Château Grand Puy Ducasse

History

The estate was founded in 1675 by Arnaud Ducasse, whose family enlarged it on the parishes of Pauillac, Saint-Lambert and Saint-Sauveur. In 1820, his grandson built the winemaking facilities directly on the quays of Pauillac, an audacity that continues to this day. Classified 5th Grand Cru in 1855 under the name "Artigues-Arnaud", the estate passed into the hands of the Duroy family of Suduiraut, whose motto "Regis Semper Amici" still appears on the label. Sold to the Mestrezat-Preller trading house in 1971 and then bought by CA Grands Crus in 2005, the château has been leading an ambitious restructuring plan for the vineyard and winery since then.

Château Grand-Puy Ducasse, Pauillac's 5th Grand Cru Classé since 1855, has been the appellation's only château to vinify its wines in the very heart of the city, on the quays facing the Gironde estuary, since 1820. Owned by CA Grands Crus (Crédit Agricole) since 2005, the estate has embarked on a vast restructuring plan — the "Renaissance Project" — under the direction of Anne Le Naour and Benjamin Cassoulet.

The Vineyard

The 40-hectare vineyard is distinguished by a rare diversity of terroirs spread over 11 types of soil: gravel on marl-limestone in the north, suitable for large Sauvignon cabernets; gravel-sandy soils on clay in the historic place of Grand-Puy, where pebbles store daytime heat to restore it at night; sandy-gravelly soils in the south-east; sands on clay-gravel in the west, suitable for merlots; podzolized soils in the south -West, bringing freshness and fruity. The grape variety consists of Cabernet Sauvignon (59%), Merlot (36%) and Petit Verdot (5%), grown as a double guyot on vines with an average age of 25 years.

Certifications

Environmental Management System for Bordeaux Wines since 2012, ISO 14001 certified and High Environmental Value (level 3) since the 2016 vintage. Gradual conversion to organic farming has been underway since 2014, with a target of 100% of certified areas.