Chateau Grand Puy Ducasse 5ème Cru Classé de Pauillac 2018

Grand Puy Ducasse occupies a gravelly plateau in the heart of Pauillac's left bank, where deep Günz gravel over clay subsoil produces wines of mineral precision and longevity. The 2018 vintage represents a classic expression of the estate's 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot blend, fermented in temperature-controlled concrete and oak vats before 18 months in French oak (40% new). The vintage benefited from a warm, dry growing season that concentrated phenolic ripeness while maintaining acidity—a hallmark of the finest Pauillac years. This fifth growth delivers the structural architecture expected of the appellation: firm tannins, dark cassis minerality, and a palate that demands cellaring through the mid-2030s to fully resolve its oak integration and reveal secondary complexity.