CHÂTEAU BRANAIRE DUCRU
2013 4ème Cru Classé Saint Julien
63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot. Silky high tone. Bright but not scintillating. A reasonably attractive red and black fruit middle cherry and blackcurrant, ripe not overripe, very much in the Branaire mould, quite taut and compactly linear, good fruit savour, quite precise. Seamless but slightly all on one level. Rating: 88-90 L&S (Apr 2014)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
This shows true St Julian typicity, with a stylish nose, balancing oak and berry fruit, and a supple, medium-bodied palate that doesn't lack concentration and flesh. Density and structure define the finish, which is balanced and quite long. Drinking range: 2016 - 2022 Rating: 90 Stephen Brook, Decanter.com (Oct 2016)
Fairly bright colour, but lacks violet refelctions of a typical St-Julien en primeur. On the nose there is soft crunchy fruit and smoky notes, and the barrel helps to give flesh. Very flattering, although clearly the fruit was harvested a few days earlier than ideal, which translates into crab apple and red cherry flavours. The blend reflects the vineyard, with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and a Petit Verdot/Cabernet Franc mix.
Jane Anson. Drinking range: 2018 - 2032 Rating: 88 Decanter Magazine (Sept 2014)
The dense ruby/purple-colored 2013 Branaire Ducru reveals a floral, blueberry and raspberry-scented nose that leans toward the bluer/redder fruit spectrum indicative of a cooler year. The tannins are sweet; the wine is medium-bodied; and the texture is impressive in this pure, long effort. It should drink well for 10-12 years. 2014-2026 Rating: 90-92 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Aug 2014)
Saturated medium ruby. Spicy blackberry, espresso, cedar, flowers and a whiff of green coffee bean on the nose. Tight, minerally and high-pitched on the palate, with blackberry, spice and coffee flavors nicely carried by smooth tannins and brisk acidity. Offers noteworthy intensity and flavor interest for a 2013, but finishes with green notes emerging. Rating: 87-89 Ian d'Agata - Stephen Tanzer website (May 2014)
The nose is sweet but the palate firm with quite obvious tannins. Sweeter at the back with more cassis and black cherry the finish has fair depth and richness of fruit. 2020-30 Rating: 88-90 Derek Smedley MW, www.dereksmedleymw.co.uk (May 2014)
A rare example of a wine that was markedly better in 2013 than 2012, this blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc is perfumed, concentrated and finely balanced with granular tannins and a flourish of acidity. 2018-25 Rating: 93 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (May 2014)
(63 Cabernet Sauvignon, 31 Merlot, 5 Petit Verdot, 1 Cabernet Franc) 60% new oak. Quite silky and smooth and the fruit seems more focussed and also more expressive than many. The oak sits in the background and the fruit is layered and classy. It could do with more control because it drifts away a little on the finish. Rating: 16.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Apr 2014)
Liquorice, aniseed – very savoury and dark. Fruit is quite suppressed – this is very traditional and very successful. Bundles of tannin on the finish. Aristocratic and self-assured. 2023-2033 Rating: 17.5 Richard Hemming MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2014)
Fine deep colour and fine vineyard expression, good depth, balance and class for the future. Drink: 2018-2028. Rating: 17 Steven Spurrier (Apr 2014)
An elegant, floral style of St.-Julien, with violet and lilac notes out front, followed by rooibos tea, red currant and bitter cherry flavors. The long, stony finish has ample acidity and drive. This should develop into a charmer. Rating: 89–92 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2014)
The Château Branaire Ducru 2013, a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc picked between 30 September and 15 October cropped at 33hl/ha. Patrick Maroteaux told me that the older vines did not suffer so much from coulure. I tasted the wines on three occasions, once at the château and twice elsewhere. It has a simple bouquet with light, slightly herbaceous black fruit laced with graphite, not dissimilar to that of Beychevelle. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins. There is just a little coarseness in this Branaire Ducru, a little angular at the moment although it has a little more persistency than Beychevelle with the graphite note lending it a Pauillac-like sensibility, though it cuts off very abruptly. This is a decent, honest Branaire Ducru made in a classic off-dry style but it desperately needs more substance. Rating: 86-88 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2014)
The 2013 Branaire Ducru is reduced in its aromatics and burly on the palate, both of which suggest a raw, unpolished wine that may not be fully formed just yet. The rough, angular tannins are just too much to get past at this stage. Perhaps my sample was not representative Rating: 80-83? Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2014)
A juicy young wine with berry, cherry and currant character. Medium to full body with well-integrated tannins and a juicy finish. Pure and delicious. Very well done. Rating: 91-92 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2014)
Château Branaire Ducru
St Julien Quatrième cru 1855 When the Beychevelle estate was broken up in 1642, in order to pay off the debts of the deceased owner, it gave birth to three Châteaux - Beychevelle, Ducru-Beaucaillou and, the portion purchased by Jean-Baptiste Braneyre, Branaire-Ducru. Jean-Baptiste's daughter married Pierre de Luc and their descendents (morphing into the Duluc family during the Revolution) owned Branaire until 1919. Branaire failed to excite much until it was bought by Patrick Maroteaux in 1988. Since then Branaire-Ducru has become a reliably good buy for lovers of St Julien. The vineyards are planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. While the number of family-owned châteaux is becoming increasingly smaller in the Médoc, the Maroteaux family has owned Branaire-Ducru since 1988. They immediatley put in a stat of the art gravity fed cellar - designed in a revolutionary way along the lines of a spoked -wheel - with all the tanks fanning out from a central control space up above. In 2017 it still looks cutting edge - and it is easy to understand how the wines are made so well here. Very sadly on November 19, 2017, Patrick Maroteaux passed away at the age of 67. His son, François Xavier Maroteaux took over the full time responsibilities of managing the estate and is committed to keeping up the great work being done here. Every year they strive to retain their ‘home signature’ of 'pure fruit, freshness and balance' and although you can always sense the vintage variations - this ambition is always clear. The Grand Vin has a focus and an elegance that is intrinsically 'Branaire' - and the pricing remains well measured. Branaire-Ducru is very often one of our recommended wines as it can offer super value for money in St Julien.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.
Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.
Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.
When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.
Additional charges are as follows:-
- +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.