2006 | Château Branaire-Ducru | Saint-Julien

Bright red-ruby. Pure, high-pitched nose offers blueberry, dark chocolate, menthol and cedary oak. Suave, sweet and serious, with lovely inner-mouth lift and energy and sneaky density of texture. Hints of pepper and herbs serve to perk up the wine.

Producer Information

Château Branaire-Ducru is a wine estate based the Saint-Julien appellation, in the Haut-Médoc region, on the so-called "left bank" of the Garonne estuary north of the city of Bordeaux. The estate was ranked a fourth growth in the 1855 Classification of Médoc and the Graves. The estate was founded in 1680 by Jean-Baptiste Braneyre, who reportedly saw the potential of the soils of the Bordeaux commune of Saint-Julien and the ability of Cabernet Sauvignon to flourish upon them. Before his death he gave his name to the estate, which was later changed to the current spelling, Branaire. Today the château encompasses 125 acres (50 ha) and is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, with some vines almost 90 years old. The property was once part of neighboring Château Beychevelle before it was broken up in the middle of the 17th Century to pay off the debts of the owners. Since 1988, Branaire-Ducru has been owned by Patrick Maroteaux, a former banker who fell in love with the Saint-Julien appellation and Branaire-Ducru itself. Under his ownership, 10 hectares (25 acres) have been added to the estate, and the winery and vineyards have undergone a complete modernization and renovation. Château Branaire-Ducru is the estate's grand vin and approximately 300,000 bottles are produced a year. It is Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant, with the addition of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The wines spend 18 months on average in oak and are rested in the cellars before being released into the market. These are wines made to be opened after around 10 years in the bottle and have some of the highest percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon seen in wines from Saint-Julien. The second wine, Duluc de Branaire-Ducru is made from the estate's younger vines and released in a more approachable style than the grand vin. Maroteaux does not see the point in producing a third wine or extending his portfolio, as this would just drive up the price of his first wine based on the quantities of his wine rather than the quality.

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