There are in fact only 75 hectares of Ducru vineyards, of which, approximately half lie around the Château and the rest lie further inland within the St. Julien commune, bordering those of Gruaud-Larose and Talbot. The vines are 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot with an average vine age of 35 years, planted at a density of 10,000 vines per hectare. The harvest is manual and the fruit passes over a sorting table before destemming, pressing and fermentation in stainless steel and under temperature-controlled conditions. The process takes about two weeks, with a frequency of pumping over and exact temperature tailored to each individual vat.

Saint Julien first became famous for its Bordeaux wine back in the 17th century. At that time, St Julien was in the stage of development, to become a major Bordeaux wine producing appellation in the Left Bank when the entire area of the Medoc was discovered and populated by wealthy aristocrats. Coinciding with creating the famous vineyards we know today, the new landowners quickly began erecting massive showpiece chateaux throughout the region. Many of the original Saint Julien estates are still standing today and can be easily noticed while driving down the famous D2 highway.