Château Branaire Ducru, 4ème Cru Classé, St Julien
    Château Branaire Ducru

    Château Branaire Ducru, 4ème Cru Classé, St Julien, 2022

    96/100
    Inside Bordeaux
    95-97/100
    Robert Parker Wine Advocate
    96/100
    The Wine Independent
    96/100
    Vinous
    Available Vintages
    all20062009201220182021202220232024
    portfolio

    1. 2022

      6x75cl

      DP

      £305.14

    Justerini & Brooks Tasting note

    Our first sample left us decidedly underwhelmed. Thankfully, a second encounter showed this wine’s real potential. We've been heaping praises on this Maroteaux owned chateau for a few years now, and the 2022 could be the best example yet. Opening with classical notes of cassis, creme de mûre, graphite and flowers, the palate is firm and powerful with lots of black plum, blueberries and a robe of purple fruit. Generous and ripe, there's admirable precision here backed up by detailed tannins. One to look out for. 60.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31.5% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc and 2.5% Petit Verdot

    delivery information
    GUARANTEED PROVENANCE

    Critic Reviews

    96/100
    Chris Kissack,
    The Wine Independent
    This is 60.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31.5% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc and 2.5% Petit Verdot, an assemblage which has resulted in a svelte and coherent nose, combining dark and perfumed fruits with a leathery overlay of tobacco and black pepper. The palate shows a charming and integrated texture, sweetly knit together and polished, with dark fruits, all damson, olive and plum, set against a rich chalky backdrop of dry and finely grained tannins. A serious and structured wine but with a seductive texture, which will need decades to come around. Impressive. Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 14.5%.
    drinking window 2029 - 2059
    date of review 06/2025
    96/100
    Neal Martin,
    Vinous
    The 2022 Branaire Ducru, bottled mid-June, was one of the most impressive I tasted from barrel. It retains a wonderful bouquet with more red fruit compared to its peers, hints of iodine and a touch of desiccated orange peel. The wine shows fine, almost clinical delineation. It is medium-bodied with an extremely well balanced palate, slightly powdery tannins and a sense of tension and brightness that, like some of the best Saint-Juliens in 2022, puts it above the 2019 or 2020. Quite linear and mineral-driven towards the sapid finish, this is a classic Branaire-Ducru that will age with style in bottle.
    drinking window 2030 - 2065
    date of review 02/2025
    96/100
    Jane Anson,
    Inside Bordeaux
    This is an estate that can be so understated as to almost miss its complexity, but this vintage, with its excess and exuberance, does a wonderful job of drawing it out. The concentration is impressive, but there you'll also find a softness and balance that is juicy and enticing. Great job Branaire Ducru. Francois Xavier Maroteaux owner. I honestly think the best example of this château that I have ever tasted En Primeur (and god I hate it when critics say that).
    drinking window 2030 - 2044
    date of review 05/2023
    95-97/100
    William Kelley,
    Robert Parker Wine Advocate
    A brilliant wine that's the finest young vintage I've tasted at this Saint-Julien estate, the 2022 Branaire-Ducru wafts from the glass with aromas of violets, blackberries, sweet cassis, licorice and pencil shavings, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and multidimensional palate that's succulent, sapid and perfumed, framed by supple tannins and concluding with a long, mouthwatering finish. It's a blend of 60.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31.5% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc and 2.5% Petit Verdot that checks in at a healthy pH of 3.65. Why is it so good this year? In addition to the quality of the vintage, the new gravity-flow winery means fruit can be handled more gently, and picked more precisely, sub-block by sub-block, as the team now have fully 63 vats at their disposal, almost double their capacity through 2020. Given the Maroteaux family's sensible approach to pricing, this is likely to number among the must-purchase wines of the 2022 vintage, and it comes warmly recommended.
    date of review 04/2023

    product details

    Specifications

    Country:
    France
    Region:
    Bordeaux
    Appellation:
    St Julien
    style:
    Red Wine
    Grape Variety:
    Cab Sauvignon Merlot
    abv:
    13%

    allergen information

    This product may contain sulphites. Full allergen information is available upon request, please call our Customer Relations Team on +44 (0)20 7484 6430.