Chateau Branaire-Ducru 2018

  • 97 James
    Suckling
  • 95 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 94 Wine
    Spectator
  • 94 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
  • 92 Decanter
4.7 Fantastic (6)
2020 Vintage In Stock
59 99
OFFER Take $20 off your order of $100+
Ships today if ordered in next 9 hours
1
Limit Reached
Alert me about new vintages and availability
Chateau Branaire-Ducru  2018  Front Bottle Shot
Chateau Branaire-Ducru  2018  Front Bottle Shot Chateau Branaire-Ducru  2018  Front Label Chateau Branaire-Ducru  2018 A Closer Look at the 2018 Vintage Product Video

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
2018

Size
750ML

ABV
14.5%

Your Rating

0.0 Not For Me NaN/NaN/N

Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

The nose, which is already very expressive, shows a nice complexity of ripe fruit, well balanced by fresher notes. The intensity of the bouquet develops with aeration and the oak is already well integrated. The first impression on the palate is one of silky roundness with impressive volume, overlaying extremely fine tannins. The wine develops slowly and gradually on the palate, following its logical path to a voluptuous mid-palate with beautiful density: always refined – never overpowering. The aromatic complexity, and delicious acidity are omni-present with a lovelylong-lasting fruit finish ensuring freshness and lift. The house style of Branaire-Ducru is very evident in the 2018 vintage: expressive fruit, great finesse and balance, wonderful freshness, but always with exceptional depth, density and refinement.

Blend: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc

Professional Ratings

  • 97

    Very attractive aromas of currants, tile and sandalwood with black and red currants. It’s full-bodied with a tight, dense center-palate that remains closed in and tight. Yet there is underlying seriousness and length to this. Perhaps the greatest Branaire-Ducru ever made. Try after 2026.

  • 95

    A deceptively smooth texture and black fruits hide a wine that has great density and richness. Firm tannins lie beneath the ripeness. They will allow this wine to age, giving future concentration and depth. Drink the wine from 2027. Multiple U.S. importers. Cellar Selection

  • 94
    Pure and driven, with expressive cassis and plum puree aromas and flavors carried by a graphite edge and backed with applewood, licorice root and tobacco notes. Lovely energy throughout. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2037.
  • 94

    A beautiful Saint-Julien, the 2018 Château Branaire-Ducru reveals a deep purple color as well as ample, earthy cassis and blackberry fruits intermixed with sous bois, earth, lead pencil, and cedar. With that classic Saint-Julien pure fruit, sumptuous aromas and flavors, sweet yet present tannins, and a solid spine of acidity, it's going to need 5-7 years to hit maturity yet should keep for 20-25 years or more. I don't think it's going to match the blockbuster 2009 (it's more in the pretty, elegant style of the 2016), but it's a gorgeous, elegant wine you will love to have in the cellar.

  • 93

    The 2018 Branaire-Ducru has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and an upfront, expressive nose of baked black plums, boysenberries and Morello cherries with an undercurrent of dried mint, spice box and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate packs a very pleasant fruit wallop, featuring juicy black fruits and a firm, grainy frame, finishing long with lovely purity.

  • 92

    A little subdued, this has firm tannic hold, clear raspberry, blackberry and cassis fruits, along with hawthorn, brambles and touches of black pepper. Young and will go the distance, though lacks a little magic. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040

Other Vintages

2022
  • 97 Robert
    Parker
  • 97 James
    Suckling
  • 97 Decanter
  • 97 Vinous
  • 97 Jeb
    Dunnuck
2021
  • 95 James
    Suckling
  • 95 Vinous
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
  • 94 Decanter
  • 92 Jeb
    Dunnuck
2020
  • 96 James
    Suckling
  • 95 Decanter
  • 95 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 94 Wine
    Spectator
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
  • 93 Jeb
    Dunnuck
2019
  • 96 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 96 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 95 James
    Suckling
  • 95 Robert
    Parker
  • 94 Wine
    Spectator
  • 93 Decanter
2017
  • 94 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 92 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 92 Wine
    Spectator
  • 91 James
    Suckling
  • 90 Robert
    Parker
2016
  • 96 Wine
    Spectator
  • 95 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 95 James
    Suckling
  • 94 Decanter
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
  • 92 Jeb
    Dunnuck
2015
  • 95 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 94 Wine
    Spectator
  • 93 Decanter
  • 93 James
    Suckling
  • 90 Robert
    Parker
2014
  • 94 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 93 Wine
    Spectator
  • 92 James
    Suckling
2012
  • 95 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 91 James
    Suckling
  • 90 Wine
    Spectator
  • 90 Robert
    Parker
2011
  • 94 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
  • 92 James
    Suckling
  • 92 Wine
    Spectator
2010
  • 95 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 95 Vinous
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
  • 94 James
    Suckling
  • 94 Decanter
  • 94 Wine
    Spectator
2009
  • 96 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 95 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 94 James
    Suckling
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
  • 93 Wine
    Spectator
2008
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
  • 91 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 91 Wine
    Spectator
2007
  • 91 Wine
    Enthusiast
2006
  • 92 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 90 Wine
    Spectator
  • 90 Robert
    Parker
2005
  • 95 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 95 Robert
    Parker
2003
  • 94 James
    Suckling
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
  • 93 Wine
    Spectator
  • 91 Wine
    Enthusiast
2000
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
1995
  • 91 Wine
    Spectator
  • 90 Robert
    Parker
Chateau Branaire-Ducru

Chateau Branaire-Ducru

View all products
Chateau Branaire-Ducru, France
Chateau Branaire-Ducru Winery Image
Chateau Branaire-Ducru's 120 acres is located in the St. Julien region of France and has such famous neighbors as Cheateau Gruaud-Larose, Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou and Chateau Beychevelle.

The name, given by the former owner Monsieur Ducru, means "beautiful pebbles". One of the main features of the vineyard is its richness in pebbles which contribute to the greatness of so many wines of the Medoc.

Just before the war, the vineyard became run down and many Bordeaux critics felt it no longer deserved its rank as a Second Growth. During the Medoc Classification of 1855, the Chateau was rated as a Fourth Growth. In 1942 the Borie family purchased the vineyard completely revamped the vineyard and it began receiving top ratings amongst the Second Growths. Successive generations of the Borie family oversee all winemaking operations.

Image for Bordeaux Blends content section
View all products

One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.

Image for St-Julien Wine Bordeaux, France content section

St-Julien Wine

Bordeaux, France

View all products

An icon of balance and tradition, St. Julien boasts the highest proportion of classed growths in the Médoc. What it lacks in any first growths, it makes up in the rest: five amazing second growth chateaux, two superb third growths and four well-reputed fourth growths. While the actual class rankings set in 1855 (first, second, and so on the fifth) today do not necessarily indicate a score of quality, the classification system is important to understand in the context of Bordeaux history. Today rivalry among the classed chateaux only serves to elevate the appellation overall.

One of its best historically, the estate of Leoville, was the largest in the Médoc in the 18th century, before it was divided into the three second growths known today as Chateau Léoville-Las-Cases, Léoville-Poyferré and Léoville-Barton. Located in the north section, these are stone’s throw from Chateau Latour in Pauillac and share much in common with that well-esteemed estate.

The relatively homogeneous gravelly and rocky top soil on top of clay-limestone subsoil is broken only by a narrow strip of bank on either side of the “jalle,” or stream, that bisects the zone and flows into the Gironde.

St. Julien wines are for those wanting subtlety, balance and consistency in their Bordeaux. Rewarding and persistent, the best among these Bordeaux Blends are full of blueberry, blackberry, cassis, plum, tobacco and licorice. They are intense and complex and finish with fine, velvety tannins.

CVB520383_2018 Item# 520383

Internet Explorer is no longer supported.
Please use a different browser like Edge, Chrome or Firefox to enjoy all that Wine.com has to offer.

It's easy to make the switch.
Enjoy better browsing and increased security.

Yes, Update Now

Search for ""