2018 Château Branaire-Ducru Saint-Julien red

The first records of the estate's history date back to 1680, when Jean-Baptiste Braneyre, realising the extraordinary potential of the gravel terroirs, acquired a precious part of the Beychevelle estate. Almost two centuries later, his descendants, the Du Luc family, built the neoclassical chateau in 1824, endowed with the charm of a Palladian residence. The property subsequently passed into the hands of a relative, Gustave Ducru, and remained in the family until 1919.

Years later, Patrick Maroteaux and his family saw the untapped potential of this sleeping beauty and in 1988 they acquired Château Branaire-Ducru, thus deciding to enhance the official Médoc Grands Crus Classés classification of 1855 by promoting the extensive transformations of all the elements, such as the vineyard, the cellars, but also the château. Since 2017, François-Xavier Maroteaux has taken the reins of the estate, continuing the beautiful history of Château Branaire-Ducru.

The 2018 Branaire-Ducru has a medium to deep purple colour and an expressive front nose of cooked black plums, blueberries and Morello cherries with a great contrast of mint and spice aromas. On the palate, it proves medium to full-bodied, very pleasant fruit, finishing long and crisp.