Château Branaire-Ducru 2025 is a refined and expressive Saint-Julien Grand Cru Classé, crafted from 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot. It opens with aromas of cassis, dark berries, violets, cedar, and subtle spice. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, showing precise structure, fine-grained tannins, and a pure core of fruit supported by vibrant acidity. Polished yet energetic, the 2025 vintage delivers clarity, minerality, and elegance, finishing long and fresh with excellent ageing potential.

James Suckling | JS 96-97
Published: Apr 27, 2026

Voluptuous dark fruit, cedar and a touch of tar on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with an expressive yet concentrated profile, a precise structure and fine-grained, high quality tannins. Chiseled and balanced.

The Wine Advocate | RP 94-96
Published: Apr 30, 2026

The 2025 Branaire-Ducru is a compelling wine in the making, revealing an open, refined bouquet of cassis, mulberries, spices, flowers and pencil lead, with its new oak largely remaining in the background. Medium- to full-bodied, it’s sapid and perfumed, built around a seamless, layered core of fruit framed by finely grained, velvety tannins and concluding with a long, fresh and precise finish. Matured in 65% new oak, this blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 6% Cabernet Franc captures the estate’s signature style—polished, balanced and texturally refined—while clearly reflecting the brightness and freshness of the vintage.

Branaire-Ducru farms some 60 hectares of deep gravel soils, dispersed across a mosaic of parcels on the plateau of Beychevelle. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the plantings, complemented by parcels of Petit Verdot on well-suited terroirs that lend additional structure to the blends. Since the Maroteaux family acquired the estate in 1988, investment has remained deliberate: a modern winery followed by the gradual implementation of a parcel-based cellar, now central to the domaine’s precision.

The 2023 vintage unfolded under notably precocious conditions, with the Merlot harvest beginning on September 4—an exceptionally early date. Rainfall measured roughly half that of the previous year, yet the fruit reached good levels of maturity. In this context, the parcel-based winery played a determining role, permitting more exact, precise extractions. The wines reflect this approach, offering supple, elegant textures and a refined expression that underscores the estate’s established style.

Winemaking remains classical in conception. Fermentations proceed without unnecessary intervention, and élevage continues in a significant proportion of new oak, accompanied by several traditional rackings. The approach privileges clarity and balance over demonstration. What emerges is a style that is increasingly polished yet still discreet—wines of purity and composure, with tannins that have gained in suavité, while retaining the structure required for graceful aging.

Decanter | D 95
Published: Apr 1, 2026
Drink: 2032-2050

Blackcurrant, raspberry leaf, liquorice and wet stones on the nose. Smooth and supple with nice clarity. A little tight at the moment but great clarity and purity with blueberries and wet stones. So much minerality. Succulent and mouthwatering, this is generosity and friendliness in a glass built on a really crushed stone mineral base. 3.65pH. A yield of 33hl/ha. 6% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

Jancis Robinson | JR 17
Published: Apr 17, 2026
Drink: 2030-2045

62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot. Cask sample.
Blackcurrant and blackcurran-leaf aromas. Fruit fresh and generous on the palate. Juicy, bright and lifted, the tannins finely honed and integrated. Should be GV. (JL)

The original Grand Cru wine of the Château. It is not the work of a lifetime, but that resulting from the continuous passion of several families over several generations.
It has become increasingly refined over the years and is now recognised as one of the major wines in Saint-Julien, thanks to its unique characteristics, the “House Signature”, so easily distinguishable amongst many others.
The Branaire-Ducru style applies to all vintages, artfully and patiently crafted by enthusiastic winegrowers, who have no doubt about the importance of their legacy and respect for the Terroir.

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