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2021 Château Branaire-Ducru

WA 94

JS 94-95

DE 94

VN 92

JD 90

Not Currently In Auction

Estimate

RATINGS

94The Wine Advocate

Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, plums, menthol, violets and baking chocolate...medium to full-bodied, supple and suave, with a velvety attack that segues into a deep, fleshy palate.

94-95James Suckling

...very pretty...blackberry and blackcurrant aromas with crushed stone. Medium to full body with layers of fine-grained tannins. Bright and refined. Lots of dark fruit at the end. Solid weight.

94Decanter Magazine (points)

Green peppercorns, menthol and sightly herbal aspects on the nose. Smooth and silky, a shot of bright high acidity with a balancing creamy touch to the texture. Tannins are barely there, but do give the frame which nicely carries the flavours. Really charming and fruity, great energy if not masses of weight and depth. Clean and precise fruit expression.

92Vinous / IWC

...clean and precise bouquet: blackberry, cedar, light pencil box scents...classic in style... The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. Again, black fruit comes to the fore—graphite-infused black fruit, with a little more salinity...pleasing strictness...

90Jeb Dunnuck

Ripe black cherries, leafy underbrush, cedar, and some earthy notes...medium-bodied, focused, leaner Saint-Julien that still has ripe tannins and good density.

PRODUCER

Château Branaire-Ducru

Château Branaire-Ducru is a Fourth Growth Bordeaux according to the official classification of 1855. The 123-acre estate is in St.-Julien-Beychevelle, on the left bank of the Gironde River. It is owned by the Marotteaux family and produces up to 180,000 bottles annually of its Château Branaire Ducru. The vineyards are planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22 % Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. The estate dates back to the late 17th century, when it was acquired by Jean-Baptiste Braneyre. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that Branaire is “largely ignored by speculators, (but) is favored by wine drinkers…The finest vintages are magnificently scented, deep, rich wines that are as good as other top wines of St. Julien.” The estate's second wine is Duluc de Branaire-Ducru.

REGION

France, Bordeaux, St.-Julien

Saint-Julien is the smallest of the four main Médoc appellations with 2,175 acres of vineyards. It is just south of Pauillac on the left bank of the Gironde, and although it has no First Growth châteaux, its 11 Classified Growth estates are widely admired. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that winemaking in Saint-Julien from all classifications “is consistently both distinctive and brilliant.” He adds it is Médoc’s “most underrated commune.” The best-known estates are Léoville Las Cases, Ducru-Beaucaillou, Léoville Poyferré, Léoville Barton and Gruaud Larose, and most of those have riverside estates. The soil in this appellation is gravelly with clay. Cabernet Sauvignon is the main grape grown, and it is blended with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and sometimes small amounts of Petit Verdot.