From: St-Julien, Bordeaux, France
Varietal: A Bordeaux blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc.
Tasting Notes: A very pure, fruity nose, still extremely young, with a lot of finesse. Woody hints are perfectly well integrated into the fruit. Classic, dense, complex, and pleasant on the palate. Delicate and gorgeous tannins with a long finish. Good balance.
Chateau Branaire-Ducru's 120 acres is located in the St. Julien region of France and has such famous neighbors as Chateau Gruaud-Larose, Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou, and Chateau Beychevelle.
The name, given by the former owner Monsieur Ducru, means "beautiful pebbles". One of the main features of the vineyard is its richness in pebbles which contribute to the greatness of so many wines of the Medoc.
Just before the war, the vineyard became run down and many Bordeaux critics felt it no longer deserved its rank as a Second Growth. During the Medoc Classification of 1855, the Chateau was rated as a Fourth Growth. In 1942 the Borie family purchased the vineyard completely revamped the vineyard and it began receiving top ratings amongst the Second Growths. Successive generations of the Borie family oversee all winemaking operations.
