Winemaker and vineyard : No coincidence: Château Ducru-Beaucaillou owes its name to these beautiful pebbles, known as Günzian gravel, quartz pebbles carried by the ancient Garonne at the beginning of the early Quaternary, probably nearly two million years ago. One only has to lengthen one's steps in the rows to make an abundant lithological harvest. Lydian from the Pyrenees, flint, quartz, agatoids... These Günzian gravels have given poor soils, which force the plant to draw its nutrients deep down; in summer, the pebbles retain the daytime heat, which they return to the vine at night to facilitate the ripening of the grapes. A natural selection that guarantees the qualitative excellence of the crus. Each cuvée, each vintage, explores a new facet of these beautiful pebbles.

Tasting : Powerful and muscular, the 2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou offers up aromas of cassis, raspberries and cherries mingled with notions of violets and iris, framed by a generous application of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, it's rich but lively, with a deep core of fruit and an ample endowment of ripe, powdery tannins. Fuller maturity and a more rigorous selection over the last two decades have brought what proprietor Bruno Borie characterizes as additional "punch" to this wine, in the form of unprecedented levels of anthocyanins and tannins, but all that substance and structure will require some patience before we'll see if Ducru is still Saint-Julien's most elegant wine.

Service : Serve at room temperature (16-18°C) to accompany a confit of lamb rack.