Prélude à Grand-Puy Ducasse is the second wine of the Pauillac Château Grand-Puy Ducasse. Three large plots in the best parts of Pauillac form the vineyard of this exceptionnal cru. This unusual configuration is a direct inheritance from the estate’s founder, Pierre Ducasse, an eminent lawyer. In the 18th century he gave a single name to a fine vineyard holding, which was put together through inheritance and purchases. When he died in 1797, his son, Pierre, inherited a 60-hectare exploitation, named Ducasse-Grand-PuyArtigues-Arnaud, of which two third were planted with vines. The estate was classified in 1855, under the name of Artigues Arnaud.

Pauillac is home to several of the world's most famous wine and the region lies in an inauspicious small village in Médoc. Pauillac sprawls over the land size of about 8.8 square miles, is highly optimised for wine production and accounts for a rather disproportionate amount of fine, expensive wine in Bordeaux.