Château Branas Grand Poujeaux 2017

The 2017 Branas Grand Poujeaux is composed of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps with cassis, blackberry preserves, redcurrant jelly and black pepper scents plus hints of fallen leaves and cumin seed. Medium-bodied, the muscular black fruit is supported by firm, chewy tannins, and it finishes on a savory note.

Aromas of blueberry and cassis here with light herbs and some oak spice adding interest. The palate is succulent and juicy with a smooth, layered build of fine tannin. Drink or hold.

The 2017 Branas Grand Poujeaux is heady and exotic in the glass, with tons of super-ripe dark fruit—bold, luscious and super-expressive in its dark red/purplish fruit, chocolate, spice and leather. I would prefer to drink it now and over the next handful of years, while the wine remains luscious and vinous. This is an especially bold, potent style, but it works well. Tasted two times.

Crisp, bright and juicy, the wine offers licorice and earthy accents to the dynamic cassis, which permeates the nose and the palate.

Deep dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening, dark berry confit, a hint of precious wood, nuances of blackberry confit, delicate orange zest. Complex, juicy, dark cherries, firm, round tannins, chocolatey touch, persistent, with length and a certain ageing potential.

An outstanding effort that’s well worth seeking out, the 2017 Chateau Branas Grand Poujeaux comes from an 11.35-hectare vineyard near the town of Moulis-en-Medoc and is 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot, raised in 60% new barrels. It has a more modern style in its ripe cassis and black cherry fruits and is medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, and leans on its ripe, sexy fruit. It’s a beautiful wine and I suspect will be a great value as well. Drink bottles any time over the coming 10-12 years.

Kunz barrel sample 18: (50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot) Silky, spicy, powerful bouquet, blackberry, licorice, cassis, nougat. Balanced, full, aromatic palate with a densely interwoven structure, powerful, refined aromatics, plenty of fine tannin, velvety fruit, long, fresh finish.

(50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot) Velvety, spicy, powerful bouquet, blackberries, licorice, cassis, nougat. Balanced, full and aromatic palate with a tightly knit structure, pronounced, refined aromatics, plenty of fine tannins, velvety fruit, long, fresh finish. 18/20 2024 - 2045

A blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Branas Grand Poujeaux has a deep garnet color. It is a little closed to start, unfurling to offer fragrant notes of black raspberries, kirsch, and juicy blackberries, followed by wafts of tar, roses, and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the palate is refreshing, bright and breezy, delivering fine-grained tannins and a lively line, finishing with a quiet intensity.

Dense garnet red with purple highlights. Branas’s bouquet is marked by freshness and Cabernet Sauvignon. Notes of pepper, blackcurrant, and blackberry. On the palate, the wine is tasty, juicy, and endowed with smooth, fine-grained tannins. A pleasant wine with both flesh and muscle. A fine success.

92–94. Barrel Sample. Dense and concentrated, this wine has great richness, spice, sweet tannins and layers of opulent black fruits. It will be ready to drink relatively soon, so enjoy from 2022.