External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher
Vintages
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
Show more
From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
|
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.4 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 101 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by vlzat on 5/14/2024 & rated 92 points: 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc
13% abv
Medium body, mature garnet colour. Delicate aroma of ripe black and blue fruits, spices’ box and oak background. Black currant and blueberry palate, following by velvety tannins, gentle acidity and lingering, plummy, still fresh finish. Complex and structured, but elegant, charm and perfectly balanced wine. Food friendly, well pairing to medium rare entrecote. Serve 18ºC - 20ºC. Open half an hour ahead. Drink now and for the next 6 years, perhaps longer. (137 views) | | | Tasted by CGandur on 1/22/2024: Very nice, lovely drinking, In the zone, will not improve. Drink now/soon (933 views) | | | Tasted by Julian Marshall on 12/16/2023 & rated 90 points: Not bad. The nose is quite smoky, with Asian spices and a little dark chocolate, only a hint of fruit. On the palate, it's much the same - a certain silky elegance, some interesting spice and smoke character, but for now, only a smidgen of red berries in terms of fruit. I'm hopeful that the fruit will emerge in another couple of years. For now, it needs food. (1103 views) | | | Tasted by bacchus of knockholt on 9/1/2023 & rated 91 points: Enjoyed this at the local pub who allowed to BYO. Notes are perfunctory as it was a lively evening. Classic left bank claret with good fruit and complexity and still feeling quite primary. Great stuff. (1532 views) | | | Tasted by chatters on 4/12/2023: Coravin fun - Caronne Ste Gemme and Branaire Ducru (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Black hued fruits with a little savoury, meaty note and a touch of graphite/pencil shavings, cedar and slight wet tobacco, with time the fruit grows and ripens a little. Juicy, very slightly dilute black fruits married to chewy, woody, chalky tannins, a little wet tobacco and pencil shavings here as well, slight creaminess on the finish. Nice. (2105 views) | | | Tasted by brybts on 4/11/2023 & rated 87 points: Overall: decent wine, good complexity in the nose but a letdown on the palate. Probably right in its drinking window but with the acid and bright fruit may have another decade of development. The perceived acidity is high so I recommend pairing with food.
Appearance: ruby, fairly opaque
Nose: flinty mineral notes immediately present, fruit is integrated with underlying spice notes. Blackberry, raspberry, cinnamon, clove. After a few hours open I picked up something like corn tortillas which was interesting.
Palate: perceived acidity is high, which brings freshness. Tannins are velvety and integrated. Body is medium. This is not particularly fruity or ripe - it’s bright and then shows the beginning of the tertiary profile. Spices come through, with maybe some cherry and raspberry. There are subtle earthy tones as well.
Finish: medium, some woodiness, unobtrusive and pleasant (1927 views) | | | Tasted by popopdrops on 9/16/2022 & rated 93 points: Dekantert. Meget pen på nese og munn fra første glass. Balanse. Utvikler seg til en nydelig vin. (1817 views) | | | Tasted by ThalesGaspar on 8/16/2022 & rated 92 points: From magnum, nice nose, very round and easy drinking, medium finish. Ready to drink. (2322 views) | | | Tasted by Miceri on 1/9/2022 & rated 95 points: Dark red; nice, intense classic Bordeaux nose, cedar, vanilla, elegant; intense, rounded, open, soft and nice; nice lingering aftertaste; really pleasant and nice; harmony (3048 views) | | | Tasted by popopdrops on 7/28/2021 & rated 91 points: Ikke dekantert. Klassiker. Er der. (3270 views) | | | Tasted by ChristoBretts on 5/20/2021 & rated 90 points: Decanted and drank over two days. Medium body, nose a bit closed, with some dark fruit, palate on day one treated to some dark fruit and soil, acidity is quite noticeable - perhaps a function of the vintage. Day two the acidity overshadows the fruit and soil. This particular bottle suffered some warming during a shipment kerfuffle. (3435 views) | | | Tasted by The_Cat on 4/23/2021 & rated 93 points: Deep garnet red with purple reflexes. Almost at its apogee entering the perfect drinking window lots of blackberry blueberry cherry chocolate and mushroom. Full bodied with silky textured tannins and elegant long finish. (3209 views) | | | Tasted by hsacks on 4/20/2021 & rated 93 points: Similar to the 7/9/19 bottle. (2887 views) | | | Tasted by glassofhans on 3/10/2021 & rated 90 points: Muted, Austere, opens up after a while, decent SJ (2560 views) | | | Tasted by bacchusnyon on 2/7/2021 & rated 90 points: First of a case, just entering its drinking window with a long (2-3 hour) decant. Fruit forward, with a slight pencil lead mid-palate and medium finish of woody underbrush. Looking forward to the rest of the case over the next few years (2264 views) | | | Tasted by PMJak11 on 9/5/2020 & rated 93 points: Weak vintage showed true.
1hr+ decant. Dark red color. Restrained nose with mild smoke and oak elements. Wine has medium depth and was just my style. Medium finish. Not as good as other vintages, but very enjoyable. It was just toned down in all facets. (2830 views) | | | Tasted by Vine on 7/23/2020 & rated 92 points: A feminine wine. Understated. Perhaps a tad light reflecting the vintage. Ready to drink and just lovely. Subtle decadence. (2808 views) | | | Tasted by popopdrops on 7/16/2020 & rated 90 points: Ikke dekantert. Pen til å være en St. julien. Også dag 2. (1883 views) | | | Tasted by chatters on 6/28/2020: Coravin fun - State of Play (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Quite austere on the nose after the 2004; pencil shavings and brambles initially. With time it grows riper and, well, jammier with plums and blackcurrants married to cedar and woody spices. That austerity translates to the palate with brambles backed by drying grainy textured tannins. On the finish it softens with an almost oat-meal creaminess and some plummy fruit. Pleasant enough but I think time will help. (2923 views) | | | Tasted by jonflo on 4/18/2020 & rated 90 points: Needed time in decant (3327 views) | | | Tasted by garywonghk on 3/28/2020 & rated 90 points: dark ruby, blackberry aromas with hints of spice, leather & oak, balanced & elegant, medium bodied, tannin and acidity. (3094 views) | | | Tasted by VAGentleman on 3/20/2020 & rated 90 points: Nice traditional Saint Julien. Ready but still early in prime drinking window. Dark fruit with bit of forest and tartness (2526 views) | | | Tasted by hsacks on 2/28/2020 & rated 93 points: Similar to the 7/9/19 bottle and delicious with the outstanding food at June BYOB Restaurant. (2435 views) | | | Tasted by PSanDiego on 1/19/2020 & rated 96 points: Paid $75. I was disappointed when I tasted it just after opening, however; after about an hour, it became an excellent Bordeaux. To follow what decanting does to a wine is amazing. (2622 views) | | | Tasted by PSanDiego on 12/2/2019 & rated 93 points: Paid $69.00. Opened a 2005 at the same time. The 2008 is a very fine wine, but the 2005 (paid $85.00) was much more enjoyable. They both had the same great taste, it was just that the 2005 was more full bodied. (2567 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/2/2018)
(Ch Branaire-Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, 2008 Bordeaux: A Day In A Life (Feb 2018) (2/18/2018)
(Branaire-ducru Branaire Ducru Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Hemming, MW
JancisRobinson.com (2/1/2018)
(Ch Branaire-Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, February 2018 (2/1/2018)
(Château Branaire-Ducru St Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jane Anson
Decanter, 2008 Bordeaux 10 Years on (1/1/2018)
(Château Branaire-Ducru, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | The World of Fine Wine, December 2012, Issue #38
(Château Branaire-ducru 4ème Cru) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, November 2012 (11/1/2012)
(Château Branaire-Ducru St Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Gary Walsh
The WINEFRONT (8/8/2012)
(Chateau Branaire-Ducru) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (7/4/2012)
(Ch Branaire Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (5/3/2012)
(Ch Branaire Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (1/19/2012)
(Ch Branaire Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, July/August 2011, IWC Issue #157
(Chateau Branaire Ducru Saint Julien) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (5/4/2011)
(Ch Branaire Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (2/17/2011)
(Ch Branaire Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/19/2010)
(Ch Branaire Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, October 2010
(Chateau Branaire-Ducru (St Julien)) Subscribe to see review text. | The World of Fine Wine, June 2009, Issue #24
(Château Branaire-Ducru 4ème Cru) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (5/4/2009)
(Ch Branaire Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Ian D'Agata
Vinous, May/June 2009, IWC Issue #144
(Chateau Branaire Ducru Saint Julien) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, April 2009
(Chateau Branaire-Ducru St Julien) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, May 2012
(Château Branaire-Ducru (St Julien)) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, November 2012
(Château Branaire-Ducru (St Julien)) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JancisRobinson.com and Vinous and Winedoctor and Decanter and The World of Fine Wine and The WINEFRONT. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Branaire-Ducru Producer website
Addt'l Info
A visit to the estate of Château Branaire-Ducru St Julien Bordeaux -
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/08/a-visit-to-chateau-branaire-ducru.htmlRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.St. Julien VdB
Read more detailed information on St. Julien and its wines The seventeenth century pioneers Traces are to be found of a Saint-Julien de Rintrac, perhaps Saint-Julien's earliest name, as from the thirteenth century. But we have to wait until the seventeenth century pioneers, urban and rural aristocrats, discover the exceptional merits of these terroirs.
Traces of this system still exist today in the structure of estates within the appellation: by the side of the two villages of Beychevelle and Saint-Julien, the large estates are heavily preponderant, representing more than four fifths of the total surface of vineyards.
The terrain is practically identical over all the commune. Only the proximity of the estuary, sometimes close, sometimes further away, can cause slight variations in climate. In fact, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle's layer of gravel takes the form of a huge rectangle over 3 miles long and 2 miles wide. And the alluvial deposits are particularly well fragmented into ridges of Garonne gravel of the early Quaternary. Accordingly, the vines are safeguarded from stagnant water.
The wines from the Saint-Julien appellation may be recognized by their unparalleled bouquet, particularly harmonious and mild. They have a fine deep colour and combine the finesse of their aromas and a solid constitution. They have body, are very rich in flavour and have a delicious and delicate bouquet.
Production conditions (Decree dated November 14, 1936)
In order to have the right to the Saint-Julien appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the commune of Saint-Julien and from precisely defined parcels in the communes of Cussac, and Saint-Laurent, "excluding the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions: grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |
|
