paint of copper sulphate and lime. This not only warded off potential thieves, but was also seen to be an effective treatment for the mildew pestilence. The result was, ultimately, the mildew-busting ‘Bordeaux Mixture’.
Nathaniel was a keen investor in the local community, building a hospice, nursery, church whilst improving the vineyards steadily. After the death of his wife he married to Marie Caradja of Constantinople, the daughter of Prince Constantine of Turkey. Out of his devotion for her he renovated and improved the chateau with the help of renowned architect Michel-Louis Garros. These additions included two new wings, two towers on either end of the chateau building, a conservatory and newly landscaped gardens stretching down to the Gironde. The result was that the exquisite chateau became a landmark in itself.
Unfortunately, no amount of success could stave off the adversities that followed: Phylloxera, the mildew epidemic, the First World War and the depression all took their toll. In 1929 the couple had no option but to sell their cherished estate to a wine merchant called Desbarats. He too failed to make much headway in these trying times, and in a mere decade the estate was once again on the market following his death.
The Borie family, who purchased the property in 1941, found themselves with a stretches of neglected vineyard and a decrepit estate. Unperturbed, Francis Borie forged ahead with renovation and repairs. The lengthy repairs carried on after his death by his son Jean-Eugène. It was only in 1998, following his death, that a new generation came to prominence in the form of his son, François-Xavier, who then ceded the property to his younger brother, Bruno, in 2003.
The vineyards of Ducru-Beaucaillou almost reach the banks of the Gironde, nestled between the vineyards of parent Beychevelle to the north and Latour to the south. The 215 hectares are comprised of the all-important large pebbles that the estate is named after, as well as deep Gunzian gravel. As is often the case, the estate produces two wines: the grand vin, Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou, and the second wine, La Croix de Beaucaillou. What isn’t usual is the fact that the estate also has a third offering, sourced from 32 hectares bought from Lagrange by Francis Borie in 1970. These vines do not yield fruit considered to be of Beaucaillou quality, and are always labelled as Lalande-Borie. In all cases, vines are planted at 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. The average vine age is a venerable forty years.
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