Learn everything about Chateau Branaire Ducru St. Julien, Fourth Growth with wine tasting notes, and wine with food pairing tips. Learn all the best vintages, a history of the property, information on vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles
Chateau Branaire Ducru, History and Overview
Chateau Branaire Ducru has a long history that goes all the way back to 1680. In those early days in Saint Julien, Branaire Ducru was a part of the massive Beychevelle estate. When the owner of Beychevelle passed away, he left behind a huge Bordeaux vineyard that was seriously in debt.
To pay the bills, the vineyard was broken up and sold to pay their debts. Several new estates were created in Saint Julien including Chateau Branaire Ducru.
The owner who founded Branaire Ducru was Jean-Baptiste Braneyre. He created the estate in 1680. As was the traditional custom of the day in Bordeaux, the owner gave the estate his name, which is where the first part of the property’s name came from.
Braneyre was later altered to Branaire. Braneyre bought the land of what we know as Branaire Ducru because of the terroir. He understood that Cabernet Sauvignon grew best on the deep gravel soils found in the Medoc.
Now, we have the birth of Branaire Ducru. Or, at least the Branaire part. The formal middle name was gained through marriage. Marie Braneyre married Pierre de Luc which as you can guess, gave us the Branaire Duluc. almost 100 years later, the first winery at the property was constructed.
In 1824, the grand chateau that is still in use today was built. It took almost 200 years for the Ducru portion of the wine’s name to make its way to the label. In 1875, with no direct descendants, Gustave Ducru, a more distant relative took over the property adding his name to the label, which gave us Chateau Branaire Ducru.
Chateau Branaire Ducru, The Modern Age
Patrick Maroteaux bought Branaire Ducru in 1988 from the Tapie family who owned Chateau Branaire Ducru since 1919. Prior to his arrival at Branaire Ducru, Patrick Maroteaux had no prior experience in the wine business.
His background was first in banking and next as the president of the massive sugar company, Eurosucre. Patrick Maroteaux also served as the President of the UGCB, Union of Grand Crus Bordeaux, and as the President of the Saint Julien appellation.
Since his purchase, Patrick Maroteaux has focused much of his efforts on performing extensive work in the vineyards and in the cellars of Branaire Ducru. He also quickly began reducing the yields. He also increased the size of their vineyards by 10 hectares. Patrick was also interested in modernizing their winemaking techniques.
In fact, Patrick Maroteaux was one of the first producers in the Left Bank to fill its tanks entirely by gravity. He did this starting with the 1991 vintage. At the time, this was done with the help of the young Philippe Dhalluin.
Philippe Dhalluin left Branaire Ducru in 2004 and took over the same position as the director for winemaking at Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac. Philippe Dhalluin was replaced by the young, talented, Jean Dominique Videau.
Chateau Branaire Ducru is a family business. The son of Patrick Maroteaux, François Xavier Maroteaux followed in his footsteps and joined the estate. Sadly, November 19, 2017, Patrick Maroteaux passed away at the age of 67. His son, François Xavier Maroteaux took over the full-time responsibilities of managing the property.
All the new, technical improvements at Branaire Ducru quickly paid off for Patrick Maroteaux. Starting with the 2000 vintage, Branaire Ducru became one of the top Saint Julien wines. It’s also one of the better values for high-quality Bordeaux in the marketplace today.
Chateau Branaire Ducru, Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking
The 60-hectare vineyard of Branaire Ducru is planted to 65% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. This represents a slight change in the Cabernet in the vineyard. In size, the vineyard remains close to what it was at the time of the 1855 Classification.
The terroir is deep gravel with clay soils. The peak elevation reaches up to 14 meters. The best terroir is located near the chateau, closest to the Gironde river.
They also have blocks placed further inland, with a small section of vines placed close to Chateau Lagrange and Chateau Talbot. The vineyard can be divided into 15 different blocks with 70 different parcels of vines. They have an additional parcel in the Haut Medoc appellation as well, which is not used in the Grand Vin.
On average, the vines are close to 35 years of age. But the estate has older vines as well. The oldest vines date back close to 90 years of age. The vineyard is planted to a vine density that ranges from 6,700 to 10,000 vines per hectare.
The higher levels of vine density are for the newer plantings. It is the goal of the property to continue increasing the vine density in all of their better terroir.
At Chateau Branaire Ducru, fermentation takes place in 28 temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks. The 28 vats vary in size. The vats range in size from as small as 30 hectoliters and go all the way up to 210 hectoliters. Each vat is sized for the needs of each specific vineyard parcel. Each vat is filled using a gravity-based system.
Alcoholic fermentation takes place at temperatures between 26 to 28 degrees Celsius. The average length of maceration lasts about 21 days. Malolactic fermentation takes place in tanks. The press wine is aged separately.
The wine of Chateau Branaire Ducru is aged in 60% to 65% new, French oak barrels for between 16-20 months. The amount of new oak varies depending on the quality, character, and style of the vintage.
On average, the production is slightly more than 25,000 cases of Branaire Ducru each year. There is a second wine, Duluc de Branaire Ducru.
The best vintages of Chateau Branaire Ducru are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2000, 1989, 1982 and 1961.
Here is a bit of fun, Branaire Ducru trivia for you. In the short story “Taste,” written in 1953 by the famous author, Roald Dahl, in which two wine lovers are arguing about wine during a blind tasting, the wine they are discussing is Chateau Branaire Ducru!
The estate also owns 3.5 hectares of vines in the Haut Medoc appellation. The wine is made by the same team that produces Chateau Branaire Ducru. The wine is sold under the name of Haut Medoc de Branaire Ducru. There are also a few rare bottles of Branaire Ducru released during the 1960’s which consisted of multi-vintage blends, that are impossible to find today.
When to Drink Chateau Branaire Ducru, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau Branaire Ducru can be enjoyed on the young side with decanting, due to its elegant, fresh character. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 2-3 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.
Chateau Branaire Ducru is usually better with at least 8-10 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Pibran offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 12-25 years of age after the vintage.
Serving Chateau Branaire Ducru with the Best Wine, Food, Pairing Tips
Chateau Branaire Ducru is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Chateau Branaire Ducru is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, stewed, and grilled dishes. Branaire Ducru is also good when served with Asian dishes, hearty seafood, or fish like tuna, mushrooms, pasta, and cheese.
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) Wine Tasting Notes
46 Vintages 812,702 Views Sort by Vintage-Rating
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2023
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Showing a depth in the color, aromatically, the wine exudes blackberries, plums, charcoal, tobacco, black currants, cinnamon, and flowers in the perfume. Palate-wise, the wine is perfectly balanced between its silky textures and vibrant acidities. The finish is soft, polished, refined, and flavorful, leaving you with hints of turmeric, chocolate, and sweet, black currants. This is clearly a top vintage of Branaire Ducru! The length of the harvest, with the extra hang time, gave the team the chance to pick when they wanted to. This is a wine that is going to age quite well, yet it will be delicious to drink with just a few years of aging. The wine blends 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc, and 3.5% Petit Verdot. 13.1% ABV, 3.63 pH. The harvest took place September 12 - October 4. Yields were large at 53 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2028-2060. 93-95 Pts. 3,743 Views Tasted May 4, 2024 |
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2022
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Deep in color, the wine displays its bouquet of flowers before getting to all of its dark, red fruits, spice, mocha, nutmeg, vanilla, and black cherries. While the aromatics are enticing, it is on the palate, with all of its silky-textures, creaminess, energy and most importantly, purity of fruit and concentration that provides you with the best part of the experience. The finish has never been this defined, elegant and concentrated in any previous vintage of Branaire Ducru. This is an entirely new level of quality here. Clearly, this is the best vintage of Branaire Ducru ever produced! The wine blends 60.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31.5% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc, and 2.5% Petit Verdot. 14.3% ABV, 3.65 pH. The harvest took place September 12 - September 24. The yields were 34 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2027-2060. 96-98 Pts. 9,017 Views Tasted May 8, 2023 |
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2021
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Fresh, vibrant, elegant, and almost discreet, the wine is classic in style, in a good way. The nose, with its display of flowers, tobacco, cherries, kirsch and hints of cocoa shines with little effort. The medium-bodied palate, with its profile of sweet, ripe, red cherries, comes along with gentle accents of leafy herbs, cocoa, espresso and soft-textured, plums. The wine drink well young, yet age and develop for 2 decades. The wine blends 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, and 5.5% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2025-2050. 2,124 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2024Flowers and black raspberries with black and red currants open the wine in the nose. The wine is medium-bodied, fresh, sweet, juicy and pure. Classic in style, this is going to be approchable early, so you will be able to enjoy all the ripe, elegant, cherries, plums and peppery currants without a long wait. Yet, the wine will age for 2 decades ore more easily. The wine is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc and 5.5% Petit Verdot, 13% ABV, 3.68 pH. The harvest took place September 24, finishing October 14. The yields were low at 32 hectoliters per hectare and from there, roughly 60% of the harvest was placed into the Grand Vin. Drink from 2024-2050. 92-94 3,271 Views Tasted May 20, 2022 |
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2020
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Quite perfumed, the complex nose offers cigar box, tobacco, spearmint, wet earth, mocha, spice, black currants and dark cherry aromas to get things going. Medium/full-bodied with a silky, fresh, refined character to its layers of ripe, sweet, mildly-spiced, red pit fruits on the palate, the finish is complex, as well as refined and currently discreet. Clearly, this is one of the top vintages from Branaire Ducru that fans of the estate should definitely have in their cellar. Drink from 2026-2055. 4,341 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2023Cedar, tobacco, red and black currants, mocha, spice and smoke come through loud and clear in the nose. Soft, silky and supple, the fresh red fruits are already quite expressive creating a refined, medium/full-bodied, silky, wine with purity, character and precision. This will drink well with 7--8 years of aging and will age and develop quite nicely. 93-95 Pts 4,334 Views Tasted May 20, 2021 |
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2019
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Opening with a strong sense of florality, the wine quickly moves to tobacco leaf, red currants, mocha and cassis on the nose. On the palate, the wine is elegant, fresh, soft and polished, with silky tannins and a palate filled with sweet, ripe, elegant, black plums and currants with a touch of cocoa at the end in the finish. This is a fabulous vintage for Branaire Ducru. Drink from 2027-2055. 7,587 Views Tasted Mar 29, 2022Tobacco, mocha, cassis, blackberry and flowers are what you initially notice. This is a sensuous, medium/full-bodied, silky, fresh and pure wine exuding sweet, ripe, black plums, juicy blackberry and cassis from start to finish. The lift in the endnote gives you ample time to enjoy all the purity in the fruit, which is just great. Produced from a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.7% ABV with a pH of 3.65. Harvesting took place September 19 to October 9. The Grand Vin was produced from 55% of the crop. 94-96 Pts 11,804 Views Tasted Jun 8, 2020 |
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2018
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Showing better from the bottle than in barrel, the wine is loaded with black and red berries, smoke, mocha, flowers and coffee bean. Elegant, refined, silky and fresh, the fruit offers this gorgeous sense of purity from the start continuing straight through to the vibrant, red berry packed finish. Fans of Branaire-Ducru should be all over this gem. The wine is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc. 6,692 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2021 |
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2018
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
Like a cushion cut ruby with its facets reflecting violet around the rim, the wine opens with a perfume of flowers and black raspberries and mocha, spice and tobacco leaf appear effortlessly. On the palate the wine is bright, fresh, silky and even creamy. The fruit shows a strong floral spirit that gracefully marries into the crème de cassis. The wine remains balanced and fresh with no touch of heat in the high-degree of ripeness. This will be among the best vintages of Branaire ever produced. The wine is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, reaching 14.3% ABV with a pH of 3.6. The Grand Vin was produced from 60% of the harvest and the picking took place from September 19 to October 10. 93-95 Pts 10,145 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019 |
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2018
Duluc de Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Ready to drink on release, the wine is medium-bodied, elegant and charming, with a focus on its freshness, purity and soft tannins, finishing with sweet kirsch and dark cherry notes. 89-91 Pts 2,638 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019 |
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2017
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
On the fresh, lifted classic side, with good length, purity, elegance and polished tannins, the finish is clean, crisp and focused on this beautiful core of sweet, red fruits. 4,810 Views Tasted May 14, 2020Tobacco, cassis, flowers and a hint of mocha dance in the nose. On the palate, the medium-bodied wine is fresh, bright, sweet and soft. There is an extra bit of lift in the red fruits but the tannins are gentle enough to soften the brightness while adding structure and backbone for aging. Produced from a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 6.5% Petit Verdot and 4.5% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.2% ABV with a pH of 3.65. Harvesting took place September 13 to October 4. 3,086 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2018 |
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2016
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Refined, elegant, fresh, vibrant, and while approachable, its best days are ahead, which is when all of those sweet, ripe, perfectly balanced, layers of currants, spice, mocha, cigar wrapper, and forest leaf will be at their best. Drink from 2024-2050. 7,961 Views Tasted Nov 1, 2022The wine is all about its balance between the purity in the red fruits, depth of flavor, sweetness and length on the palate. The salty chalky finish, with all of its ripe, delicious red fruits shows well. Elegant, lively, silky and stylish, with nothing out of place, give this beauty 10-12 years of age and enjoy it over the next 2 decades after that. 8,042 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2019It is hard to say what worked better here, the soft, silky tannins, the freshness in the fruit, the purity in the berries or the elegant stylings. The cassis and boysenberry fruits make an impression on the nose and the palate. This should age for decades. 7,643 Views Tasted Feb 9, 2019Elegant, polished, bright, fresh and clean, with a purity of fruit that stands out. Everything here is in balance from the silky tannins to the sweetness in the bright, red fruits. The wine lingers and expands. 9,050 Views Tasted May 13, 2018Spicy boysenberry and sweet cassis with licorice and a kiss of oak on the nose, this wine displays elegance and a natural goodness of fruit. Oddly it gives the impression of fading in the mouth but it’s all an illusion as the essence rushes back in and lingers. Produced from a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.49% ABV with a pH of 3.59. Harvesting took place from September 28 to October 19, which is the latest as well as the longest harvest in the history of Branaire Ducru. 8,483 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2017 |
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2016
Duluc de Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Medium-bodied, finesee styled, ready to drink charmer with a refined, soft, fresh, clean, red berry and tobacco leaf character that is going to be perfect to enjoy, while waiting for its big brother to mature. 4,033 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2019 |
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2015
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Vibrant, lush, refined, elegant, and almost at the start of its prime-time, drinking window, the wine is packed with mocha, tobacco, dark red fruits, earth, and spice on the nose, and on the long, vibrant palate. Drink from 2023-2045. 5,518 Views Tasted Nov 1, 2022Clearly on the right track. The wine is elegant, refined, fresh, pure, classy and classic. The tannins are soft with the right amount of polish, The juicy, sweet, red fruits offer lift, purity and persistence to this medium-bodied wine. As this ages, it it only going to get better and better. This bottle was opened in the name of science, to know where the wine is going. It is going to be a beauty of you can wait another 7-9 years to reach maturity. 7,364 Views Tasted Jul 29, 2020Blackberries, cassis, thyme, tobacco and cedar notes help define the nose. There is a sweetness and purity to the ripe red fruits that shine through. On the palate as the wine lingers, elements of juicy, blackberries poke through, giving you a melange of silky textured fruits in the finish. This is so soft, you can drink it now, but if you can wait 6-10 years, the wine will offer a much more interesting experience. 5,477 Views Tasted May 21, 2018The wine expresses its elegant, refined character with ease. There is a sweetness and purity to the deep red fruits. The added cedar, tobacco and floral elements are coupled with soft, silky tannins and a finish, that focuses on the fresh character of the fruit. 4,835 Views Tasted Mar 12, 2018Elegant and refined, with purity and freshness, the wine keeps getting better and should age quite nicely. 4,522 Views Tasted Jul 12, 2017Tobacco, cedar and plump red and black fruits start off the nose. Ripe, soft tannins, purity of fruit and perfect balance are the hallmarks of this wine. Clarity and sweetness of the fruit, the freshness and elegance with the ability to age make this a strong vintage for Branaire Ducru. Produced from a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, this wine reached 13.3% ABV with a pH of 3.64. The harvest took place from September 18 to October 4. 92 - 94 Pts 4,672 Views Tasted Apr 20, 2016 |
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2014
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Peppery black currants, a touch of mocha, cedar, tobacco leaf and herbs create the nose and the core of thd palate. Medium-bodied, fresh, zesty and spicy, the finish is crisp and refined. Drink from 2022-2040. 4,914 Views Tasted Oct 13, 2022Medium/full-bodied, classically styled wine packed with juicy, fresh, bright, crisp cassis, cedar and tobacco leaf. The wine is vibrant and fresh on the palate and in the finish. Early days here. Give this until 2024 before pulling a cork. 4,989 Views Tasted Oct 13, 2020Elegant, refined, fresh and with purity of fruit and ripe tannins, the fruit here is crisp, sweet, ripe and vibrant. 4,941 Views Tasted Feb 2, 2017With the blossoms of a black raspberry bramble with a quick sift of white pepper, mocha and earth in the perfume, this wine is all about its elegant tannins, the finesse, freshness and purity of the sweet black and crisp, spicy red fruits. Produced from a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The wine reached 13.5% ABV with a pH of 3.63. 92-93 Pts 5,078 Views Tasted Apr 16, 2015 |
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2013
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Elegant in style, with fresh, sweet, red fruits from start to finish. The wine is medium bodied, already open and drinking well, ending with a soft, likable, fresh cherry tinged finish. 2,428 Views Tasted Feb 9, 2016From blending 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13% ABV. The grapes were harvested between September 30 and October 15, and the wine is aging in 60% new French oak barrels. Garnet in color with a touch of vanilla, fresh herbs, spicy blackberry, smoke and floral notes. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied and offers bright red berries and fresh cassis, ending on a light, spicy fruit note. This should be accessible on release. 90-92 Pts 2,468 Views Tasted Apr 20, 2014 |
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2012
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
This medium-bodied, classically-styled, elegant, red currant, cedar, forest leaf, herb, and pepper-filled, crunchy, earthy wine is ready to go. Drink from 2022-2035. 3,902 Views Tasted Jul 8, 2022Already showing some interesting secondary notes of tobacco, earth, black cherry and mocha in the nose, this medium bodied, feminine, fresh, soft textured wine can be enjoyed young, and it has the potential to age as well. 3,803 Views Tasted Mar 11, 2015From an assemblage of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The wine reached 13.3% ABV with a pH of 3.66. The wine will be aged in 60% new French oak. Ruby in color, the wine offers flowers, jammy raspberries, vanilla and earth. Medium bodied, fresh and dominated by sweet raspberries and cherry, this is an elegant Branaire Ducru to enjoy while waiting for the 2009 and 2010 to mature. 90-92 Pts 3,229 Views Tasted Apr 23, 2013 |
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2011
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Forward and fresh, with a medium bodied, open, black raspberry, earth, spice and espresso bean nose, the clean finish delivers an elegant, polished display of fresh dark cherries. You can drink this young, or age it for a few years. This is another wine that is better than you might think for the vintage. 5,166 Views Tasted Feb 16, 2014From an assemblage of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 13.08% ABV. Yields were about 10% lower in 2011 than what the estate produced in 2010. With mocha, black cherry, truffle, smoke and earthy aromas, this medium-bodied, soft-textured Branaire Ducru is dominated by cherries and finishes with a fresh, sweet chocolate and black raspberry finish. 91-93 Pts 3,806 Views Tasted Apr 13, 2012 |
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2010
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Medium/full-bodied, elegant, vibrant, silky, and fresh, the estate's refined character shines through here. The flowers, cherries, mocha, leafy tobacco, and spice on the nose prepare you for all the sweet, juicy currants and plums on the palate, leaving you with a long, fruit-packed finish showcasing the wine's purity and energy. Close, but not quite ready, drink from 2025-2045. 5,607 Views Tasted Jul 9, 2022Young, fresh, vibrant and a bit tight, as you would expect, yet, it is hard not to notice the soft, ripe, smooth tannins, sweet, fresh, dark red fruits, concentration of flavor and the sense of purity in the finish. Give this another 5 years and it should be showing a lot of what it has to offer. 7,972 Views Tasted May 9, 2016Licorice, oak, truffle, black cherry and plum, soft tannins, round fruit and freshness in the finish. This is a contender for the best wine made at Branaire Ducru since Patrick Maroteaux bought the property in 1989. 8,539 Views Tasted Sep 3, 2015It's fun drinking these young wines. It's not close to mature, but it's not shut down either. The showy, tobacco, cigar box, blackberry and mocha aromas, coupled with soft, refined dark berries on the palate let you know this is going to be a treat in a decade or so when it matures. 8,288 Views Tasted May 7, 2014Deep ruby in color, the wine is filled with earth, tobacco, blackberry, mocha and anise. The wine is fresh, soft, polished and sweet, delivering, pure blackberry, black cherry with just a hint of truffle in the finish. With the ripe fruits and soft, tannins, the wine can be enjoyed young, yet it can age for two decades or more. According to the owner, Patrick Maroteaux, this is the best he's produced yet. 12,536 Views Tasted Jul 27, 2013Starting to shut down and tighten up, with coaxing, the wine offers fresh blackberries, earth, mocha and stone aromas. The tannins and polished, ripe and round. Medium/full bodied, Branaire Ducru is never about power, it's about finesse and elegance. This could be the best vintage for Branaire Ducru yet. At least that is what the owner Patrick Maroteaux suggests. It will be fun tasting this against the 2009 in the years to come. 9,229 Views Tasted May 7, 2013Floral, coffee, tobacco, mocha and blackberry notes lead to a powerful vintage for Branaire, with a beautiful sense of purity to the fruit, freshness and the structure to age and develop well. Patrick Maroteaux feels this blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23.5% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 2.5% Cabernet Franc is the best vintage yet for his chateaux, he could be right. 7,645 Views Tasted Feb 8, 2013Flowers, bitter chocolate, smoke, blackberry and wet earth aromas open to a concentrated, tannic, fresh, sweet, ripe, concentrated, fresh, mocha and black cherry, supple textured finish. 7,975 Views Tasted May 1, 2012Sporting a deep ruby color, the smoke, boysenberry, blackberry, truffle, mocha scents form an enticing perfume. Polished, elegant, fresh and filled with deep, ripe, pure fruits. The wine is expansive and mouth filling, finishing with a long, boysenberry, cocoa and black cherry finish. This wine has improved since last tasted in April. This is the best vintage of Chateau Branaire Ducru that Patrick Maroteaux has made at the property. 94-95 Pts 8,466 Views Tasted Jul 10, 2011Branaire Ducru From an assemblage of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23.5% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 2.5% Cabernet Franc, (Similar to the 2009) the wine sports a deep ruby tint. Jammy black raspberry, spice and hints of toasty oak start off the perfume. In the mouth, fresh cassis, mocha, olives and spice combine with strong, ripe tannins, ending in a blackberry filled finish. The wine reached 13.8% ABV, which is higher than they recorded in 2009. Due to the high level of acidity, there is no sensation of heat. According to the owner, Patrick Maroteaux, one of the keys to the success in 2010 is due to their new method of handling the press wine. This includes ageing the press wine in one year old barrels and utilizing more selection in the press wine. 40% of the press wine was allocated to the Grand Vin. The remainder was included in the second wine. 93-94 Pts 8,432 Views Tasted Apr 20, 2011 |
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2010
Duluc de Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Oak, fennel and cherry notes open to a forward, accessible, easy to like, black cherry flavored wine that will be best in its youth. 4,388 Views Tasted Jul 27, 2013Earthy black fruits and tobacco on the nose lead to a polished, bright, finish. This is a nice wine to seek out on restaurant wine lists. 3,456 Views Tasted May 7, 2013 |
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2009
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Continuing to develop in all the right ways, the wine is a refined, elegant example of Saint Julien with its layers of soft, silky red fruits, mocha, wet earth, spice, and cigar box. Medium/full-bodied, energetic and fresh, this is already drinking just great. Drink from 2023-2050. 5,969 Views Tasted Jul 8, 2022Elegant, refined, fresh, pure and precise, the wine pops right from the initial sniff and sip. The freshness in the juicy sweet, ripe, earthy red fruits, with their cocoa accent hits the spot. And the long, polished, refined, silky, red berry finish just doesn't want to quit. While you can pop a cork now, I'd wait at least 3-5 years for the wine to fill out and really shine! 8,807 Views Tasted Sep 20, 2019Full bodied, and holding most of what it has in reserve, the wine has rich textures, ripe, elegant, pure fruits, balancing acidity and a long finish. Hang on to your bottles for at least another 5-6 years, as this is going to develop nicely. 8,658 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2017Young, as expected, but it's impossible not to enjoy all the fresh, sweet, ripe fruits, soft textures and the elegance, paired with freshness in the finish. A few hours in the decanter, or more cellar time will be amply rewarded. 10,204 Views Tasted Jul 12, 2016Young and full of promise, the wine is polished, plush and supple. The fruits are ripe, fresh, vibrant and spicy. 9,902 Views Tasted Sep 18, 2014This polished, sexy, silky wine delivers beautiful, fresh black and red fruits, spice, mocha, licorice and earth. Forward in style, this will have an incredibly long drinking window. 11,969 Views Tasted Jul 27, 2013Forest floor, earth, sweet ripe blackberry, plum, earth, cedar and tobacco scents get your attention with little effort. Soft, ripe, silky tannins, purity of fruit and concentration are the hallmarks of this wine. 13,534 Views Tasted May 1, 2012Blackberry, blueberry, licorice, caramel, smoke, spice and mocha. With soft, round, fleshy textures and ripe, silky tannins, the feels great on your palate. The best Branaire Ducru yet. But it might be surpassed by the 2010. We’ll have to wait and see. Regardless, it’s going to be fun to compare the two vintages over the next few decades. Branaire Ducru remains the best buy in St. Julien for its combination of price and quality. 14,965 Views Tasted Feb 6, 20122009 Branaire Ducru is dark, with scents of boysenberry, dark chocolate, spice, cassis, and mocha. This elegant wine feels round in the mouth, finishing with flavors of licorice, black and blue fruit, and spice. This is a polished style of St. Julien. This outstanding wine is probably not going to reach the same level as the sublime 2005. Nonetheless, the 2009 Branaire Ducru is one of the better values for serious wine in 2009. 93-95 Pts 13,897 Views Tasted Aug 26, 2010 |
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2008
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Elegant, refined and subdued, it takes some coaxing before the wine begins to open and show off its mocha, earth, spice, tobacco, cigar wrapper and cassis filled charms. Give this another 5 years for the remaining tannins to soften and this will be an even better treat. If you cannot wait 5 years, 2 hours in the decanter will work. 4,236 Views Tasted Sep 17, 2018Cassis, cocoa powder, chocolate, earth and cinnamon make up the intriguing perfume. Elegant, supple and already approachable, the wine ends with a strong, sweet cassis and spice filled finish. 9,718 Views Tasted Jan 28, 201108 Château Branaire Ducru consists of 68% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot, 5% cabernet franc, and 2% petit verdot. Deep ruby with hints of purple at the rim, the wine features a delicate perfume of boysenberry, tobacco, mocha, and earth. Elegantly styled with ripe tannins, and softly textured, the wine finishes with polished, blackberry flavors. 91-94 Pts 7,745 Views Tasted Aug 31, 2009 |
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2007
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Elegant, soft textured, medium bodied and fully mature, the wine offers a nice mix of tobacco, wet earth and red fruits with a dash of spice box. Successful for the vintage, this is not a wine to hold for further development. 3,675 Views Tasted Jul 6, 2017 |
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2006
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Bright, fresh, crisp red fruits with accents of mocha, tobacco, spice and cedar come together on the nose and palate of this medium-bodied, refined, slightly firm, classy wine. Drink 2023-3035. 2,734 Views Tasted Oct 3, 2023Showing signs of maturity in the color, tobacco, cedar wood, red and black fruits, this is starting to show well. Yet, there are still tannins to be resolved. The elegance associated with the chateau is clearly evident, but the tannic structure is still in forefront. Give this another 5 years in the cellar, or a few hours in the decanter. 4,710 Views Tasted May 25, 2016Spice, mocha, coffee, anise, caramel and cassis aromatcs were easy to locate. This tanninc, full bodied wine ends with a long, chocolate, blackberry filled finish. 10,080 Views Tasted Jun 23, 2010 |
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2005
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
The years have been kind to this wine. A single sniff hooks you with its blackberries, currants, tobacco, smoke, leafy herbs, and background note of mocha. Refined, reserved, chewy, vibrant, and easy to drink, the finish serves up a nice blend of currants, and blackberries with a hint of spice. Perhaps 30 minutes in the decanter is all the wine needs to show its stuff. Drink from 2024-2040. 5,510 Views Tasted May 17, 2024Just about there, the nose struts its cigar box, red currant, tobacco leaf, flower, and mocha profile with ease. Vibrant, elegant, refined, and medium-bodied, the wine feels just great on your palate with all of its ripe, red and black, spicy currants that linger effortlessly. Drink from 2022-2045. 5,436 Views Tasted Oct 12, 2022This continues improving with each tasting. The tannins have softened and now you find an elegant, soft, refined, and silky wine with all the cassis, red currant, tobacco leaf, mocha, and cedar you could ask for. The finish is bright, fresh, and lifted, with ample sweet, mildly spicy, ripe, red fruits. Give this beauty 60-90 minutes of air before service. 6,668 Views Tasted Sep 14, 2021Between 60-90 minutes of air brought out the soft, silky tannins, nuances of tobacco, cassis, blackberry, spice and wet earth. Elegant, fresh and refined, this is coming on strong. Another few years in the cellar and this promises to be even better! 7,721 Views Tasted Nov 12, 2018Opened in honor of Patrick Maroteaux, who passed away, November 19. Still showing a nice depth of color, the wine offers cassis, cedar, thyme, smoke, and spice on the nose. Decanted for 1 hour, and enjoyed over the next 90 minutes, the wine continued improving and filling out with time. Freshness meshed with sweet, juicy ripe cassis and a beautiful purity of fruit on the palate. There is still a bit of firm tannins remaining, that will continue softening with time. Give this another 5 years and it could merit a better score. 8,969 Views Tasted Nov 20, 2017Still young, it's easy to see how much this has to offer. The nose is starting to develop secondary characteristics, the tannins are beginning to soften and the textures continue adding more silk in the mouth. Give it another 3-5 years and this should be even better. 7,776 Views Tasted Apr 16, 2016Cedar wood, flowers, tobacco and dark red fruits are hidden and require coaxing in the nose. On the palate, the wine is silky, elegant and fresh. This is still quite young and shows a lot of promise. The wine is however, clearly letting you know, there is a nice future ahead if you give it another 3-5 years of bottle age. 8,575 Views Tasted Jun 27, 2015Absolutely charming and surprisingly open with its tobacco, cassis, coffee bean, licorice, blackberry, earth and cocoa scents nose. Silky and polished on the palate, there is a lot of room for improvement as it's still a very young wine. 11,776 Views Tasted Nov 17, 2014Tobacco, earth, cigar box, black cherry aromas lead to a wine that is on a more rapid path of development than anticipated. While not mature, this polished, rich style of Branaire Ducru is already starting to be fun to drink. I’m holding mine, but to quote the owner, Patrick Maroteaux, "It’s still young, but it would not be criminal to have it at a dinner now.” 12,865 Views Tasted May 1, 2012Deep ruby in color, this wine opened with tobacco, smoke, earth, fresh berries, soil and forest scents. Concentrated with ample fresh fruit, coupled with a solid structure, this has the potential to bome one of the longest lived vintages of Branaire Ducru. The round textured wine ends with fresh berries, cassis and spice. I'm waiting another 5 years before opening my case. 18,213 Views Tasted Jun 24, 2010You can smell, taste and feel the perfectly ripe fruit this wine is made from. Add a kiss of blackberry and cassis, sweet oak and mocha and you're off to the races. This full bodied wine offers a juicy mouth full of Cabernet. Elegant tannins, concentration and depth of flavor keeps everything in balance. This is without a doubt the best Branaire Ducru ever made. Give it 12 years in the cellar, if you can keep your hands off it. 12,802 Views Tasted Jun 14, 2009Plush, stylish, balanced and charming. Packed with elegant, ripe, black fruit, mocha and spice. I like this better than their 2003. 7,129 Views Tasted Jan 20, 2008 |
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2004
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Straddling the edges between classic, firm and elegant, the wine is medium bodied, and restrained, with a strong, cedar and leafy component that completes with the tobacco, red berries and spice on the nose and palate. 1-2 hours of air adds to the wine. 5,189 Views Tasted May 31, 2018Fresh, elegant, polished and focused on the sweet, ripe, red fruit side of the style range. There is enough ripe berries, earth, mocha and cherries to keep you interested as the wine remains in your glass. 4,653 Views Tasted Jan 4, 2015Earth, spice, cassis, truffles and tobacco define the wines aromatics. This elegant wine is already open and will offer pleasure for another decade or more. 10,874 Views Tasted Jun 23, 2012This is already showing some lightening at the edges. Scents of jammy dark berries, spice and chocolate tints come forth with only a bit of swirling. The style has more firmness than 03 or 05. The finish shows a hint of under ripeness from the vintage. This is a Branaire to enjoy today and over the next decade. 6,291 Views Tasted Jun 14, 2008 |
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2003
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
An hour of air and the wine truly blossomed. Texturally, the wine was supple and fresh. The fruit was perfectly ripe, the flavors were bold and finish offered the right mix of purity, pleasure, length and style. This is drinking really well today. If you've been sitting on your bottles, now is a good time to pop a cork. 4,552 Views Tasted Nov 12, 2017A fully developed nose shows tobacco, cigar box, cassis, earth and blackberries on the nose. There is a little grain in the tannins that takes just a bit away from the deep layers of black cherry fruit. Still, this is a very good wine. 6,202 Views Tasted Sep 18, 2014Tobacco, spearmint, spice, cassis and earthy notes are the first thing that hits you. On the palate, the wine is silky, plush and round. There is good sweetness to the soft, polished black cherry core of fruit. This is drinking great today. While there is no hurry to drink it, if you have a bottle, pop a cork. 7,285 Views Tasted Dec 18, 2013As this continues to approach its 10th birthday, it just keeps getting better and better. With 20 minutes of decanting, truffles, cocoa, black raspberry, earth and spice too no effort to find. Soft, lush textures and a fresh, lush, plummy, spice and mocha finish were just what the doctor ordered. If you are sitting on a case, do not wait, pop a bottle. If you want to age it, it's only going to improve from here. 9,001 Views Tasted Sep 19, 2012Another great performance from this wine. Inch by inch, or should I say, sip by sip, it keeps adding subtle nuances and more silk to the texture along with licorice, cassis, earth and fresh blackberry. While not mature, with 30 minutes to an hour of air, this is a lot of fun to drink. 10,186 Views Tasted Jul 5, 2012Truffle, earth, black cherry jam, licorice, mocha and chocolate scents lead to a plush, polished, sexy, forward wine that is a lot of fun to drink today and over the next 15 or more years. 10,034 Views Tasted May 1, 2012Truffle, jammy cassis, strawberry pie, cedar, tobacco, smoke and spice fill out the perfume. Full bodied, round and opulent in texture, this sultry St. Julien ends with a cassis, licorice and coffee flavored finish. 2-3 more years of sleep, will add a lot to this wine. 9,494 Views Tasted Jun 23, 2010This wine sports a very deep ruby color. Dark black fruit flavors mark the perfumes core. The plush, round mouth feel, complicated with ripe blackberry and spicy red fruit accents in this finish turn this wine into a tasty treat for the senses. 6,089 Views Tasted Jun 14, 2009Sweet entry with a spicy, black fruit nose that finishes with clean, chocolate covered cherry and cassis flavors. This feels very fresh and clean. The finish lasts almost forty seconds. 5,814 Views Tasted Jun 30, 2008 |
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2002
Château Branaire-Ducru (St. Julien)
Developing nicely, but there is a touch of green along with the blackberry, cassis, black cherry, earth and tobacco notes. At 10 years of age, this medium/full bodied wine with a slight hint of austerity in its normally elegant personality is starting to drink well. 4,064 Views Tasted Aug 27, 2012 |
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2001
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
Charming, elegant, classic, full mature, medium bodied claret, with balance, soft textures, refined tannins and more red than black fruit. This is drinking great today. No hurry to drink it, but no reason to wait either. 4,552 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2017Mushroom, cassis, mocha, tobacco and smoke make up the aromatics. This elegant, round, open style of Branaire that finishes with black cherry flavors is a pleasure to drink. And the best part is, not only does the wine show well today, it's available for a song! 8,336 Views Tasted Jun 23, 2010 |
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2000
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
Fully mature, medium-bodied, energetic, floral, and fresh, the red fruits express a spicy nuance that meshes perfectly its currant, wet earth, cedar, and cigar box, elegant character. Drink from 2022-2035. 4,400 Views Tasted Nov 1, 2022Clearly, this has entered its prime-time drinking window. Medium-bodied, elegant, soft, and refined, with a nice shot of red currants, black cherry, forest floor, cigar box, cedar, and mocha, the graceful finish feels just great. 3,813 Views Tasted Nov 28, 2021Elegance, freshness, ripe fruits and soft, silky tannins bring this right where it needs to be at 16 years of age. With its classic Left Bank Bordeaux personality, the wine is filled with cedar, tobacco, blackberry and cassis, ending with a nice refined quality to the dark red fruits. This wine will easily remain at this level for another 10 or perhaps 20 more years. 5,549 Views Tasted Mar 4, 2016Truffle, tobacco, smoke, cigar box and cassis are found in the nose. Polished, round and filled with juicy, red and black fruits, with ripe tannins, give this another few years and enjoy it for at least 15-20 more years. 10,095 Views Tasted May 1, 2012The easy to find aromatics offer chocolate covered, black fruit and spice. Similar in weight to the 03, but different in style, this finesse filled St. Julien needs a few more years until its ready for prime time drinking. 5,842 Views Tasted Jun 14, 2008 |
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1999
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
Fully mature, medium-bodied, soft, bright and with a lean to the cool, red cherry side of the style range. There is ample cedar and tobacco leaf to add complexities. 3,239 Views Tasted Aug 17, 2020 |
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1998
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
Medium-bodied, fresh, bright and floral, the wine carries its core of sweet, clean and slightly crisp, soft red berries with ease. The cedar, tobacco, sweet and tart red fruits with their hint of mocha really hit the spot. The wine is fully ready to go. 5,729 Views Tasted Oct 4, 2019 |
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1996
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
Tobacco, cigar box, cassis, mocha and cedar wood scents lead to a mature, soft, round wine with a fresh, sweet cassis and earthy finish. 4,564 Views Tasted May 17, 2014Ruby colored with hints of bricking, this tobacco laden wine also offers coffee, smoke, cassis, dark berries and spice scents. Soft, elegant, approachable and round, this mature Branaire Ducru ends with soft textured dark berries and mocha flavors. 6,624 Views Tasted Jun 23, 2010 |
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1995
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
Avoiding the hardness displayed by many wines from 1995, this is drinking great at 21 years of age. Slightly more interesting on the cedar, tobacco and spicy, dark, red fruit filled nose, than the medium/full bodied, eleganty styled, soft, fresh, cassis finish. 4,467 Views Tasted Apr 16, 2016 |
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1990
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
This is fully mature. With a light berry and spice nose, this medium bodied wine does not compete with the level of quality being produced at the property today. As a matter of style, this traditionally made wine is slightly austere and lacks the freshness, as well as the ripeness and deoth offered in current vintages from 2000 on. Drink up. 3,179 Views Tasted Jun 14, 2008 |
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1989
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
A beautiful bottle at full maturity, the wine is soft, medium bodied, elegant and fresh. The ripe, red fruit notes are front and center. The lively finish is soft, polished, refined and complete, with its earthy, tobacco leaf and cocoa touches. There is nothing to be gained by holding this any longer. 4,660 Views Tasted May 31, 2018Slightly past fully mature, the wine is medium bodied, with more interesting things going on in the nose, than on the palate, as the fruit is starting to fade, and the finish is short. Drink up if you have any bottles you've been waiting on. 6,146 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2017Light in style, tobacco and strawberry notes lead to a light wine which seems to be dropping its fruit. Drink up. 4,319 Views Tasted May 1, 2012Is light in color. Tobacco, cassis, spice, and coffee aromatics are a pleasure to sniff. Light and elegant in style. The silky mouth feel ends with a blackberry filled finish. This wine is fully mature and gives no reason for owners to wait any longer. Branaire Ducru is another property that is producing markedly better wines today than previously 6,587 Views Tasted Jun 19, 2009 |
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1989
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) Cuvée Evelyne (St. Julien)
This unique cuvee was named after the owner’s wife and was made from 100% Merlot. This experimental wine produced only one barrel giving 25 cases . This was the second vintage for the owner, Patrick Maroteaux, who began picking the Merlot on August 31. The wine was made using 100% new oak, while the regular wine saw 60% new oak. The wine showed coffee, black fruit, mocha, and plum aromatics. The wine finished with a velvety, blackberry and chocolate sensation. Not as complete or complex as the fully blended wine, it was a pleasure to taste 1,822 Views Tasted Jun 19, 2009 |
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1985
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
Fully mature, there is an elegant charm going on here. Loads of tobacco, cedar wood, cassis and wet earth in the nose. Soft, silky elegant tannins and fresh, sweet, red fruits in the finish. This is not a wine to hold as it is giving all its pleasures today. 4,182 Views Tasted Apr 16, 2016 |
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1982
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
My last bottle of this gem. Medium-bodied, elegant and showing its secondary cedar, tobacco leaf, cherry, spice, cranberry and cigar box character with ease. Classic and classy, this is about elegance over power. Popped and poured, this is at or slightly past its peak. If you are holding any, you should enjoy it over the next couple of years before it fades away. 4,279 Views Tasted Mar 29, 2020Medium bodied, elegant, charming and fully mature, if not slightly past its best days, there is still a lot to like going on here with its fresh, soft, silky charms. I would not hold this any longer as it requires drinking sooner than later. 5,003 Views Tasted Jan 14, 2016Fully mature and just starting to fade a bit. Still, there is a lot of charm in this medium bodied wine its ripe dark cherry, tobacco, spice and earthy personality. Elegant and refined in character, there is no reason to hold this wine any longer. 5,063 Views Tasted Sep 18, 2012 |
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1975
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
Fully developed, medium bodied with loads of cedar, forest floor, tobacco, cigar wrapper and spicy red fruits. Fully mature, but not as rustic as you would think, given the vintage, this was still holding on to its charm. 3,564 Views Tasted Jul 8, 2017 |
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1970
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
A flawless example from the cellars of Branaire, this bottle of 1970 Branaire Ducru opened with tobacco, truffle, cassis, cedar, coffee and spice filled aromatics. Medium to full bodied, soft in texture, the wine ends with cassis, spice, strawberry and cherry flavors to round out the finish. 90 Pts 4,915 Views Tasted Aug 31, 2010 |
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1966
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
Starting to slowly decline, the wine offers more secondary notes than red fruit. Medium bodied, with a finish that is just a bit too bright and sharp, if you are sitting on any bottles, you should pop a cork sooner than later. 4,274 Views Tasted May 31, 2018At 5 years of age, this smoky, tobacco, cedar, wet forest and cherry filled wine is still delivering the goods. Medium bodied, and on the finesse side of the style range, this bottle was a flawless example that was not moved from the property since it was bottled. 3,555 Views Tasted Jul 12, 2016This wine displays a rusty, coffee color appearance, making it seem older than it is. The perfume, with its leather, earth, tobacco and truffle nose, paisr perfectly with the silken patina of age found in the mouth. Tasting younger that its 42 years of age would lead you to believe, it was a pleasant surprise proving that after 20 years, there are no great wines, but there is great bottles to be found! 4,927 Views Tasted Jun 14, 2008 |
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1962
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
With a tea color, tobacco, earth and hints of spicy red berries were found in the perfume. Showing the patina of age, the wine was tired. Rustic and tart, this Bordeaux wine is in decline and requires drinking now. 4,181 Views Tasted Nov 8, 2011 |
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1961
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
Tobacco and cedar, paired with ripe, sweet, red fruits and cigar box, held up nicely. Medium bodied, vibrant, and just a hint of classic rusticity on the palate, this is fully mature. 3,138 Views Tasted Jan 28, 2018Brick colored with hints of ruby, this fully mature wine had scents of cassis, Cuban tobacco, ash, cedar, earth and forest floor aromas. Light in style, this round, traditionally styled wine has good concentration and round textures. It finishes with cassis and spice flavors. This is the oldest bottle of Branaire Ducru I have tasted yet. While I won't be around to experience the current vintages being made at the same level of maturity, others will. If the 61, produced with no selection or new oak was this good at close to 50 years old, I'm sure the current vintages will be even better when they reach the same age! 2,947 Views Tasted Feb 20, 2007 |
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1959
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
Provenance is everything. This bottle rocked! From the moment the wine hit the glass, notes of flowers, spices, wet earth, Cuban cigars, mint leaf, and red currants were all over the place. But, the sun-kissed palate sealed the deal with its elegance, regal bearing, and refined charm. The currant and spice filled finish just kept on coming. This great aged Bordeaux at its best. Drink from 2024-2035. 174 Views Tasted Oct 13, 2024Tasted from a bottle that was never moved from the chateau. With a ruby tea color, the wine opens with charming perfume of truffle, tobacco, smoke, coffee, minerals and cinnamon. Soft textured, with the satiny patina of aged Cabernet, this elegant, round wine ends with chocolate covered cherries and spice. 5,216 Views Tasted Jun 30, 2010 |
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1949
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
From a magnum, the bottle was a slow starter. With an hour in the glass, the silky, polished textures matched the elegance of the fruit, tannins and polished, ripe, spicy red berries and tobacco charm. 2,684 Views Tasted Oct 5, 2014With scents of cigar smoke, cherry, tobacco, ash, 5 spice, cherry pipe tobacco, mineral and earth, the palate enjoys sweet, soft, polished, fully mature Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium bodied, gentle textures and pure cherry/kirsch flavors are found in the finish. From a bottle that never left Bordeaux, this was a rare treat! 3,241 Views Tasted May 1, 2012This wore a rusty, coffee colored robe. The perfume had a very nice nose, but the palate was short. This was not a complex wine. However, it tasted much younger than its 58 years would have led you to believe. It was a rare treat to taste that I was honored to have been able to try. 3,195 Views Tasted Jun 30, 2007 |
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1934
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
This was stored in the Chateau for its entire life. Provenance does not get any better. The wine was much lighter in color than the 34 Lafite from the same lunch. The lighter color also expressed much brighter fruit. Spicy, red and black fruits and tobacco notes were easy to find. But this bottle had lost much of its fruit and charm and was showing marked levels of acidity. Sharing the wine my father and Patrick Maroteaux, the Chateau owner was worth its weight in gold. The moment will never be forgotten. 5,300 Views Tasted Nov 1, 2009 |
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1928
Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) (St. Julien)
This was stunning! Blind, I am sure I would have guessed it was from the 50's or probably 1961. There was volume, density, length and vivacity. The fruit was all dark berries. The nose offered everything from rootbeer, to forest floor, cedar wood, smoke, ash, dark red berries, truffle and cigar box. Every sip was better than expected. The wine remained at a high level for at least an hour in the glass. This was from the chateau, so your experience might not mirror this, but this bottle was a stunner! 6,521 Views Tasted Apr 3, 2018 |
