The Estate
Château Branaire-Ducru is a prestigious wine estate located in the heart of the Saint-Julien appellation in the Médoc, on the left bank of the Gironde, in France. Classified in 1855 as a Fourth Growth Grand Cru, this château is renowned for producing elegant, complex, and balanced wines that captivate lovers of great Bordeaux wines from around the world.
Château Branaire-Ducru perfectly combines tradition and innovation. The winemaking methods respect ancestral practices while incorporating modern techniques to ensure the highest possible quality. Each plot is vinified separately to preserve the unique expression of each terroir. The vinification takes place in small stainless steel and concrete vats, allowing precise control of the fermentations.
The Wine
The Branaire-Ducru style is first and foremost a “House Signature”. The three key ingredients are fruit, freshness and elegance. They define the core, the guiding framework that can be found in all the Château’s wines. As soon as he had bought the property, Patrick Maroteaux said he wanted to produce wines characteristic of Saint-Julien with a uniqueness that would distinguish them as one of the greats.
Tasting
The colour is deep. The rich and expressive nose shows red fruit and very fine floral scents. On the palate the wine is dense and very lively and the tannins are very precise. The wine has a long finish with a beautiful purity. We can position the 2011 vintage in the category of the very serious wines with a good ageing potential. The finesse of this wine corresponds to Branaire-Ducru’s style. This vintage will rank among the very beautiful vintages. It will come right after the outstanding trio made by the 2005, 2009 and 2010 vintages.
