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

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

    96/100
    Inside Bordeaux
    96/100
    The Wine Independent
    96/100
    Vinous
    Available Vintages
    Justerini & Brooks Tasting note

    Branaire Ducru has been on great form in recent years. We tasted this bottle at the St Julien UGC and were impressed by its ease and flow. It doesn't seem to be the most ambitious Branaire, it's rather genteel with a brightness and charm to its fruit and a dollop of toasty oak on the finish. We expect this to bulk out during élevage. 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc and 3.5% Petit Verdot.

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    Critic Reviews

    96/100
    Jane Anson,
    The Wine Independent
    As ever an understated classified wine, not pushing too far even among the exuberance of 2022, instead delivering fragrant, peony-laced cassis fruits laced with slate and graphite. An exceptional example of this property. Owner François-Xavier Maroteaux.
    drinking window 2029 - 2044
    date of review 03/2025
    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

    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.