Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Le Petit Ducru de Ducru-Beaucaillou 2020 vs Mercurey Rouge Vieilles Vignes, Domaine François Raquillet 2021
Compare current tracked prices, stockists and core specifications. Mercurey Rouge Vieilles Vignes, Domaine François Raquillet 2021 currently starts £0.10 lower.
| Availability | In stock | In stock |
|---|---|---|
| Best current price | £29.30 | £29.20 |
| Current stockists | 1 merchant | 1 merchant |
| Producer | Château Ducru-Beaucaillou | Domaine François Raquillet |
| Style | Red | Red |
| Grape | Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon | Pinot Noir |
| Size | 750ml | 750ml |
| Where to buy |
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Le Petit Ducru de Ducru-Beaucaillou 2020
The 2020 Le Petit Ducru is a classy claret with real depth and charm, full of dark berry fruit, well-balanced acidity and suave tannins. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (with a touch of Petit Verdot in some vintages), it’s aged for 12 months in oak (one-third new), and made with the same rigorous attention to detail as the estate’s grands vins. This is the newest member of the Ducru-Beaucaillou family — a beautifully crafted introduction to the estate's signature style. Sourced from Ducru-Beaucaillou’s vineyards in Saint-Julien, the 2020 it offers a glimpse into the elegance, structure, and elan that define its elder siblings, Ducru-Beaucaillou and La Croix. In short, it’s a seriously good bottle for fans of classic Bordeaux — with all the hallmarks of Ducru, just in a more accessible and earlier-drinking package.
Mercurey Rouge Vieilles Vignes, Domaine François Raquillet 2021
Transposing Burgundy to London, one could say that Puligny Montrachet is Belgravia and Chambolle Musigny is St John’s Wood – impressive, heritaged addresses but expensive and can often leave you wondering if you are missing more excitement elsewhere. Judicious buyers perusing Cotes d’Or real estate might consider Haut Cotes de Nuits to the west (Kensal Green), Fixin and Marsannay (Camden and Kentish Town) in the north of Cote de Nuits, and Ladoix and Santenay (Bermondsey and Brixton) in the north and south respectively of the Cote de Beaune as interesting alternatives. There is nowhere east of the D974 of great interest although you could strain the analogy and say Comblonchien could be Clerkenwell in a few years… I think that leaves me suggesting that the Cote Chalonnais is like Tooting or Streatham – which might diminish the argument for some but the rather laboured point is that up-and-coming pockets away from the centre can often provide real satisfaction for less money. Here, Mercurey is one such area that is definitely fulfilling its promise, and Francois Raquillet one of the most interesting addresses. Francois has been harvesting his 12ha (8 planted to red and 4 to white) of increasingly old vines, some 70 years+, at the end of August for the last six years so is far less concerned by climate change than many Cote d’Or growers to the north. In fact the Chalonnais has been a beneficiary of the hotter, drier weather as it has helped reduce yields, and increase concentration and ripeness in the grapes, ultimately leading to richer, more gourmand, better wines. Thinking about it, the Maconnais is definitely Brighton. A little under an hour south, sunny and warm, relaxed, more concerned with pleasure than pretension... bravo indeed on a wonderful set of wines!
Prices and availability reflect the latest tracked merchant checks and may change before checkout.