Château Branaire-Ducru

Château Branaire-Ducru (4. Cru) ligger i det syd-østligste hjørne af Saint Julien (i byen Saint-Julien-Beychevelle).

Slottets ca. 59 ha vinmarker, der kan spores tilbage til det 17. århundrede, er beplantet med 70 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 22 % Merlot, 5 % Cabernet Franc og 3 % Petit Verdot. Vinstokkenes gennemsnitsalder er 35 år.
Der produceres årligt ca. 15.000 kasser af 1. vinen Château Branaire-Ducru 4. Cru og ca. 7.000 kasser af 2. vinen Duluc de Branaire-Ducru.

Already back in 1680 when Jean-Baptiste Braneyre aquired the estate, he understood how exceptional this wonderful terroir was, made up mainly of stones, called "graves" in the Médoc, and located so near the very wide Gironde estuary. These soils are unique and are the cornerstone of Saint Julien appellation great wines. In 1725, Marie Braneyre, the sole daughter of the founder of Branaire-Ducru, married Pierre du Luc, bourgeois of Bordeaux and counsellor of Louis XV. The descendents of Pierre du Luc, second family owner, retained the ownership for two centuries and left their name to the second wine of the property; Duluc of Branaire-Ducru. Classified in 1855, Château Branaire-Ducru strives to strengthen the estate's position year after year by focusing on the quality of the fruit and wines produces here. It is in 1988 that Patrick Maroteau, who manages a group that originated as a family enterprise, decided to take over the domain. His ambition was to restore the wine from this exceptional terroir to the first rank of the Saint Julien great wines.

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