Château Branaire Ducru, St Julien
Last week, while tasting the 2023s from bottle, I had the pleasure of catching up with several producers I’ve known for years, some since before I set up Abingdon Fine Wine. Among them was François Xavier Maroteaux, the son of the current owner at Château Branaire-Ducru. He’s one of those effortlessly engaging characters, charming, thoughtful, and utterly devoted to the estate his family has guided for three decades. Conversations with him always leave me with a renewed admiration for the quiet confidence and steady hand that defines Branaire.
This is a château that has never shouted for attention, but those who know it, know. Situated in the heart of Saint Julien, Branaire-Ducru has long been one of the appellation’s most consistent performers, producing wines that combine classical Left Bank structure with a sense of polish and approachability. You’ll never find excess here, just perfectly judged fruit, freshness, and a genuine reflection of the vintage.
The 2022 Branaire-Ducru is, in my view, their finest effort to date. I thought they priced it astutely, especially in the context of some rather exuberant releases from other châteaux. It’s a wine of remarkable poise and depth, rich but not heavy, elegant yet substantial. It captures the warmth of the year without losing that signature Branaire lift and clarity.
What’s more, the rest of their range shows the same balance and good sense. Duluc de Branaire-Ducru 2016 has arrived into stock. It’s pure charm in a bottle, supple, silky, and full of that easy Saint Julien grace, it's just simply a brilliant vintage. It may not have made waves in the critic columns, but for a wine of this pedigree and quality, just over £30 a bottle is hard to argue with and unlike the critics, I've tasted it recently!
Then there’s their Haut Médoc de Branaire-Ducru, which has been quietly impressive for several vintages now. I have both the 2018 and 2019 in stock, and curiously it’s the 2018 that’s showing the better form at the moment, open, generous, and perfectly ready to drink. That said, I’ve a sneaking suspicion the 2019 will surpass it in a year or so, with that extra touch of structure and depth beginning to emerge. At £75 per six in bond, it’s as sensible a buy as you’ll find, proper, well-bred Left Bank Bordeaux with impeccable lineage.
In a world where too many estates chase fashion or hype, Branaire-Ducru remains reassuringly true to itself, elegant, understated, and consistently rewarding. It’s precisely the sort of château that reminds me why I fell in love with Bordeaux in the first place.
