Saint-Julien

Roast lamb, beef fillet, duck breast or mushroom-led dishes.

An unusually warm, dry spring brought an early start to the 2011 growing season. Record water deficit reduced berry size and yields, while moderate summer temperatures helped preserve aromatic freshness. Harvest ran from 14 to 29 September in near-ideal conditions.

Aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, with around 60% new barrels.

Fruit was hand-harvested and sorted before gravity-fed, parcel-by-parcel vinification in temperature-controlled vats. Maceration can extend to around three weeks.

Classified as a fourth growth in 1855 Château Branaire-Ducru is located in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Médoc region of Bordeaux. Since a family enterprise acquired it in 1988 and Patrick Maroteaux manages the estate considerable improvements to the property have brought to the wine a remarkable regularity of quality. Château Branaire-Ducru became a separate vineyard from the Beychevelle estate after the death of Bernard de la Valette Duke of Epernon in the mid 17th century when his assets were turned over to the French Crown to pay off his debts. In 1680 Jean-Baptiste Braneyre bought the property. His descendants the Duluc family had the current Château built around 1824. It was then sold to a relative Gustave Ducru. Since 1988 it has belonged to a French family group whose chairman is Patrick Maroteaux. Meanwhile the property has been fully renovated and the tireless pursuit of excellence has led amongst other achievements to the introduction of a second wine (Duluc de Branaire-Ducru) made mainly with fruit from the youngest wines. All this bears witness to the spectacular return of Château Branaire-Ducru as one of the elite Bordeaux wines. The whole team here is extremely motivated and strives every day to contribute to this fine success by producing top quality wines.