Château Branaire-Ducru 2025

Château Branaire-Ducru sits in the AOC Saint-Julien on the Left Bank of Bordeaux, an estate with roots in the 17th century. Saint-Julien vineyards lie on deep beds of gravel over clay and limestone, close to the Gironde estuary, whose water moderates temperature and reduces frost risk. The gravel drains freely and stores daytime heat, ripening Cabernet Sauvignon fully while a wide diurnal range preserves acidity and aroma. Cabernet Sauvignon leads the blend, supported by Merlot for flesh and Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot for lift and colour. The 2025 ages 20 months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen transfer through the wood polishes the tannins and adds cedar, graphite and spice. The wine is deep red, with a nose of blackberry, plum and redcurrant over tobacco, pencil shavings and dried earth. The palate is medium to full bodied, with the structured but elegant tannins typical of Saint-Julien, and a long savoury finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees and decant an hour ahead. It pairs naturally with roast lamb, beef and game.