21663 customer reviews

Prélude à Grand-Puy Ducasse Pauillac 2016 - Second vin

Name: Prélude à Grand-Puy Ducasse Pauillac 2016 - Second Wine
Brand: Château Grand-Puy Ducasse
Rating: 3.6 (8 reviews)

Pauillac|Red wine

3.6/5 (8 customers)

92/100

Decanter

90-91/100

Vert de Vin

90/100

James Suckling

(2015 Vintage Notes)

freshness

foodie

second wine

ready-to-drink

"At its peak of flavor!"

Always striving for even greater excellence—that is the credo of Château Grand-Puy Ducasse and its team, led by Anne Le Naour and Benjamin Cassoulet. The second wine, Prélude à Grand-Puy Ducasse, was created in 1955 to mark the 100th anniversary of the estate’s classification. It is a dense wine with jammy red fruit flavors! - Delivery in a wooden case is available for orders of 12 bottles of this wine (depending on the country and selected shipping method)

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21663 reviews

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Estate

Château Grand-Puy Ducasse

Vintage

Prélude

Vintage

2016

Designation

Pauillac

Region

Bordeaux

Grape Varieties

58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot

Regions

Soils typical of Pauillac: silty-gravelly soils for Cabernet Sauvignon and clayier gravel soils for Merlot

Viticulture

Traditional and refined

Grape Harvest

Manuals in crates

Wine Production

Traditional, in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks

Livestock Farming

14 months in French oak barrels (15% new and 85% previously used for 1, 2, or 3 vintages)

Alcohol content

13%

Eye

A beautiful, clear, and brilliant purple color

Nose

On the first sniff, it reveals sweet spices (cardamom, nutmeg), red berries, and a hint of licorice; after swirling, a subtle woody note emerges.

Palate

Dense and enveloped in juicy, indulgent fruit, with a tannic structure. A fresh finish that creates a pleasant sense of tension.

Serve

At 16-18°C

Open

1 hour before

Drink starting at

2020

Drink before

2026

Food and Wine Pairings

Enjoy it with a salad of smoked duck breast, roast veal, or a prune tagine...

More information at Château Grand-Puy Ducasse

More information at Pauillac

Bettane & Desseauve

Rated estate (2022 guide): 3*Stars (High-quality production that serves as a benchmark in its sector)

About the estate:

This vintage is made from several plots spread throughout the appellation. One of these, located in the Grand Puy area, gave the wine its name and produces the most refined component of the blend, which has matured beautifully under the guidance of the highly skilled Anne Le Naour. There is still room for improvement, which will be made possible by the imminent construction of a new fermentation tank, allowing for precise plot-by-plot selections and even more meticulous aging.

Decanter

Wine rated (2019 guide) 92/100 (2015 vintage)

About the wine:

The second wine of the Pauillac Grand Cru Classé, Château Grand-Puy Ducasse, is made from the estate’s young vines, which border the Châteaux Mouton-Rothschild, Lafite-Rothschild, and Pontet-Canet to the north. It is a bold red wine with supple tannins, elegant aging, and bright acidity, which balances the generous palate of black fruits and spiced plums. Enjoy it now while it’s young, or cell it for a few more years.

Guide Hachette des vins

Rated Estate (2022 Guide) Award-Winning Wines (This producer's wines regularly receive awards from the guide)

About the estate:

Built primarily in the 18th century by attorney Arnaud Ducasse, the estate took on its current name in 1932. The château, which overlooks the Gironde River, dates back to 1820. Three large plots of gravelly soil make up this 40-hectare vineyard, which has been owned by CA Grands Crus (part of the Crédit Agricole group) since 2004.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

Rated estate (2019 guide) Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker—The Wine Advocate)

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide to the Best Wines of France

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

Rated Estate (2022 Guide) Selected (Please note that this guide is a ranking, and as such, all the estates listed here—even those without a star—represent, in our view, the pinnacle of French winemaking.)

About the estate:

Like Meyney, Grand-Puy Ducasse is owned by a subsidiary of Crédit Agricole (CA Grands Crus). While we were somewhat disappointed by certain vintages from the early 2000s—which clearly fell short of the standard of a good cru classé—things are changing: the estate’s stated ambition is to produce a wine worthy of its status. Anne Le Naour, who manages the estate and oversees winemaking, is gradually adding the refinement that the wine often lacked. Since 2015, progress has been steady.

Wine Enthusiast

Rated Estate (2021 Guide) Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Wine Enthusiast)

James Suckling

Wine rated (2018 guide) 90/100 (2015 vintage)

Rated Estate (2021 Guide) Recommended

About the wine:

The aromas of summer berries and dark plums are quite bold, with notes of violet and blackcurrant. On the palate, it has a soft, pastry-like tannic texture that is slightly grainy and layered. The finish is very fresh and elegant.

Vert de Vin

Wine rated (2019 guide) 90–91/100 (2015 vintage) (Jonathan Choukroun Chicheportiche)

About the wine:

The nose is fruity and well-structured. It features notes of crushed raspberry, berries, and subtle hints of blackcurrant, combined with touches of refined minerality and a very subtle hint of spice and pepper. On the palate, it is fruity, juicy, and smooth, offering lovely minerality, a beautiful fresh structure, subtle acidity, richness, and good texture. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of crushed blackcurrant, crushed strawberry, and, to a lesser extent, fresh raspberry, combined with hints of chocolate, caramelized oak, a subtle hint of earthiness (distinctive/terroir), and a hint of bitterness on the finish. The tannins are refined, well-integrated, and straightforward. Good length.

Customer Rating

3.6/5

based on 8 reviews

Review by Mr. PASCAL T. Published on April 30, 2019

What a nose! A deep color and an enticing aroma. It starts off well, with an initial woody sensation on the palate. A very pleasant Pauillac that can be cellared for at least 15 years!