2018 | Branaire-Ducru | Saint-Julien

Pure and driven, with expressive cassis and plum puree aromas and flavors carried by a graphite edge and backed with applewood, licorice root and tobacco notes. Lovely energy throughout.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Branaire-Ducru begins just a tad reduced with broody tar, rubber and fried herbs scents giving way to a fragrant core of warm cassis, blackberry pie and blueberry coulis with touches of smoked meats and tobacco. Full-bodied, firm and rugged in the mouth with brawny, muscular fruit and a sturdy frame of grainy tannins, it finishes long and savory.

• James Suckling: Very attractive aromas of currants, tile and sandalwood with black and red currants. It’s full-bodied with a tight, dense center-palate that remains closed in and tight. Yet there is underlying seriousness and length to this. Perhaps the greatest Branaire-Ducru ever made.

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. Maroteaux's son, François-Xavier, has been in charge of the estate since 2017. The wines of Branaire-Ducru are pure in terms of their fruit and have the structure and integration to allow long aging. 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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