21 May 2021

NOT YET RELEASED.

Château Branaire-Ducru

"Well balanced, showcasing the possibilities of the vintage, a little austere in its rose stem and cassis bud character, but it opens up to show finessed blackberry fruit, precisely cut tannins, and has plenty of potential to age. 32hl/ yield, up to 20 months ageing depending on tasting. Tasted twice.  92 points."  JaneAnson.com (JA), Apr 2022

"Having tasted the 2021 Branaire-Ducru six times over the course of a month and a half, I feel confident in saying that it is a beautiful wine that numbers among the vintage's real successes. Offering up aromas of raspberry coulis and red cherries mingled with notions of rose petals, cigar box and spices, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and seamless, with a layered core of fruit, lively acids and beautifully powdery tannins. Why is it quite so good? It isn't because a lot of wine was declassified, as around 60% of the estate's production went into the grand vin this year—a touch more than average. Rather, the key factors seem to be waiting to pick despite an alarming weather forecast; the blend itself, which emphasizes ripe Cabernet and the estate's later-ripening Merlot on clay-limestone soils; and the fact that a partially completed new winery means that Branaire already had fully 63 fermentation vats at its disposal to pick and vinify parcel by parcel. The exact composition is 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.  93-94 points."  Wine Advocate (WK) Apr 2022

Landing in spring 2024.

To order, e-mail us at sales@richardkihl.ltd.uk

Producer Profile

Château Branaire-Ducru, Cru Classé St.-Julien

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.