Chateau Branaire-Ducru 2019

The fruity expression of a dense and structured Saint-Julien wine

The estate
A Grand Cru Classe of 1855, Chateau Branaire-Ducru is one of the greatest names of the Saint-Julien appellation. Owned by François Xavier Maroteaux, the son of the late Patrick Maroteaux, and managed by Jean-Dominique Videau, Chateau Branaire-Ducru offers, vintage after vintage, a superb expression of this great terroir on the left bank of Bordeaux, through wines recognized for their elegance, their velvety texture on the palate and their remarkable consistency.

The vineyard
Following an expansion by 10 hectares in 2009, Chateau Branaire-Ducru vineyard covers 60 hectares of land. The vines, aged 35 years on average (but some of which are one hundred years old) are planted in soils of gravel-siliceous alluvium from the Quaternary era. This is one of the warmest terroirs of the region, allowing late-ripening grape varieties to develop fully, while also ensuring perfect phenolic maturation. The grape varieties of the estate are representative of the Médoc, with a majority of the plantings dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon (70%) with 4% Cabernet Franc, 22% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot.

The vintage
At Chateau Branaire-Ducru, the 2019 vintage started with a mild winter and an early bud burst. After a cool and wet spring, the summer brought hot weather and water stress comparable to that of 2009, and slightly less than 2010, 2016 or 2018. The harvest began on September 19 with the Merlot and was completed on October 9, with each grape variety and each plot picked only at fully ripeness. The 2019 harvest revealed grapes in perfect sanitary condition, having reached a very good phenolic maturity, tannins of great finesse and a balanced concentration of sugars.

The blend
Cabernet sauvignon (56%), merlot (35%), cabernet franc (4%), petit verdot (5%).

The tasting
Tasted as a wine future, the Chateau Branaire-Ducru 2019 presents a dark and deep color. The intense and expressive aromatic bouquet reveals a complex and pure aromatic palette, with notes of red and black fruits. The attack begins with a dense texture, gradually developing a very fine structure, supported by a lively acidity which lingers on a very persistent finish.