Chateau Grand-Puy Ducasse - Pauillac | 5eme Grand Cru Classé

The history of Chateau Grand Puy Ducasse dates back to the middle of the 18th century when Arnaud Ducasse bought a small house next to the Gironde river. He obtained the land from Jacques de Segur. Segur is one of the famous names in the early days of Bordeaux, as they owned much of the land that is devoted to the top chateaux in the Medoc.
The 40 hectare Medoc vineyard of Grand Puy Ducasse is planted to 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot, which shows an increase in the amount of Cabernet Sauvignon in the vineyard, giving the wines more structure, tannin and complexity.
The vineyard of Grand Puy Ducasse can be divided into three main blocks with plots on gravel, clay and sand soils. However, their parcels are widely dispersed in the appellation on a myriad of exposures, elevations and soil types.
The wines are aged in 50% new, French oak barrels for an average of 18 months, depending on the character of the vintage. Production averages slightly more than 10,000 cases per year for Chateau Grand Puy Ducasse. There is a second wine, Prelude a Grand Puy Ducasse.
Chateau Grand Puy Ducasse needs some time in the cellar before it is truly fun to drink. It is a strong, tannic Pauillac wine. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 2-4 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.
Chateau Grand Puy Ducasse is usually better with at least 8-10 years of bottle age. Of course that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Grand Puy Ducasse should be at peak maturity between 10-25 years of age after the vintage.