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History
The origins of Grand-Puy-Lacoste, as well as that of its twin Grand-Puy-Ducasse, lie in a single estate that existed in the northern parts of the commune around Pauillac in the Middle Ages.The original estate incorporated the Grand Puy, one of the many gravel croupes which are a feature of the Haut-Médoc, and which often provides the perfect terroir for Cabernet, and as a consequence they have an association with many of the greatest estates of the region. The Grand Puy, puy being another of the seemingly endless litany of words which refer to a hill or mound, lies a few kilometres inland of the town of Pauillac, and the soil that lay on it five centuries ago belonged to a Monsieur de Guiraud. He had two daughters, one of whom married a gentleman named Dejean, and the estate seems to have been passed down this line. From here it passed to their son, Bertrand, and it was possibly during his tenure that the estate was divided, giving rise to the two Grand-Puy estates that exist today.Dejean was a fairly wealthy landowner, buying and selling land; he owned the nearby Lynch-Bages as well as the vineyards on the Grand Puy. In 1750 he passed some of the latter vineyards to Pierre Ducasse, a creditor, and common sense would suggest that this was the origin of Grand-Puy-Ducasse. What remained with the Dejean family, subsequently inherited by one of his daughters, was the origin of Grand-Puy-Lacoste. Over the years that followed the two properties existed independently, each ranked accordingly, with some classifications, such as Wilhelm Franck's, which he drew up in 1845, placing Lacoste ahead of Ducasse, although in the 1855 classification both were ranked as cinquièmes crus.The historic details about the creation of the chateau since the middle of the 18th century, Arnaud Ducasse bought a small house on the banks of the Gironde estuary from Jacques de Segur, Seigneur of Lafite, he could hardly have imagined that this would be the start of a considerable estate that would remain in his family for almost three centuries. Pierre Ducasse, a lawyer who was very keen on vine-growing, was to truly found the estate, he bought land and part of the ‘Bourdeu’ of Grand-Puy, which lay within three parishes: Pauillac, Saint-Lambert and Saint-Saubeur, as well as three manor ships: Lafite, Latour and Beychevelle. Additional purchases and swaps then enabled him to extend his estates up to his death in 1797. His son inherited a full-blown estate, which was called Ducasse-Grand-Puy-Artigues-Arnaud and included 148 acres, of which almost two-thirds were planted with vines. Around 1820, he had the existing chateau built, on the site of his ancestors’ house, facing the Gironde estuary. His marriage with Jenny Ducase produced two children, and it was under the management of one of his sons-in-law, Adrien Chauvet, that the wine estate was classified in 1855, under the name of Artigues Arnaud. The company called Grand-Puy Ducasse was founded in 1932. During the late 19th and early 20th Century there was the now familiar sequence of phylloxera, oidium, war and depression and for decades since the wines never seem to have excelled. By the opening of the 20th Century, the estate had already passed to the Deroy de Suduiraut family, a branch of the Suduiraut family better known for their activities in Sauternes. The estate was subsequently acquired by Mestrezat, which has since been amalgamated into the Cordier-Mestrezat firm of négociants. Here it forms part of a small portfolio of top estates also including Meyney and Rayne-Vigneau.Over the years there have been many interested parties, including the Merlaut family, better known for their revitalization of estates such as Gruaud-Larose, Chasse-Spleen, Citran, Ferrière, La Gurgue and Haut-Bages-Liberal. They purchased a substantial share in Mestrezat in 1970, a year before they acquired Grand-Puy-Ducasse and Rayne-Vigneau.More recently, a significant share was held by Vignerons de Val d'Orbieu, a leading Languedoc co-operative, but in 2004 they relinquished their share and Cordier-Mestrezat saw some fresh and seemingly much needed investment from the French bank Crédit Agricole. Since the acquisition of Chateau Grnad-Puy Ducasse in 2004 by CA Grands Crus, an improvement plan has been put in place for the entire estate. This is supervised by Bernard Monteau, the technical director, and abetted by advice from the consultant oenologist, Denis Dubourdieu.
Nowadays’ Owner: CA GRANDS CRUS
The company CA GRANDS CRUS, a fully owned subsidiary of the Groupe Credit Agricole, became, in 2004, the owner of six prestigious Bordeaux estates: Chateau de Rayne Vigneau, 1er Grand Cru Classe Sauternes, Chateau Grand-Puy Ducasse, Seme Grand Cru Classe Pauillac, Chateau Meyney, Cru Bourgeois Superieur Saint-Estephe, Chateau Lamothe Bergeron, Cru Bourgeois Superieur Haut Medoc, Chateau Blaignan et Chateau Plagnac, Cru Bourgeois Medoc.
Technique Information
Location: Adjacent to Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste in the commune of Pauillac, covering part of the Bourdieu of Grand Puy
Appellation: Appellation Pauillac Controlee
Neighboring Chateau: Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste(5th Growth of Pauillac in1855)
Acreage: 59 hectares among which 40 are planted in vines.
Soil: sandy Garonne gravel.
Grape Varieties: 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot
Average age of vines: 25 years
Cultivation density: about 10000 vines/ha.
Viticulture: During harvest, which takes place by hand following local tradition, the grapes are initially sorted on a table in the vineyard.
Winemaking:
Chateau Grand-Puy-Ducasse(First Label): As soon as the batches of grapes reach the winery, they are carefully sorted once again by hand, and then fermented separately. All bunches are de-stemmed and lightly crushed prior to fermentation in stainless-steel tanks with temperature control. After blending, the wines continue to mature for between 18 to 24 months in barrels, of which 30 and 40% are new each year.
Prélude à Grand-Puy Ducasse(Second Label): age in barrel for 16-18 months.
Yield: 45 hl/ha
Brand: Chateau Grand-Puy-Ducasse(First Label)(A.O.C. Pauillac)
Chateau Artigues-Arnaud(Second Label)(A.O.C. Pauillac)
Prélude à Grand-Puy Ducasse(Second Label)(A.O.C. Pauillac)
Annually production: between 100000 and 120000 bottles, according to the vintage.
Chateau Grand-Puy-Ducasse(First Label): 1,8000 cases
Chateau Artigues-Arnaud / Prélude à Grand-Puy Ducasse(Second Label): 2000 case
Character:
Chateau Grand-Puy-Ducasse (First Label): The chateau produces very good but not exceptional wines that have a blackcurrant quality in the nose and flavors. Ducasse's wines lack the concentration of Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste.
Prélude à Grand-Puy Ducasse (Second Label): The mane 《Prelude》states the ambition of this second wine: provide a true introduction to the 《Grand Vin》. It is made from the young vines on the estate and is aged for a shorter period (16 to 18 months) than the first wine, yet receives the same care at every stage. This ensures that it is more supple and forward than its senior, while showing the same qualities of elegance and harmony.
Best vintages: Chateau Grand-Puy-Ducasse(First Label): 2000, 2003, 2005
Award: 5th Grand Cru Classe in 1855 Pauillac
Source: http://www.grandpuyducasse.fr/#en
http://www.thewinedoctor.com/bordeaux/grandpuyducasse.shtml
Serving Suggestion
Cellar Humidity and Temperature: 75-85%, 15 ℃
Serving Temperature: 17-19 °C
Optimum Drinking and Ageing Potential: 10-15 years
Food match:
Chateau Grand-Puy-Ducasse(First Label):
Western Food: Lamb, Maroilles, Poultry.
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