Duluc de Branaire Ducru 2016 Bottle (75cl)
Duluc de Branaire-Ducru 2016 is the second red wine of Château Branaire Ducru, produced in the Saint-Julien appellation in Bordeaux. Its blend brings together Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. Jancis Robinson awarded it 16.5/20 and advises drinking from 2022 to 2030; James Suckling rated it 91/100. Critics describe an accessible, medium-bodied wine with supple and rounded tannins, driven by a fresh, mineral, and flavorful finish.
La bouteille proposée
- Size
- Bottle (75cl)
- Label Condition
- Perfect
- Fill Level
- Perfect
- Capsule Condition
- Perfect
Identité du vin
- Couleur
- Red
- Pays
- France
- Région
- Bordeaux
- Appellation
- Saint Julien
- Producteur / Domaine
- Château Branaire Ducru
- Cuvée
- Duluc de Branaire-Ducru
- Millésime
- 2016
Cépage et assemblage
- Grape Variety
- Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
Château Branaire Ducru
Château Branaire-Ducru is an estate in the Saint-Julien appellation, in the Médoc, classified as a Fourth Grand Cru in 1855. Its 60-hectare vineyard, spread across some fifteen micro-terroirs of gravel, has been managed by the Maroteaux family since 1988. François-Xavier Maroteaux now runs the family estate.
- Owner
- Famille Maroteaux (groupe familial présidé et dirigé par François-Xavier Maroteaux)
- Maître de chais
- Jean-Dominique Videau
- Surface (ha)
- 60.00 ha
- Production (average bottles per vintage)
- environ 300 000 bouteilles/an
Histoire du domaine
The estate dates back to 1680, when Jean-Baptiste Braneyre became its first owner. The Duluc family succeeded him between the 18th and 19th centuries; they had the château built in 1824 and helped to establish the wine’s reputation. In 1855, Branaire-Ducru was classified as a fourth growth in the Médoc. Patrick Maroteaux and his family acquired the estate in 1988. They then undertook major works on the vineyard, the fermentation cellar, the wine cellars and the château buildings, and created the second wine, Duluc de Branaire-Ducru. A gravity-fed fermentation room was installed in 1991 and subsequently expanded in 2010. Jean-Dominique Videau, an agricultural engineer and oenologist, has led the technical team since 2002 and is involved in the blending process. François-Xavier Maroteaux joined the family business in 2015 and took over as estate manager in 2017. After more than three years of work, a new gravity-fed fermentation room comprising 75 vats, 65 of which are suspended, was inaugurated in April 2024.
Duluc de Branaire-Ducru
Duluc de Branaire-Ducru is the second wine of Château Branaire-Ducru, crafted alongside the grand vin with the same meticulous care. It notably incorporates grapes from younger vines and other selections from the vineyard. Its profile favors fruit, freshness, and elegance, with earlier accessibility than the grand vin.
- Origin of the cuvée name
- The name pays tribute to the Du Luc family, former owners of the estate and builders of the château in 1824.
- Cuvée creation year
- 1988
- Style of the cuvée
- A Médoc style built on fruit, freshness, and elegance, suppler and more accessible in its youth than the grand vin, while maintaining good aging potential.
- Position within the range
- Second wine of the estate and gateway to the Signature Maison of Branaire-Ducru.
Histoire de la cuvée
Created in 1988 by Patrick Maroteaux, Duluc de Branaire-Ducru represents the second expression of the estate's wines. Its name recalls the Du Luc family, linked to the property for approximately two centuries and credited with building the château in 1824.
