Château Branaire-Ducru | St. Julien

Jean-Baptiste BRANEYRE, the first owner of the estate in 1680, had already seen the potential of the superb gravelly terroirs located just a stone's throw from the Gironde estuary, which the 1855 classification confirmed by consecrating the Château Fourth Grand Cru Classé.

In 1988, Patrick Maroteaux and his family saw the untapped potential of this sleeping beauty and decided to write a new page in the history of the estate by acquiring Château Branaire-Ducru. The spirit of the Branaire-Ducru wines was very quickly defined: a high standard of quality and wines bearing the “House Signature”, defined around three pillars: fruit, freshness and elegance.

This was the beginning of extensive transformations and work on all the elements that determine the creation of a great wine: the vineyard, the vat room, the cellars, but also the home, the primary face of a château. At the same time, Duluc de Branaire-Ducru was born. Made from younger vines, Branaire-Ducru's little brother bears the “House Signature", yet is accessible in its youth.

In 2015, Patrick Maroteaux was joined by his son François-Xavier, who gave up a career in finance in Paris and moved with his family to Bordeaux. He took over the reins of the estate in 2017 and also the head of the Saint-Julien appellation, after his father. Recognised by critics for its consistency vintage after vintage, Château Branaire-Ducru ranks among the greatest wines of Bordeaux.