Château Ducru-Beaucaillou Welcomes Baghera/Wines to Its Grounds and Cellars for an Historic Auction. 1887 – 2023. Dear Pebbles: An unprecedented collection from the cellars of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou. 300 Years of the Château’s History Retold Vintages Dating from 1887 to 2023. LOT 292 € 17,000 to 34,000
St-Julien, 27 February 2024 – An exceptional weekend awaits the world’s greatest Bordeaux wine connoisseurs when the Borie family, owners of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou for the past 80 years, hold a public auction in their cellars with Baghera/wines. The lots, some 60 vintages that have never left the château, an emblematic Médoc property, span three centuries from 1887 to 2023. Given the importance of this unprecedented event, Baghera/wines has produced a collector’s “catalog” box in a triptych format, of which the first volume covers the history of the Château, with the second and third devoted exclusively to the auction. Held on the estate’s premises in Saint-Julien on Sunday June 23, 2024, the sale will take place during two sessions at 10 am and 2 pm respectively, attended by the public and the Borie family. Marking more than 300 years of the Château’s history, this landmark sale is the highlight of the career of Bruno-Eugène Borie, who has been at the helm of the estate since 2003.
An estate nestled in Médoc since 1720: 300 years of Grand Cru Classé history
With 105 hectares of vines in the prestigious commune of Saint-Julien, Château Ducru-Beaucaillou has been a family-owned Médoc estate since 1720, producing one of the most prized wines from the Bordeaux region. Château Ducru-Beaucaillou’s historic vineyards occupy a remarkable terroir overlooking the majestic Gironde estuary. The château’s name, “Beaucaillou”, refers to the Günzian gravel found in Ducru soil. The vineyards are planted mainly with Cabernet Sauvignon, at the top and in the middle of the slopes, while those at the foot of the slopes are planted with Merlot. Most of the vines are an impressive 45 years old. In this role at the head of a Grand Cru Classé estate, owner-resident Bruno-Eugène Borie has always practiced “positive modernity” at Ducru-Beaucaillou, where every action is directed towards improving winegrowing, which remains as sought-after as ever. In its three centuries of existence, the estate has become a model of Bordeaux-style success: its wines, known the world over, are acclaimed by the finest palates at the helm of the most stringent competitions.
Bruno-Eugène Borie, owner-resident of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, comments on the auction:
“This auction marks both the tercentenary of Ducru-Beaucaillou and my first 20 years at the helm of the estate. More than 20 years guided by a drive for continuous quality improvement (the Japanese Kaizen), with the exclusive aim of turning our dreams of excellence into reality in our wines. The time has come to share them with the very select circle of the world’s greatest connoisseurs and collectors that you represent.
Over and above the very wide range of wines on offer, and in particular the very rare icons it contains, this Baghera/wines auction is a first in many respects: for starters, it is the first dedicated Ducru-Beaucaillou auction in the company’s 300-year history; secondly, it is the first auction to be held directly at an estate; in just a few years, the auction house Baghera/wines has become a key player in the ultra-sought-after world of major auction houses, notably racking up number of records in the realm of large-format wines, notably from Burgundy.
It is therefore with great pleasure and pride that the Ducru-Beaucaillou and Baghera/wines’ teams have worked together to produce this exceptional event on 23 June 2024, which will familiarize you with Ducru-Beaucaillou, enable us to get to know you better in order to serve you better, and finally leave an indelible mark on our history!”
“We had long dreamed of organizing an exceptional estate auction. This historic anniversary, commemorating over 300 years of the history of this estate, has afforded us a unique opportunity. This event also marks the first physical Baghera/wines auction on French soil, in Bordeaux, and we are delighted to be supported in this adventure by Virginie Maison, our official auctioneer in France”, says Michael Ganne, co-founder of Baghera/wines. “It is an honor for Baghera/wines to have been chosen by Bruno-Eugène Borie, whom we thank for his trust and whose hard work we salute. For over 20 years, he has devoted himself to the pursuit of excellence, through the innovation he practices on a daily basis, through the care he lavishes on his exceptional terroirs, as well as through his entire career that has been marked by passion, exacting standards and the joy of sharing the earth’s produce – like the unique bottles we’ll be presenting at this landmark auction.”
Virginie Maison, Baghera/wines France associate and auctioneer for the sale says: “For this first physical auction on French soil, Baghera/wines is honored to present a wine that is loved by all, both in Bordeaux and internationally. This event is more than just an auction; it’s an unprecedented occasion, paying tribute to history, to the memory of a château hallmarked by excellence, to its exceptional wines, as well as to the prestigious history of its six successive owner families. It’s a chance to acquire old vintages, rare bottles testifying to the life of the château since 1887. It’s a very moving experience. ‘Célébration’ cases and many other prestige lots will add to the scope of this unique, historic auction representing a crowning achievement.”
Auction at the Estate: 1887 – 2023. Dear Pebbles, An unprecedented collection from the cellars of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
” …Car ce qui resplendit dans nos verres,
Ce qu’ils t’offrent est une rivière
De diamants purs, d’ardentes lydiennes
Du fond des ères pyrénéennes.
C’est fou, ce qu’il a fallu de cailloux
Pour un verre de Ducru-Beaucaillou,
Mais il ne faut pas s’enivrer beaucoup
Pour rêver de mettre rivière à ton cou… “
Extract from a poem by Denis Lalanne, 2004
The reason this auction is of such key interest also lies in the origin of the bottles. All come directly from the Château’s historic cellars, have never been moved, and have been perfectly conserved. This means that in addition to perfect traceability, the wines have been kept in optimal condition – the grail of every wine lover, especially for the oldest vintages, of which there are many in this retrospective auction.
Three centuries of history and the finest vintages in a single auction:
1887, 1896, 1911, 1916, 1928, 1929, 1945, 1949, 1959, 1961, 1982, 1989, 1990, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2020….
Special packaging has been designed for this historic occasion, with all the bottles adorned with gleaming back labels, an operation carried out according to the finest tradition. Wooden cases expressly customized for the event complete the presentation of these precious elixirs.
The auction features several very rare formats, including Salmanazars (9L), Balthazars (12L), Nebuchadnezzars (15L), Melchiors (18L) and Babyloniums® (27L), as well as 2 x 225L barrels of wines in the process of maturing from the 2022 and 2023 vintages. Enthusiasts of exceptional, never-before-seen vintages will thus have the opportunity to acquire ‘Célébration’ collections. Produced in minute quantities by the estate, and available (in this instance, one per vintage) from 2016 to 2021. A rare Ducru-Beaucaillou 1982 alabaster case created by Parisian designer Alain ELLOUZ will also be presented, as well as a Croix de Beaucaillou 2009 –Jade Jagger set, offered for the very first time to fans of the estate’s wines!
Baghera/wines ensures the provenance and exceptional quality of the wines it offers for auction, drawing on the skills of its experts, who are among the most experienced in the world. It is thus living up to its reputation with this exceptional sale, direct from the cellars of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou where the quality, preservation and storage conditions are second to none.
Key lots in the estate auction:
- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 1887: 1 bottle € 2,000 – 4,000
- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 1911: 1 bottle € 1,500 – 3,000
- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 1926: 1 magnum € 4,000 – 8,000
- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 1945: 1 bottle € 1,500 – 3,000
- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 1959: 3 Magnums € 15,000 – 30,000
- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 1961: 3 bottles € 14,000 – 28,000
- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 1982: 1 Double-Magnum € 2,000 – 4,000
- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 1985: 1 Melchior (18 liters) € 12,000 – 24,000
- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 1989: 1 Imperial (6 liters) € 1,500 – 3,000
- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2003: 12 bottles € 2,000 – 4,000
- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2010: 1 Melchior (18 liters) € 8,000 – 16,000
- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2020: 6 Magnums € 2,000 – 4,000
- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2022: 1 barrel (225 liters) € 45,000 – 90,000
- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou – ‘Célébration’ Collection 2018: 21 bottles in 6 sizes € 22,000 – 44,000
The sale includes: 3,303 bottles, 138 Double-Magnums, 700 Magnums, 26 Imperials, 15 Melchiors, 1 Nebuchadnezzar, 6 Salmanazars, 6 Babyloniums® and 2 barrels.
Key data for Baghera/wines estate auction:
Auction date: Sunday, 23 June 2024 – 10 am and 2 pm
Number of lots: 603
Physical auction at the estate open to the public – also broadcast live for an international audience
Catalog available online at www.bagherawines.com
Eight tasting dinners will be held:
Promotional worldtour organised in Northern America, Asia and Europe, May & June 2024.
Total number of bottles:
4,197 bottles and other formats ranging from bottles to Bordeaux barrels.
ABOUT BAGHERA/WINES, EXPERTS IN EXCEPTIONAL WINES
European leader in rare wine auctions based in Geneva, Baghera/wines offers a new approach to auctions of exceptional vintages by placing conviviality and sharing at the heart of their events. For the past five years, passionate experts Michael Ganne and Julie Carpentier have developed a bureau dedicated exclusively to rare wines, and which guides collectors in all aspects of enhancing the value of a collection.
In 2018-19, the historic auction of Henri Jayer’s personal cellar, to date the world’s most important wine auction ever (CHF 34.5M), followed by an unprecedented auction exclusively dedicated to the wines of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and then by the final bottles from Domaine René Engel, propelled Baghera/wines to the position of European leader in wine auctions.
The experienced team working with Baghera/wines’ experts offers excellent tailor-made professional advice to international collectors passionate about rare fine wines including the organization of master classes, as well as careful selection of wines for private tastings, dinners and events combining music and wine. In September 2020, Baghera/wines officially inaugurated its new Geneva establishment, incorporating a private club and boutique dedicated to fine wines, within the Beau-Rivage hotel, Geneva. In October 2022, the company further developed its activities in Asia, with the opening of Baghera/wines Singapore Ltd. in Singapore. The entity began holding physical and online auctions from December 2022. In 2023, Baghera/wines France was set up to organize auctions in France, and a second club dedicated to collectors and events was inaugurated in Nuits-St-Georges.
