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| | Vintage | 2010 |  Label 1 of 351 
 | | Type | Red | | Producer | Château Branaire-Ducru (web) | | Variety | Red Bordeaux Blend | | Designation | n/a | | Vineyard | n/a | | Country | France | | Region | Bordeaux | | SubRegion | Médoc | | Appellation | St. Julien | | UPC Code(s) | 000000144018, 000000153836, 3364420020633, 3364420075800, 3364420084567, 3364420106177, 3700188025686, 3760114631169, 3760114631183, 3760114632104, 3760114632159, 3760114632166, 616773476364, 639737604559, 7070292697434, 764214632104, 810910020261, 9300633424428 |
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.1 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 181 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Carl W. on 3/11/2024 & rated 94 points: I thought it was great - a dusty neglected bottle in a part wine and part everything else store in CO so was curious if it would amount to anything but everyone love it. Stood up well to other wines we were drinking. (1872 views) | | | Tasted by Slaz on 2/5/2024: Tasted over several hours of decanting a month or so ago. Fairly ungiving, quite frankly, not much joy. Some might call it structured, etc. I am not convinced it's meant to be singing, period. (2423 views) | | | Tasted by loj on 1/21/2024 & rated 92 points: WB Dinner in Santa Cruz (Home Soquel): What a velvety, rich, and seductive palette. Concentrated but tempered by eucalyptus. (2285 views) | | | Tasted by Zazzaman on 1/17/2024 & rated 90 points: No age on rim - needed 2 hours to open - cedar wood and blackcurrants with even a hint of violets - end palate fabulous with smokey tar and spices, tannins ripening. May need more age in bottle but v pleasant at the moment. En primeur prices for 2010 were almost as crazy as 2009, so it’s not great vfm. (2655 views) | | | Tasted by vide on 1/7/2024 & rated 93 points: Well,l I haven't drunk this with smoked beetroot (in fact, I have never heard of smoked beetroot). My feelings are do not let food interfere with wine. Give the smoked beetroot a miss; try a water cracker instead.
BC up to scratch again. What a fine wine, and so consistent. The smoky ethereality of Saint Julien, dark smoldering fruit, and all held together through a pointed structure.
mt (2917 views) | | | Tasted by Bob23 on 12/29/2023 & rated 93 points: Rating was on night 2 - needed the time to open and soften a little. Dark, rounded fruit with strong tannic & acidic structure to carry it. Tasty, with a decade or two to go. Give it plenty of air if drinking now. (2182 views) | | | Tasted by englishman's claret on 11/24/2023 & rated 93 points: Another consistent example at Arpège, full of boysenberry, sour black cherry, rose, and a little fresh cedar. Big, open, deep, lovely nose. Drunk with food from the outset there’s no sensation of alcohol on the palate - and I should add that this is as (or more) glorious with smoked beetroot as it is with a more traditional pairing of rack of lamb with oyster sauce. (2847 views) | | | Tasted by englishman's claret on 11/14/2023 & rated 93 points: How different from the 2009 the 2010 Branaire is - here the fruit profile is comprised by cassis, plum, and boysenberry rather than red fruit. Where the 2009 is full of soft, caressing volume, the 2010 is intense and structured. I have the same small quibble with both initially; the alcohol seems just a bit out of proportion to the other elements at the outset, yet in the case of the 2010 this becomes inconspicuous as the fruit expands with several hours in the decanter. Perhaps the finish helps to adjudicate with an impressively long, black and purple-fruited, pencilly finish. Confidence is reinforced by its performance 12 hours later: this has expanded into a relatively harmonious whole without heat. Maybe 93 points is a hair too low; time will tell. Drinking from ~2028. (3067 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 11/3/2023 & rated 90 points: Grand Jury du Vin - Republic of Georgia; 11/1/2023-11/9/2023 (Republic of Georgia then stopover in Paris and Dijon): Wine 19 – Lead pencil, cassis, a bit simple.
Afterthought – I smelled this twice. I found it not at the same level as the others, so I didn’t spend too much time revisiting. (2431 views) | | | Tasted by GuWin on 10/26/2023 & rated 91 points: Vinklubb "surprise", verten bestemmer (Gunnar): Dyp, mørk rødlilla med antydning til modning i kant. Noe utviklet duft med solbær/cassis, cedertre, vanilje og et søtlig preg av høst og kompost. Noe utviklet og drikkeklar st julien med god struktur, middels konsentrasjon og modne bærtoner av solbær og bjørnebær. Lang, fruktig smakskurve med flott frukt, middels tanningrep og pen syre. Sitter ganske lenge med syrlige, mørke bær i avslutningen. (2479 views) | | | Tasted by Val D'Orcia on 10/25/2023 & rated 93 points: Delicious, perfect now (2470 views) | | | Tasted by Gdubya on 7/23/2023 & rated 94 points: Decantered 2+ hours. Black and red current. Elegant wine, in a good spot right now with appropriate air. Something like 94+ (3484 views) | | | Tasted by MasterWis on 6/19/2023 & rated 92 points: Maybe not yet fully ready to drink. Decanted for 5h and still not completely opened on nose / palate. It's all very well made and balanced. Started to express itself on intensity and complexity towards the last 3-4 sips of the decanter. So I would forget this for another 3-4 years. (3428 views) | | | Tasted by jkvedar on 5/26/2023 & rated 93 points: I decanted this and let it sit at cellar temp for 3 hours. Even then it took a bit of warmth and swirling, etc. to bring out the true character. Mostly baking spice, graphite, some old leather/old books and forest floor on the nose. Medium-bodied on the palate. Acidity comes through on the finish. Tannin very much in the background. Pairing: grilled NY strip, baked potatoe and salad. A match made in heaven! I’d say drink it now but the fruit is still there so cellar if longer if you like. (3070 views) | | | Tasted by Michael T. Zoppo on 5/21/2023: At the River Palm Terrace. The 2010 Branaire-Ducru was a great match to the Mutton Chop. A bit reticent when first opened, it blossomed into a very elegant, supremely balanced partner. Dark fruited, lifted by acidity, a kiss of integrated oak, silky, floral, and a long finish makes me want to hunt for this one at retail… (2990 views) | | | Tasted by ronnyfridheim@gmail.com on 5/13/2023 & rated 90 points: Kraftpakke. Mørk tett. Cedertre, blekk, blyant og solbær. Lang ettersmak. Tåler nok mange år til (2721 views) | | | Tasted by chatters on 4/12/2023: Coravin fun - Caronne Ste Gemme and Branaire Ducru (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Red and black fruits, cedar, sweet spice, a little clay. Juicy, fruit still quite primary but balanced, fleshy, integrated tannins. Nice but time. (2752 views) | | | Tasted by WineSauvy on 3/27/2023 & rated 90 points: Smooth and silky with tannins shed. Felt the spice, earthy and forest floor without any real fruit. Felt closed t this stage; soemwhat woody. Would have expected a bit more zing and energy from a 2010 at 12+ years. (3085 views) | | | Tasted by Thad on 3/24/2023: Enjoy this wine with a good decant. I did not give it the time it needed
Alot there after two hours slowly opening up. It is showing age around the rim.
Next bottle i will open hours before. (2500 views) | | | Tasted by PLLU on 2/18/2023 & rated 93 points: Dark fruits, herbs and and floral tones on thd nose. Elegant and complex. This is very young and fresh and has just started to get the aging tones. (2827 views) | | | Tasted by Francophile1 on 1/6/2023 & rated 93 points: Served from a 375ml bottle with no decant. While this is still very young and just now starting to take on secondary traits, it is a superb wine with incredible balance and structure. It has all the right pieces in all the right places. It now just needs time to unwind and evolve into the beauty that it will ultimately become. You can drink it now, but I recommend a 2 hour decant as it is a tightly wound ball of energy. (3292 views) | | | Tasted by PMJak11 on 10/9/2022 & rated 90 points: Double Blind Wine Tasting. #4 ranked wine of the day. Disappointed as I love this producer and it was such a great vintage. I guessed right on the varietal but though it was an off vintage from a lower quality producer. Great nose, but stringy and medium minus depth. Fades quickly too. Maybe an off bottle? (4471 views) | | | Tasted by FrancoisD on 9/6/2022 & rated 90 points: Arômes un peu evanescents. On y dénote toutefois les mûres, les bleuets. Finale graphite. (4258 views) | | | Tasted by dagij on 8/21/2022 & rated 91 points: Several years since last bottle from my cellar. Still very young color: purple core, only slight tones of brick at the rim. Nose dominated by primary berry aromas: blackcurrant, blackberries and blueberries, but also with tones of spicy oak (coffee and vanilla). Medium to full bodied attack, then the wine expands on the palate. Fruit all the way from the start to the finish: sweet black forest berries, complemented by some sweet oaky tones. As most good 10s, the acidity is high, giving an almost citrusy freshness to the aftertaste and finish. Very good length. Serious wine. The high acidity is very pleasant with food (we had it with lamb chops), but I am a bit worried how this will evolve over the next decade. Will the acidity become even more present? Will the fruit survive the acidity? Lucky me, I have some bottles left to find out (if God will!). (4288 views) | | | Tasted by azzah on 8/16/2022 & rated 93 points: A lovely, medium bodied Cabernet. Florals and fruit on the nose. Blackcurrant and berries, some red berry action too, stony acidity, spice. If I was to criticise, it would be that I found the vanilla/custard oak a bit too prominent, although it settled more into the wine the longer it was open. The tannins have already softened significantly, although real complexity yet to come. Maybe lacks a bit of fruit depth and length for a higher score. Still, a high class wine. (4069 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Neal Martin
Vinous, Squares & Circles: Bordeaux ‘10 At Ten (Apr 2020) (4/1/2020)
(Branaire-ducru Branaire Ducru Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, Squares & Circles: Bordeaux ‘10 At Ten (Apr 2020) (4/1/2020)
(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 Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (2/12/2020)
(Ch Branaire-Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jane Anson
Decanter, Bordeaux 2010: Ten years on (1/30/2020)
(Château Branaire-Ducru, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (1/30/2020)
(Ch Branaire-Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jane Anson
Decanter, Château Branaire-Ducru vertical (12/14/2018)
(Château Branaire-Ducru, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By David Lawrason
WineAlign (12/3/2016)
(Château Branaire Ducru, Ac St Julien red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Gary Walsh
The WINEFRONT (3/30/2015)
(Chateau Branaire-Ducru) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Hemming, MW
JancisRobinson.com (11/5/2014)
(Ch Branaire-Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, May 2014 (5/1/2014)
(Château Branaire-Ducru St Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (1/23/2014)
(Ch Branaire-Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, July/August 2013, IWC Issue #169
(Chateau Branaire Ducru Saint-Julien) Subscribe to see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (4/30/2013)
(Ch Branaire-Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Sara d'Amato
WineAlign (2/5/2013)
(Château Branaire Ducru, Ac St Julien red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, November 2012 (11/1/2012)
(Château 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 Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/15/2012)
(Ch Branaire Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | The World of Fine Wine, June 2011, Issue #32
(Château Branaire-Ducru 4ème Cru) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (5/4/2011)
(Ch Branaire Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Ian D'Agata
Vinous, May/June 2011, IWC Issue #156
(Chateau Branaire Ducru Saint Julien) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, April 2011
(Chateau Branaire-Ducru (St Julien)) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Mar/Apr 2011, Issue #32, The 2010 Bordeaux Vintage: Very Ripe, Very Tannic and With Just A Few Great Successes
(Château Branaire-Ducru) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (2/17/2011)
(Ch Branaire Ducru St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Georgina Hindle
Decanter, Château Branaire-Ducru: producer profile
(Château Branaire-Ducru, Cabernet Sauvignon, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, May 2012
(Château Branaire-Ducru (St Julien)) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (1/18/2013)
(Château Branaire-Ducru) Nearly opaque red violet color; very appealing, tart black currant, tart blackberry, pencil lead nose; tasty, tart black currant, tart blackberry, pencil lead palate; medium-plus finish 93+ points 93 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and Decanter and WineAlign and The WINEFRONT and Winedoctor and The World of Fine Wine and View From the Cellar and RJonWine.com. (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). |
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