In 1942, Francis Borie therefore took Ducru-Beaucaillou on a life annuity rental from Fernand Odon Desbarats de Burke. A relentless builder, this energetic merchant from Corrèze was also a passionate winegrower at Château Haut Batailley, a classified growth in neighbouring Pauillac. Liked and respected by all, Francis had a deep sweetness of soul; he had no lack of generosity. In 1959, Jean-Eugène, succeeding his father, undertook meticulous work to restore the vineyard and the cellars. Quickly abandoning the family’s merchant business, he dedicated himself to the development and modernisation of the property to put it entirely at the service of the wines he loved so much.
His considerable efforts began to bear fruit in the second half of the 1950s when Ducru-Beaucaillou’s reputation rose to the highest level in Bordeaux, and it has never been refuted since then. His superb vintages, combined with his modesty and tongue-in-cheek humour, made him one of the most endearing personalities of the Médoc.
Some sixty years on, the son of Monique and Jean Eugène, Bruno-Eugène, is continuing his father’s work and has redefined the selection policy. A tireless perfectionist, with a remarkable capacity for hard work, he has just launched an ambitious ten-year plan for the “sustainable reconstruction” of the vineyards and cellars.
Passionate about contemporary art and design, his sensitivity always on instinct, Bruno-Eugène has also entrusted the restoration of the château to another princess, Sarah Poniatowska – a descendant of the much-loved monarch, Stanislas II of Poland. Ducru-Beaucaillou is now at the top of its game, with a series of superb vintages perfectly illustrating the grand silky style of Saint-Julien, as proven by the superlative scores given to the 2019 vintage.
