Château Branaire-Ducru 2012

Subtle oak, perfectly ripe berry fruit, easy-drinking freshness, floral aromatics; everything is spot-on in this balanced, elegant Branaire, so delicate and inspired that you already want to enjoy it at this stage – superb.

Bay leaf and tobacco notes are backed by a core of damson plum, black cherry and red currant fruit. The bay leaf edge underlines the finish, with a hint of violet and a well-buried iron accent. An elegant expression of St.-Julien. Best from 2017 through 2024. 12,083 cases made.

Lovely herb and flower scents on the nose, a signature of the estate with chocolate powder, toast, caramel, cinnamon alongside sour cherries and caramelised red berries. Round, juicy and so alive on the palate, really quite bouncy with lift, excellent acidity and a lot of liquorice spice - all nicely balanced and in its place. I love the lively and joyful start and more serious ending you have here - the two playing with each other giving texture and nuance with a sweet and savoury succulence that is so seductive. A top buy and the bottle that will empty the fastest today - wonderful drinkability!

A clean and fresh wine with blueberry, mineral and floral character. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a crisp finish. This is a very refined and beautiful Branaire. Better in 2017.

The 2012 Branaire-Ducru is a soft, forward but very pleasing Saint-Julien that is likely to offer its best drinking sooner rather than later. Sweet tobacco, wild flowers, mint and red-fleshed fruits find support in silky tannins that add to the wine's considerable appeal. The 2012 is a bit light, but all the elements are in the right place, which is a great credit to proprietor Patrick Maroteaux and his team.

This medium-bodied, classically styled, elegant wine, filled with red currant, cedar, forest leaf, herbs, and pepper, with a crunchy, earthy character, is ready to go. Drink from 2022-2035.

Nice pure fruit, red and dark berries, fine oak, good grip, juicy and rounded with ripe tannin, convincing length and balance.

Dark garnet, fairly dense at the core, ruby rim. Open bouquet, cherries and morello cherries, plum skin, cedar notes, medium intensity. On the palate, fairly aromatic, tannins slightly firm, pleasant finish. Its crumbly tannins may eventually tend toward dryness. So decant for a long time at some point. Within our group, no wine sparked more discussion than this Branaire. Somehow, everyone expected significantly more. I tasted it four times. Once at just under 17/20 and three times at a disappointing 16/20. I’m very happy to round up if it eventually shows the 17-point version.

Dark garnet, fairly full in the middle, ruby rim. Open bouquet, cherries and morello cherries, plum skin, cedar notes, medium intensity. On the palate, quite aromatic, the tannins are slightly firm, with a pleasant finish. May tend toward dryness due to its crumbly tannins. So, at some point, decant for a long time. Within our group, no wine sparked more discussion than this Branaire. Somehow, everyone expected much more. I tasted it four times. Once at just about 17/20 and three times at a disappointing 16/20. I’m happy to round up if it eventually turns out to be the 17 version.

Slender, floral bouquet, plum skins, red cherries, wood. Light to medium-bodied palate with delicate fruit, fine sandy tannins, light fruit, medium aromatics, dry finish. Can still improve. 16/20 2018 - 2032

The 2012 Branaire-Ducru is medium to deep garnet colored. It opens with notes of dried Provence herbs, damp soil, and tapenade over a core of redcurrant jelly and plum preserves. The medium-bodied palate delivers youthful black fruits with a fine-grained texture and just enough freshness, finishing with an herbal lift.

Branaire-Ducru has produced a wine of good density with solid structure and fine tannins, slightly austere, but overall well balanced and very elegant. Like all its predecessors, it will age well in bottle.

Medium garnet red. Fruity bouquet with good intensity, already very approachable on the nose. Fruity and spicy notes. On the palate, the wine is delectable, balanced, and juicy. Good aromatic expression on the palate, with healthy liveliness. It can already be approached and enjoyed, while knowing it has potential for a decade.

Logo on the capsule: inverted T (Trescases) Dark color, of normal intensity. Beautiful, delicate, fruity nose. The palate is finely pulpy and juicy, building upwards, with a sleek finish and a lovely tannin grain. Very fine, very good wine. Blend: 68% cabernet sauvignon, 24% merlot, 5% petit verdot, 3% cabernet franc.

Deep ruby/purple, with sweet cranberry, mulberry and raspberry/blueberry fruit, this is always a distinctive St.-Julien and the 2012 has managed to avoid any of the hollowness or harsh tannins that can afflict some of the Médocs. It is elegant, well-made and an outstanding effort in this vintage. Drink it over the next 15 or more years.