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Château Ducru-Beaucaillou: Two Labels from 2022 and Their Blends
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is a Bordeaux left bank producer making red wine in Saint-Julien. They own gravelly vineyards near the Gironde estuary, and produce the château-named wine and La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou, among others. Compare the different expressions from the same producer using data from two 2022 wines.
Compare the grand vin and La Croix using the 2022 technical documentation. Distinguish between the general tendencies of the labels and the actual blend for each year.
Questions for this course
Even if the wines are from the same year, are the main grape varieties the same?
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France / Bordeaux / Saint-Julien
Synonym/Label: Château Ducru-Beaucaillou / Château Ducru-Beaucaillou / Château Ducru-Beaucaillou / Ducru-Beaucaillou
Update date: 2026-09-27
Grand Vin is Cabernet-based.
The 2022 Ducru-Beaucaillou is made up of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot. These proportions refer to the blend of the finished wine and not to the varietal planting across all vineyards owned. By identifying the label and year first, you can avoid confusing these numbers with other wines from the same château.
La Croix is Merlot-based, even in the same vintage.
The 2022 La Croix is blended from 66% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Petit Verdot. This blend comes from the PDF document for that year, not from general trends. Even if two wines share the same year and producer, the chosen grape composition can differ greatly.
Keep the publication date of the source material as well
According to the March 2023 reference, barrel aging lasts 18 months for Grand Vin and 12 months for La Croix. The document also notes that the analysis values may change during maturation. Here, the blending and aging details at the time are compared, but not equated with the final analysis values after bottling.
What to align and what to compare.
Blending
- Conditions to standardize
- Same producer, 2022 vintage
- Conditions for comparison.
- The Grand Vin is 82% Cabernet, while La Croix is 66% Merlot.
- Additional points to confirm
- Is the material for the relevant label and harvest year consistent?
Barrel aging.
- Conditions to standardize
- The two technical sheets from March 2023
- Conditions for comparison.
- 18 months and 12 months
- Additional points to confirm
- Are you confusing the period with the proportion of new barrels?
Time of information
- Conditions to standardize
- The harvest year of 2022
- Conditions for comparison.
- Sources during maturation and information after bottling
- Additional points to confirm
- If you want to check the final analysis values, see if documentation from after bottling is available.
Order of reading and key points to consider in each article
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Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Source Analysis: Two Labels from 2022 and Their Blends
Compare the stated conditions in the documentation. Numbers specifying vintages should be treated as information for that specific year.
This summarizes materials published by producers, regional groups, and importers. Each source includes the publisher and the date the material was checked.
| Comparison items | What can be determined from the materials | Ability to distinguish by reading |
|---|---|---|
| Ducru-Beaucaillou 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon 82%, Merlot 18% | According to the March 2023 data, barrel aging lasted 18 months. |
| La Croix 2022 | Merlot 66%, Cabernet Sauvignon 32%, Petit Verdot 2% | Barrel aging at the same stage in the materials is 12 months |
| Scope of comparison | The same producer, same harvest year, materials from the same period. | Do not mix up general ratio descriptions with analysis figures after bottling. |
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Read the explanation for each question
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What is the main variety in 2022 La Croix?
The 2022 PDF states the blend is primarily 66% Merlot. It is necessary to read the document for the specific year without assuming from general descriptions of the label or blends of other years. The grand vin from the same château is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon.
Which grape varieties do the two wines share?
Both 2022 labels contain Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but the main variety switches. La Croix also has 2% Petit Verdot. Even if the same grape names appear, the proportions are not necessarily the same.
What are the conditions for retaining figures from reference sources?
This comparison is based on a document published in March 2023 describing the 2022 vintage. The publication year of the document and the wine’s harvest year are separate. Also, since there may be changes in the analytical values during maturation, do not reuse them as final figures after bottling.
Practice exercises in comparison
Please explain differences in raw materials and winemaking by reading the table and sources.
Read examples of organizing comparisons
| Conditions for Comparison | Comparison items | What can be determined from the materials | Ability to distinguish by reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ducru-Beaucaillou 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon 82%, Merlot 18% | According to the March 2023 data, barrel aging lasted 18 months. | |
| La Croix 2022 | Merlot 66%, Cabernet Sauvignon 32%, Petit Verdot 2% | Barrel aging at the same stage in the materials is 12 months | |
| Scope of comparison | The same producer, same harvest year, materials from the same period. | Do not mix up general ratio descriptions with analysis figures after bottling. |
Sources of materials used for comparison are listed in the text and exercises.
Explain in your own words
Compare the blends and aging of the two 2022 labels, and include the harvest year and the date of document publication in your explanation.
Check after writing
- The 2022 PDF states the blend is primarily 66% Merlot. It is necessary to read the document for the specific year without assuming from general descriptions of the label or blends of other years. The grand vin from the same château is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Both 2022 labels contain Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but the main variety switches. La Croix also has 2% Petit Verdot. Even if the same grape names appear, the proportions are not necessarily the same.
- This comparison is based on a document published in March 2023 describing the 2022 vintage. The publication year of the document and the wine’s harvest year are separate. Also, since there may be changes in the analytical values during maturation, do not reuse them as final figures after bottling.
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