Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 1961

Tasting characteristics and advice for Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 1961

Tasting

Color

A pale to medium brick-brown hue cloaks this wine, attesting to more than six decades of evolution in bottle.

Nose

The bouquet reveals an enchanting complexity, unfolding the hallmark tertiary notes of a great vintage at full maturity: tobacco, cedar, truffle and mushrooms. These aromas blend harmoniously with nuances of candied red fruits, licorice and leather, creating an aromatic profile of rare sophistication.

Palate

On the palate, the wine impresses with its concentration and remarkable balance. The tannic structure, perfectly integrated after decades of aging, offers a silky, velvety texture. Flavors of ripe black fruits intertwine with the tertiary notes sensed on the nose, while the finish—of exceptional length—lingers with elegance.

Serving

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 1961 should be served at a temperature of 16 to 18°C. Gentle decanting is recommended to separate any sediment that may have accumulated over the years, while avoiding excessive aeration that could alter its delicate aromas. This wine has reached its peak and should be enjoyed through around 2035.

Food and wine pairings

This Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 1961 pairs beautifully with fine red meats such as roasted beef tenderloin or hare stew. It also marries wonderfully with aged hard cheeses or mushroom and truffle preparations that echo its tertiary aromas

A legendary Saint-Julien vintage at its peak

The estate

Founded in 1795 in Saint-Julien in the Bordeaux Médoc, Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is among the Second Growths of the renowned 1855 Classification. The estate takes its distinctive name from the “beautiful large pebbles” that make up its exceptional terroir and release heat back to the vines. Owned by the Borie family since 1941, the château is now run by Bruno-Eugène Borie, representing the third generation, who upholds the excellence of this Bordeaux institution, which also produces La Croix Beaucaillou and Le Petit Ducru.

The vineyard

The Château Ducru-Beaucaillou vineyard stretches in the heart of the Saint-Julien appellation, benefiting from an outstanding terroir composed of Gunzian gravels. These deep gravel soils, characteristic of the estate, ensure optimal drainage while storing daytime warmth and releasing it to the vines during the night. This unique geological setting, combined with proximity to the Gironde estuary, creates ideal conditions for cabernet sauvignon and merlot to thrive.

The vintage

The year 1961 remains one of the most legendary vintages in the history of Bordeaux. After late-May spring frosts naturally reduced yields, the summer proved exceptionally hot and dry, promoting remarkable concentration in the grapes. August saw high temperatures, while September offered ideal conditions up to the harvest, which began on September 22. These exceptional climatic circumstances gave rise to wines of extraordinary intensity and structure.

Winemaking and aging

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 1961 was crafted using the traditional methods of the time, with parcel-by-parcel vinification and aging in oak barrels. The techniques employed made it possible to extract all the richness and concentration of the vintage, creating a wine with a powerful tannic structure built for long aging.

Grape variety

A blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, complemented by a small proportion of petit verdot, in keeping with the estate’s traditional plantings.