Château Branaire-Ducru is a Quatrièmes Cru Classé in Saint-Julien.  Branaire was once part of the Beychevelle estate but in 1680 it was sold to Jean-Baptiste Braneyre.  Subsequently, a Branaire daughter married Pierre de Luc, and for a time the name became Branaire-Duluc.  The Ducru part of the name was added in the 1870s when Gustave Ducru became owner.  The current Château was built in 1842.

Banker Patrick Maroteaux bought the estate in 1998 and it is now run by his grandson, François Xavier Maroteaux.  The 60-hectare vineyard is planted to 70% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc.  The terroir is deep gravel with clay soils. The peak elevation reaches up to 14 meters.  The vineyard can be divided into 15 different blocks with 70 different parcels of vines. On average, the vines are close to 35 years of age, but the estate has parcels as old as 90 years.