The vineyard is situated in the Cotes de Bordeaux-Cadillac appellations, and encompasses 65 hectares. The vines, planted in gravel and clay "terroir", benefit from favorable south-south east facing slopes and plateaus.

Vineyard : Organic.
Density : 7000 feet/ha.
Vinification : Grapes are weighted, destemmed then sorted on a table in the cellar. Fermentation in thermo regulated stainless steel tanks. Ageing from beginning of November, after malolactic fermentation, in 100% French oak barrels (30% new oak) during 12 months.

Ageing Potential: 8 to 10 years

70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc

Tasting Notes

Ratings & Reviews

About the Winery:
Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou owes its name to its "beautiful pebbles" ("beaux Cailloux", in French) that geologists refer to less romantically as Gunzian gravel. These quartz pebbles were deposited by the ancient Garonne at the beginning of the early Quaternary period, some two million years ago. It suffices to take a walk through the vineyards to make rich lithological finds. Lydian jasper from the Pyrenees, flint, quartz, agatoids... These Gunzian gravels make for soils that are poor in plant nutrients. But it is their very agrological paucity that guarantees the qualitative excellence of the wines. A choice of nature.

About the Wine:
This new vat comes from the vineyards located in Haut-Médoc; plots brought by Mrs Eugène-Borie to her marriage and more recently by the acquisition of plots belonging to Madame Fort-Pradère.

A tribute to the woman who has remained Chairman of the Supervisory Board since 1998 until this year 2020, but also for being an attentive and loving mother. To the muse too. The opportunity to bring into the light this great lady who, out of discretion and humility, stayed in the shadows. Slowly, calmly, her image will join the long line of women owners of Ducru-Beaucaillou, equally inspiring and demanding, Marie Desjean, Marie du Luc Ravez, Lucie-Caroline Johnston, Princess Marie Karadja of Constantinople, Mary de Burke… All of them had an essential role in the development and renown of Ducru-Beaucaillou.

Terroir & Vinification

Vinified in our cellars by the Ducru-Beaucaillou SA teams, this wine receives the best care: the technical winemaking process, very selective blending, and careful ageing for 12 months in barrel (including 20% new oak). Technique at the service of purity of expression. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon rub shoulders without ever competing; one brings opulence, the other brings structure. In blends, as in marriage, it is complementarity, mutual exaltation that counts.

Tasting

The robe is brilliant, deep, purple, the nose is very charming, refined. Fresh and fruity notes emerge, underpinned by a note of French oak, morello cherry jam, violet. Spicy touches when aired.
On the palate, the attack is frank, the tannins are silky. It is a wine of pleasure, greedy, subtle and seductive. Beautiful harmony and elegant femininity.

• A tribute to Madame Eugène-Borie, an important woman at Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou
• All the know-how of the Château Ducru-Beaucaillou’s teams
• Bruno Borie’s well-balanced and gourmet signature
• A new cuvée for the 2019 vintage, the anniversary of the 300th harvest at the estate.
• 68% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc

Ratings & Reviews

Traditional vinification in small tanks. Four week maceration. Aging in 2-3 year old oak barrels for 16 months. No fining, no filtration. "La Font du Jeu" is an old French phrase. "Font" stands for "fontaine", meaning "fountain" and "jeu" means "play". The owners Helene and Frederic Lapeyronie believe that children used to come and play around a fountain near the vineyard.

Tasting Notes

The nose is filled with blackberry and blackcurrant fruits, licorice and vanillin. Medium-bodied with a solid texture of dark fruit, roasted coffee, and spice flavors. Long finish.

About the Winery:

With its twenty hectares in one single plot in Fronsac, Château La Vieille Cure is one of the benchmark producers in the right bank of Bordeaux. The soil found in this site is heavy on limestone, lending the two wines at this estate a remarkably fresh quality. The average of the vines are 40+ years old and are all hand harvested. Indigenous yeasts are used in the cellar and the wines are aged in barrique, with about 30% of the barrels new. From the flagship Fronsac to the second label Sacristie de la Veille Cure, the wines have the ability to age gracefully for decades and are delicious textbook examples of pristine Bordeaux.

About the Fronsac Region:

Fronsac and Canon Fronsac are two of the strongest Bordeaux satellite appellations. The regions are located just west of Libourne, only 4.5 miles West of Pomerol or Saint Emilion. The wines are delicious, rich, ripe, and affordable.

They drink well young and offer some of the best value Bordeaux wines. The regions were not always inexpensive. Of the two appellations, Fronsac produces the finer, more elegant wine.

Notes From The Winemaker:

This classic Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon offers rich aromas of figs, plum, and a touch of coffee with slight firm tannins and a fresh and spicy finish. It is the second (and more affordable) wine of the famed Château de La Vieille Cure.

Vinification:

• Second label of the famed Chateau de la Vieille Cure
• Practicing organic
• 74% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon
• Vineyard located on a plateau of limestone, bordering slopes with chalk and clay soils
• 100% hand-harvested grapes
• 30 year old vines
• Aged for 18 months in French oak (30% new)

Notes from the Winemaker:
Thanks to the level of precipitation being much lower than the sixty-year average, the 2015 vintage will long be remembered as one of the greatest Bordeaux vintages. The very dry spring was propitious to excellent flowering which was both quick and even. After an equally dry start to summer, a very wet day on the 26th of July gave a new impetus to the young Merlot vines and enabled veraison, or colour change, to take place unhindered. August was hot and rainy - which all Bordeaux wine growers had been hoping for! The wet weather enabled the vines to maintain the necessary water reserve in order to provide requisite nourishment for perfect ripeness. The harvest began in September under clear blue skies. Thanks to this ideal weather, the pickers were able to wait to harvest the grapes at optimum ripeness. The unusual weather resulted in a high-quality vintage that is well-balanced, delicious, and elegant.

Tasting notes

Deep garnet-red colour. These delicious and harmonious wines reflect the sunny growing season. Ripe fruit flavours of cherries, prunes, and figs predominate followed by a wide range of floral aromas, with subtle hints of forest floor. The initial impression on the palate is round and fruity with spicy notes and cocoa aromas. Fine, elegant tannins make for an instantly pleasurable wine. 2015 is undoubtedly a delicious vintage!

Grape varieties: 85% MERLOT and 15% CABERNET FRANC

Ratings & Reviews

91 Points - James Suckling:
"Very aromatic with tea, wet earth and berries on the nose that follow through to a full body, firm tannins and a bright finish. Structured for the wine. Better in 2019." - (2 Feb, 2018)

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"Deep garnet-purple colored, the Clarendelle 2015 Saint Emilion features notes of crushed blackberries and blueberries with hints of cinnamon stick, violets and fragrant earth. Medium-bodied, finely crafted and refreshing in the mouth, it has a plush texture and lovely freshness, finishing on an earthy note." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown (21st Feb 2018)

Jeb Dunnuck:
"A step up, the 2015 Clarendelle Saint-Emilion offers more plum and currant fruit as well as a rounded, sexy style on the palate. With plenty of mid-palate depth, no hard edges, and a charming, balanced profile, it's well worth drinking over the coming. " - Jeb Dunnuck (11/30/2017)

95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon hand harvested from 20-year old vines, undergoes a lengthy fermentation in thermal regulated vats, and is aged in concrete. Its concentrated black cherry and ripe plum flavors generously come forward and its richness is surprising. This is Grand Cru quality Bordeaux at modest prices!