Duluc de Branaire-Ducru, Saint-Julien 2017 - Bordeaux , France

94/100 Quarin
93/100 VertdeVin Wine Magazine
90/100 Decanter
15.5/20 La Revue du Vin de France
14.5/20 Bettane et Desseauve
Bronze - Vinous
Bronze - James Suckling
Bronze - Wine Spectator
Bronze - Wine Advocate
92/100 Decanter (2016 vintage)
91/100 James Suckling (2016 vintage)
91/100 Falstaff (2016 vintage)
91/100 CellarTracker (2016 vintage)
90/100 Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider (2016 vintage)
Bronze - Wine Spectator (2016 vintage)
92/100 James Suckling (2015 vintage)
91/100 Decanter (2015 vintage)
90/100 Wine Spectator (2015 vintage)
92/100 James Suckling (2014 vintage)
Bronze - Decanter (2014 vintage)
Bronze - Wine Spectator (2014 vintage)

4 Stars - Gault & Millau Wine Guide
Wine Spectator's 'Top 100' (2015 and 2016 vintage)

La Revue du Vin de France "All in elegance and indulgence."

Vinous "... is a plump and juicy Saint-Julien....Bold fruit and soft, silky tannins add to the wine's open, inviting personality."

Decanter "Rose and violets on the nose with some liquorice and a touch of medicinal herbs. Smooth and supple, the acidity here is at the fore, really lifted and marked giving lots of energy. Flavours comprise bright cherry, raspberry, strawberry, some red plum and pomegranate sweetness. Such a lovely joyful element to this, not the same intensity of structure as 2018, it's more linear, tight and tense, there's more direction and drive from start to finish...."

VertdeVin "The mouth is fruity, well-balanced, fresh and offers a good definition, gourmandize, elegance and suavity. In the mouth this wine expresses notes of fleshy/juicy raspberry, fleshy/juicy wild strawberry and small notes of juicy blackberry associated with fine touches of violet, small red berries associated with fine touches of chocolate, toasted, nutmeg and discreet hints of hazelnut. Good length and a beautiful persistence on notes of tonka bean."

James Suckling "Sweet plum with spice, meat and leather. Medium to full body with stewed fruit and a medium finish."

Wine Spectator "Gently mulled plum and black cherry fruit mingles with moderate tobacco and cedar notes. Reveals a tickle of savory on the finish."

Bettane et Desseauve "Beautiful color, powerful nose, more tasty than elegant. Spicy notes despite a slight reduction, decent flesh, fine tannin."

Decanter "Mocha, cocoa powder, blackcurrants and black plums on the nose with some sage and thyme. Juicy and plump, this has a nice lifeforce to it with balanced acidity and a sleek texture, just stopping short of being chewy with a vibrant feel overall. There is energy here and it's matched with high acidity and a round structure. Really persistent with lashings of liquorice, aniseed and clove underneath the bright black fruits. Nice charm, confident and playful yet with real punch and bite. Focussed and extremely well made, so approachable, easy to drink and like." (2016 vintage)

Falstaff "Dark ruby ​​garnet, violet reflections, subtle lightening of the edges, dark forest berry confit with a delicate balsamic underlay, a hint of dark heart cherries, delicately of cassis and heart cherries. Juicy, red berry nuances, good acid structure, integrated tannins, mineral, slims down on the finish, a lively companion at the table." (2016 vintage)

Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider "Medium-bodied, finesee styled, ready to drink charmer with a refined, soft, fresh, clean, red berry and tobacco leaf character that is going to be perfect to enjoy, while waiting for its big brother to mature." (2016 vintage)

Wine Spectator "Youthfully rigid, with a strong apple wood frame around the vivid cherry and cassis fruit flavors, cruising through a grippy, briar-edged finish. The fruit is pure, but this has moderate range overall." (2016 vintage)

James Suckling "Lots of chocolate and juicy fruit to this with currant and walnut undertones. Medium body, soft and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. So attractive." (2015 vintage)

Decanter "Gorgeous nose of cinnamon, floral-edged black fruits and chocolate. Supple and juicy with crushed velvet-textured tannins. Acidity is good giving this a round and mouthfulling character. I love the soft chew to the tannins underpinning the delicate yet bright strawberry, red cherry and pink floral elements. Crunchy and alive yet layered and persistent. Not concentrated or weighty as such but a lovely frame, depth and energy." (2015 vintage)

Wine Spectator "Juicy, with an accessible profile. The plum, fig and boysenberry fruit features mulled spice accents and lively, already-melded brambly grip that rolls through the mesquite-tinged finish." (2015 vintage)

James Suckling This is very nicely done with currants and hints of dark chocolate and cedar on the nose and palate. It’s medium-to full-bodied with polished, creamy tannins and a delicious finish." (2014 vintage)

Decanter "The nose is a little subdued, but it opens very prettily and holds itself well through the glass, clear balance, touches of black spice, subtle cinnamon and pepper, takes its time to open but it gets there, revealing black fruits, cassis and hawthorn bush." (2014 vintage)

Wine Spectator "Fresh and approachable in feel, with plum compote and blackberry reduction notes laced with licorice and violet hints. The moderate structure is brambly in feel. The fruit wins out easily on the finish." (2014 vintage)

50% Cabernet Sauvignon 47% Merlot 3% Petit Verdot

Château Branaire-Ducru is an award winning winery founded in 1725, and producing only 20,000 cases of award winning wine each year. Château Branaire-Ducru wines were placed by Wine Spectator in the 'Top 100' for both 2015 (#33) and 2016 (#16). Owned by the Maroteaux family, and previously overseen by the late Patrick Maroteaux, a well-known figure in Bordeaux and former president of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, who apprenticed the young (and now famous) Philippe Dhalluin who would later be appointed the director for wine-making at Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac.

Gault & Millau Wine Guide "Neighbor of Beychevelle, the estate was bought in 1988 by a family group led by Patrick Maroteaux; more than two-thirds of the fifty or so hectares cultivated are planted with Cabernet-Sauvignon and, in addition to Merlot and Cabernet Franc, include a little Petit Verdot. With the help of the technical director at the time, Philippe Dalhuin, the wines gained in density and regularity, without ever losing their soul. Having left for Mouton Rothschild in 2003, Philippe Dalhuin was replaced by Jean-Dominique Videau – the latter having since maintained his focus on quality. The new cask, in particular, is always used sparingly."

The Château Branaire-Ducru vineyard is located on an historical terroir, on the gravelly ridges of the municipality of Saint-Julien-Beychevelle. The balance of the parcels of each grape variety is preserved because the property, which maintains the age of its vines at 35 years. The requirement and the expression of a “house style” apply to both its 'first' and 'second' label, Vines are conducted in the same way and the grapes are vinified according to the same criteria. It is only after repeated tastings of all the vats and appreciation of their deep character that the final selection is decided. When tasting, this Estate's second wines what is revealed is a true competitor to many Bordeaux first wines, thanks to its impressive structure and aromatic balance.

Saint-Julien is a small but important red wine appellation of the Haut-Médoc district on the Left Bank of Bordeaux in south-western France. Its reputation is based on its status as a reliable source of consistently elegant, age-worthy wines. Sandwiched between the more famous appellations of Pauillac and Margaux, Saint-Julien is sometimes unfairly overlooked because it does not have a first growth chateau in the 1855 Bordeaux classification. Its wines offer exceptional value for money.

Bordeaux, in the southwest of France, needs little introduction as one of the world's most famous, prestigious and prolific wine regions. Its three trump cards are diversity, quality and quantity. The majority of Bordeaux wines (nearly 90 percent of production volume) are the dry, medium- and full-bodied red Bordeaux Blends that established its reputation. The finest (and most expensive) of these come from the great châteaux of the Haut-Médoc and the Right Bank appellations Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. The legendary reds are complemented by high-quality white wines, both dry styles (particularly from Pessac-Léognan) and the sweet, botrytized nectars of Sauternes.

A Bordeaux Blend is any combination of those grape varieties typically used to make the red wines of Bordeaux. Cabernet Sauvignon is widely accepted as a compulsory component of any Bordeaux Blend along with Merlot. In fact, the majority of Bordeaux Blend wines are often made exclusively from a blend of these two varieties. The remaining components are Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.