{"product_id":"chateau-branaire-ducru-1981","title":"Château Branaire-Ducru Saint-Julien 1981 AOC 0,75l","description":"\u003cp\u003eSaint-Julien has no first growths and has never needed any. It is the most consistent commune in the Médoc, and Branaire-Ducru sits on gravel directly across the road from Beychevelle — a fourth growth in the 1855 ranking that has spent decades quietly out-performing its place in it. The wine is Cabernet Sauvignon-led with Merlot and a little Petit Verdot, and the house style has always leaned towards elegance rather than muscle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e1981 gave the Médoc a decent, moderately sized crop: a kind summer, then rain arriving around the picking. The clarets that came out of it were medium-bodied and made for twenty or thirty years in bottle. This one has now had forty-five.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt that age the wine is about the moment rather than the score. Expect a brick-red colour with a pale rim, cedar and dried blackcurrant, and a texture that has gone quiet and fine. Decant it gently and drink it within the hour.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProducer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Château Branaire-Ducru\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVintage:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1981\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAppellation:\u003c\/strong\u003e Saint-Julien AOC\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e 75cl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRegion:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bordeaux, France\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStyle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Red\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhere it is likely to be now.\u003c\/strong\u003e This is a fully mature and now fragile claret that should be judged on delicacy rather than power, and like all our pre-1990 stock it is sold as a collectible item without a guarantee of drinkability.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho it suits.\u003c\/strong\u003e A sensible choice for a forty-fifth birthday in 2026 when the budget matters — a properly classified Médoc estate at a price well below the famous names of the same year.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition.\u003c\/strong\u003e The merchant records the bottle as being in good condition, meaning nothing about the label, capsule or fill level stood out as a concern.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance.\u003c\/strong\u003e Bought to order from a professional European merchant. We check fill, label and capsule when the bottle reaches us and photograph it before it ships.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDelivered in 7 to 10 working days, tracked. Transit cover can be added at checkout.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSold as a collectible item, as seen. No guarantee is given on drinkability.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!--anno-tpl-3--\u003e","brand":"Château Branaire-Ducru","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58394791838040,"sku":"ANNO-023743","price":149.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1009\/6505\/6856\/files\/Chateau-Branaire-Ducru-Saint-Julien-1981-AOC-075l.jpg?v=1790729787","url":"https:\/\/anno.wine\/pt\/products\/chateau-branaire-ducru-1981","provider":"ANNO","version":"1.0","type":"link"}