Château Branaire Ducru

Château Branaire-Ducru is situated on the opposite side of the road from Château Beychevelle in the south of the Saint Julien appellation. The vineyard used to be a part of the massive Beychevelle estate in 1680 but was sold to Jean-Baptiste Braneyre. The estate was passed on through marriage to the Duluc family and then to a distant relative Gustave Ducru who added his name to the wine in 1875.

In 1988 Patrick Maroteaux bought the property and has quietly improved the vineyards, the cellar and the reputation of this fourth-growth estate to what is now, one of the most essential properties of the Médoc.

Branaire-Ducru's 60 hectares of vineyards are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon 70%, Merlot 22%, Cabernet Franc 5% and Petit Verdot 3%. The proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend is even higher than that in the vineyards, 80-85% in most years, which is one of the highest in the Médoc.