Château Branaire-Ducru 2017

Winery

The long and splendid history of Château Berton can be traced back to the 17th century. After several changes of hands, it was taken over by the Patrick Maroteaux family in 1988. Chateau Branaire-Ducru was rated four in the 1855 Médoc rating. The wines of this winery are often more attractive to wine lovers than investors. The current owner, Patrick Maroteaux, believes that St Julien red wine should be balanced and delicate, and must have pure fruit flavor, so he insists on brewing red wine with the most gentle extraction method. After he took over, he invested a lot of money to improve the winemaking facilities, and reduced the yield of the vines to maintain the richness of the fruit. Chateau Branaire-Ducru is one of the first wineries in the Bordeaux region to use the gravity treatment method. It avoids the use of pumps and excessive new wooden barrels. The fruit of each plot will be brewed independently to ensure that each barrel of wine is produced under the most ideal conditions. Since 2000, the quality of Branaire-Ducru red wine has been getting better and better, but the price has remained at the middle level. It is a very affordable wine among Bordeaux classified wineries.

Wine

The deep purple-colored 2017 Château Branaire-Ducru offers a fresh, focused, classic style in 2017. Beautiful spring flowers, black and blue fruits, and a kiss of minerality all emerge from this medium-bodied effort that has nicely integrated acidity, a balanced, clean texture, and plenty of mid-palate depth. My money is on this ending up being an outstanding wine.

Grapes: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc, 6.5% Petit Verdot

Flavors

Primary: Blackcurrant, blackberry, Cassis, Plum, Blueberry

Secondary: Oak, Tobacco, Vanilla, Cedar, Chocolate, Coffee

Tertiary: Leather, Earthy, Smoke, Graphite

Expert Ratings: (WE 94, WS 92, JD92, JS91, RP 90)

Wine Secret Ratings: 92/100

Wine Secret Comments: Very expressive, harmonious, and complex with red fruits from the nose. The palate is fine with smooth and silky tannins. Its freshness with moderate levels of alcohol and acidity brings a memorable lingering finish. It sticks true to the style of Branaire-Ducru with ripe berry flavors with a mineral hint that emerged from the medium body and clean texture. A great pairing for a nice western or Chinese cuisine dinner. 

Restaurant Price Range: HKD1480 – HKD2300 / 75cl bottle.