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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.2 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 200 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by melvinyeowq on 3/29/2024 & rated 92 points: Bordeaux night: Slightly darker fruit and more extracted than the ‘96 but without being overdone. Still resolutely old-school and its austerity suggests that this wine has some way to go yet. (406 views) | | | Tasted by Wine Diplomats on 8/2/2023 & rated 91 points: Branaire-Ducru Mini-Vertical
05 Perfect cork. Darkest, deepest color of them all. Balanced at this point but still young in flavor profile. Ripe fruit, good acidity with integrated and sweet and savory oak notes but the age and style of the chateau gives it an elegance. Still need to wait to reach tertiary notes. 94+ On the second day, the fruit is starting to taste like dried fruit, but other tertiary notes haven't arrived yet.
01 Still dark youthful color. Less expressive nose than the 86 but more on the primary and secondary notes. Dark fruit and spice. Baking spice. Palate is round. More dark fruit and good acid. Better after revisiting in an hour later, more expressive on the palate and nose, but still more primary and secondary. 91+ On the second day, tertiary notes start to emerge on the nose and palate.
86 - Moldy cork that broke but only slightly soaked. Lightest color, show age but not excessive bricking given the age. Nose of mushrooms, pepper, leather. Still plenty of acidity on the palate, still plenty of fruit too but more on the dried fruit side. With touch of licorice with some of earthy and tobacco notes. Smooth but still some tannins left. After an hour, there's even more fruit and a touch of floral notes with softer texture but rather youthful given the age but it still doesn't have the balance of 2005 overall. But the mature nose and texture with still vibrant fruit make it an excellent wine that has a nice balance of primary, secondary and tertiary notes. 93
All of them are on the classic, feminine side of Bordeaux. Good acidity. Low alcohol (12 for 86 and 13 for the 2001 and 2005) and balance of oak and ripeness of fruit. 05 and 01 had about 30+ minutes of being opened while the 86 was essentially a pop and pour. In terms of price, anyone that bought these en primeur should be happy. They've developed nicely. It's always an inflated price getting them at this stage, but I'd say 2005 is still worth it given the price of classified Bordeaux these days. The 2001 is a little more than it should be while the 86 is about what it should cost at this age given it's still drinking well.
https://winediplomats.com/ (1765 views) | | | Tasted by pilatus88 on 3/4/2023 & rated 92 points: Very enjoyable with all the treats of mature Bordeaux. Cedar wood, dark fruit, plum and refined softness at this point. Smooth and harmonic. Long finish with some bitternotes. It lacks in power to score higher. (1866 views) | | | Tasted by Vinumming & Ahhing on 1/25/2023 & rated 92 points: Branaire Ducru Vertical (The Market Brasserie at the Intercontinental at the O2, London): Rich and slightly exotic, this is another dinner where I slightly prefer the greater freshness of a 2001 compared with a 2000 of the same chateau. The nose is more comely than the palate here as you might expect with a youngster like this. Has great potential and well priced in the market. (1834 views) | | | Tasted by Coastalnative on 11/24/2022 & rated 92 points: Nice amount of earth and secondary aromas wrapped in cedar, cassis and bright bing cherry. Very similar to the 89 we had not long ago. Still tannic and fairly youthful. About as good as it's going to get. Enjoy (1855 views) | | | Tasted by kevin h on 9/26/2022 & rated 90 points: Consistent wine. Nice mix of cassis, earth and a hint of currant in the background. Soft finish which is a vintage characteristic. Early maturity and a long life ahead. (1967 views) | | | Tasted by Ingmars on 2/18/2022: I've had this twice before, in 2013 and 2015, without me thinking this was fine wine, but I'm glad that this third bottle has changed my view on it. There's a good depth to the broad, medium ruby core, progressively bricking to a faint russet at the very edge. At first quite metallic on the nose with shucked oyster-shell coming to mind. Then rolling tobacco, a slight and fleeting note of distant capsicum and classy barrique. At two and a half hours, a very seductive and unmistakable scent of violets emerged - which I hadn't previously noted with this wine. Initially, the mouth wasn't showing enough ripeness, though admittedly, I hadn't decanted it. The length was what I'd call average. While the sum of a Bordeaux blend ought to be greater than its parts, I could easily detect the cabernet sauvignon here, which is no bad thing in the context of the plethora of merlot-softened wines of the Haut-Médoc. With air, things got rolling. The wine began filling out, the oak decame as flattering as the fruit and the both of them hugged each other like lovers wrapped in velvet drapes. Easily the best bottle of this by a good margin and, unlike the first two bottles, exhibiting both virility and sensuality. Fine plus. (2439 views) | | | Tasted by timothynbond on 12/21/2021 & rated 85 points: Decanted 1 1/2 hours before serving. Deep ruby color, with a slight bit of bricking at the rim. Nose of potpurri and old leather. Medium body with medium acid and still some slight tannic grip. Blackberry and leather on the palate with some slight chalkiness on the finish. Perfectly adequate Bordeaux, though lacking in any real standout characteristics. (1936 views) | | | Tasted by Julian Marshall on 12/2/2021 & rated 90 points: Quite a weird nose at first - very spicy with a strong smell of cloves - it needed a good aeration before the blackberry came through, still with the truffles I remembered from its youth. Focussed rather than intense red fruit on the palate, with a bit of cedar and a lot of spice, again a hint of cloves in the background. Quite tight on the first night, it was much more open on the second, but still a little narrow. A little lacking in breadth and flesh for my taste. After a while, the fruit does leave the impression that it has seen better days, so based on this bottle, I wouldn't wait too long if you have some - but there may be fresher bottles.
I opened this to see if it was worth buying some more, but I wasn't convinced enough to do so.
Overall a very decent wine but nothing truly special. (1936 views) | | | Tasted by Vancouver on 7/3/2021 & rated 93 points: Medium ruby appearance. Some , but very little lightening at the edges. Very impressive for a wine approaching its 20th birthday.
Pronounced and fully evolved nose of black fruits, some floral aromas (violets) , baking spice , vanilla and even a hint of espresso roast. The nose still seems quite fresh.
Medium plus body with medium acidity and still plenty of structure. Very good concentration and flavor intensity on the palate- surprisingly even more black fruit than the nose at age 20 or so!
The finish is medium plus , delicious and refreshing.
The above note is from a bottle pulled from the cellar and served a few hours later with no decanting. I had about a fifth of the bottle left over the next evening and it did not show as well- the aromas and flavors seemed much more evolved/tired. So - likely a clue that this should be drunk up? (2585 views) | | | Tasted by Comte Flaneur on 6/28/2021 & rated 89 points: Well made, red-fruited, but sullen and ultimately underwhelming. At 20 you would expect it to be showing better, but maybe it needs more time? Its cause was not helped by being outclassed by a couple of more illustrious right bankers from the same vintage in the same flight. (2033 views) | | | Tasted by Paul D on 6/28/2021 & rated 90 points: Gareth's Bordeaux Dinner - Hawksmoor Guildhall (Hawksmoor, Guildhall, London): 5/12. Quite red fruited, touch of baking spice, notes of cedar and gravel. Medium bodied, cedary red fruit, harmonious, composed and balanced if not hugely long. (1611 views) | | | Tasted by kevin h on 3/14/2021 & rated 90 points: Early maturity, no sign of age. Soft mature Bordeaux. Ripe fruits, fairly easy going. Typical of the vintage. Decent. (2231 views) | | | Tasted by pilatus88 on 1/16/2021 & rated 92 points: I find this is past peak although still very good. Drink up. (2039 views) | | | Tasted by Vancouver on 10/3/2020 & rated 93 points: Another one bites the dust as the lockdown enters month 7.
Medium ruby appearence.
Evolved and pronounced aromas of black fruits, spice and vanilla.
Medium bodied with lots of similar flavor charateristics on the palate and a medium plus finish.
Overall well done- I would opt to drink up. (2341 views) | | | Tasted by Vancouver on 6/23/2020 & rated 93 points: No formal tasting note as drank during a busy (and socially distanced) outdoor dinner party with roasted chicken.
Classic St Julien and drinking fresh and delicious now. Lots of cassis, lead pencil, tobacco and even some baking spice.
Built to go the distance. Drink up or store another decade in a cold cellar... (2602 views) | | | Tasted by dbkitc on 6/9/2020 & rated 90 points: Good wine but nowhere near the quality of the ‘05 tasted last week. Solid, typical Bordeaux that checks all the boxes. Missing ripeness and interest. Kind of boring. (90) (2363 views) | | | Tasted by kevin h on 5/24/2020 & rated 90 points: Good St Julien character with bright red fruits and an easy style. A touch soft On the finish. Drinking well new but plenty of time in hand. (1984 views) | | | Tasted by VDLT Wine on 1/12/2020: Drinking very well tho still with ample youthful aspects including some mild tannins. (2734 views) | | | Tasted by englishman's claret on 1/3/2020 & rated 89 points: I find the 2001 Branaire-Ducru slightly underwhelming. It offers typical St Julien cedar and redcurrant notes at the outset which evolve into a more promising wine, improving both in complexity (i.e., added mineral notes) and depth. But just as it’s getting going after an hour or so, it drops off and never regains that spark. The wine being made at Branaire Ducru nowadays is much more interesting. (2858 views) | | | Tasted by Paul D on 11/3/2019 & rated 93 points: 4/12, excellent cork. Decanted 1/2 hr.
Deep ruby/garnet core, pale garnet rim. Touch of bottle funk, blew off in about half an hour then cedary red fruit, spice, soil, light creamy edge, touch of gravel. Medium bodied, sweet red fruit, touch of spice, light creamy edge, wrapped in sift, caressing tannins, fresh acidity, some nice contrasting savoury notes coming through on the very good length, lingering finish. Harmonious, drinking well, no hurry (at least 2030ish?). (2435 views) | | | Tasted by bethel31 on 9/26/2019 & rated 90 points: Tannins are soft and very opened. Should not wait any longer. A bit of sweetness and earthiness. (2340 views) | | | Tasted by Patrick_from_champagne on 8/28/2019 & rated 92 points: Dark red color with very light trace of evolution but not showing its age
Expressive and complex nose with black currant, cherry and other dark fruits, spices, vanilla, paprika,
Powerful, structure, complex, long, elegant Kelli’s its freshness
Soft elegant tannins perfectly integrated
Perfect maturity and it’s still so young (2364 views) | | | Tasted by Vancouver on 7/10/2019 & rated 92 points: No formal tasting note- the bottle disappeared too fast over rack of lamb!
Just a delicious and classic example from a "forgotten" vintage. Drinking very well with classic St Julien black fruits and vanilla.
What surprised me was how fresh and vibrant this wine is 17 or so years on.
Drink now or hold for another decade plus. Well done! (2337 views) | | | Tasted by mattym19 on 6/1/2019 & rated 90 points: Needed a lot of opening up (2+ hours) but eventually the nose is ripe plums, raisins, tobacco and leather. Palate is more raisins, plums, fine but strong tannins, and a wet gravel note. Acidity is nice and strong to match the strong tannins. Let it open up and enjoy with a fatty, braised short rib. In a straight horizontal tasting though I still prefer the Chateau Talbot. (2186 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Neal Martin
Vinous, Looking Backward/Looking Forward: 2000 vs 2001 Bordeaux (Sep 2021) (9/1/2021)
(Branaire-Ducru Branaire-Ducru Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, In Good Taste: Branaire-Ducru 1928-2013 (Mar 2020) (3/1/2020)
(Branaire-ducru Branaire-ducru Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/10/2011)
(Ch Branaire Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (11/6/2007)
(Ch Branaire Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (1/12/2007)
(Ch Branaire Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2004, IWC Issue #114
(Chateau Branaire Ducru Saint Julien) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/25/2004)
(Ch Branaire Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/11/2004)
(Ch Branaire Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2003, IWC Issue #108
(Chateau Branaire Ducru Saint Julien) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2002, IWC Issue #102
(Chateau Branaire Ducru Saint Julien) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and JancisRobinson.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru) Producer website - Read more about Chateau Branaire Ducru
Chateau Branaire-Ducru
The origin of the Branaire-Ducru vineyards may be traced back to the 17th Century, when they were once part of the estate at Chateau Beychevelle. The owner of Beychevelle, Bernard de Valette, the Duc d'Epernon, left behind a string of unpaid bills when he died in 1642. In order to meet the demands of his creditors, Beychevelle was sold off, leading to the parcellation of the estate. The chateau and some of the vineyards were regrouped by subsequent owners, but part of the estate, purchased by Jean-Baptiste Braneyre in 1680, was destined to become what we know today as Branaire-Ducru. Incidentally another part became what we known today as Ducru-Beaucaillou.
Braneyre's descendants held tenure here for well over a century although his daughter, Marie Braneyre, married Pierre de Luc, and it is the de Luc name that is associated with the early history of this estate. Pierre and Marie had a son, Laurent de Luc, born in 1730, who subsequently married Marie de Chillaud of Fieux de Larenchère in 1779. They survived the Revolution, despite having been arrested, and went on to have a total of four children, including two sons, Louis and Justin Duluc, the persecution of the aristocracy having fostered a discretionary contraction of the family name. Laurent died in 1814, followed by Marie in 1818, but not before she had purchased a small house in Bourdieu, a hamlet very close to Chateau Beychevelle. Subsequently, Louis and Justin expanded and improved their inherited property, naming their chateau Braneyre (Branaire), for their grandmother and her father, Jean-Baptiste.
The Duluc family remain at Branaire during the creation of the 1855 classification, when the property was ranked as a fourth growth. A year later, however, Louis Duluc died without a direct heir, and the property was managed by other family members, including his widow, brother, sister and nephews. By 1875 his descendant Gustave Ducru and his sister, Zélie Ravez, were in charge; Gustave purchased his sister's share, becoming sole owner, but when he died in 1879 the estate passed back to her again. In 1899 she bequeathed the estate to a clutch of nephews, the Marquis de Carbonnier de Marzac, Comte de Ravez and Comte du Périer de Larsan. These three live on today on the Branaire-Ducru label, each one represented by a crown, and yet the whole estate was subsequently sold off in 1919 to Jean-Michel Tapie. Tapie's tenure was not distinguished, the wines being a paler imitation of many other wines produced in the St Julien commune. This was still the situation in 1988, when Branaire-Ducru was purchased by Patrick Maroteaux.
Chateau Branaire-Ducru is tucked away in the south-eastern most part of the St Julien appellation, close neighbours being Beychevelle, which lies between Branaire-Ducru and the Gironde, and Chateau St Pierre. The vineyards run west-east in several plots close to the chateau, over typical Médoc terroir of Quaternary alluvial gravels. There are 50 hectares in all, planted with 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and just 4% Petit Verdot, with an average age approaching 40 years, although there are many vines approaching a century. The harvest is manual, and fermentation takes place in a modern, well-equipped cellar, funded by the Maroteaux administration and now run by managing director Philippe Dhalluin. The must and embryonic wine is fed through the cellar by gravity rather than pump, to ferment in stainless steel, temperature-controlled, before up to two years in oak, 50% new each vintage. The wine undergoes an egg-white fining prior to being bottled unfiltered. The grand vin is Chateau Branaire-Ducru, 15000 cases, and there is a second wine, Chateau Duluc, named for the Duluc family, of which there are 7000 cases per annum.
My most illuminating Branaire-Ducru experience was the 1989 vintage, tasted in a horizontal St Julien line-up. I remember the tasting quite well. There was one wine that was streets ahead of all the others, and this was revealed as Léoville-Barton; with no Gruaud or Las-Cases in the fray, what remained included the likes of Beychevelle, St Pierre, Talbot and so on. So what was this other wine, a close match to the Leoville-Barton in terms of quality, structure, perfume and pleasure? The great joy of blind tasting is that it removes preconceptions; the label was revealed as Branaire-Ducru, to some surprise. Under the direction of Maroteaux, a marked improvement in the quality of the wines, from the previously underperforming Branaire-Ducru, was already apparent by the 1989. In recent years, this trend has continued, and they have become solid buys; the 2005 vintage, tasted in early 2006, is a fitting testament to the investment made by the new owners. (18/7/06)Red 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). |
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