Château Branaire-Ducru 2021

Subtly smoky, with tobacco and herbal spice, the wine shows a slender, fresh palate, good-quality tannins, delicate fruit, and floral aftertones. A wine of breed and precision.

The 2021 Branaire-Ducru has realized all the potential it showed en primeur. Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, plums, menthol, violets and baking chocolate, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and suave, with a velvety attack that segues into a deep, fleshy palate. This is especially impressive in the context of the vintage.

Restrained in style, with mulled plum and black currant fruit lined with charcoal and cast iron notes. The focused finish is on the pleasantly austere side of the spectrum. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2031. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 11,500 cases made, 1,200 cases imported.

Green peppercorns, menthol and slightly herbal aspects on the nose. Smooth and silky, a shot of bright, high acidity with a balancing creamy touch to the texture. Tannins are barely there, but they do provide the frame that nicely carries the flavours. Really charming and fruity, great energy if not masses of weight and depth. Clean and precise fruit expression. A great effort in 2021.

The plum, chocolate and orange-peel aromas and flavors are all so attractive, and the tannins are creamy and bright with a medium velvety texture and a fine finish. Nice acidity at the end. A blend of 66% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, 6.5% cabernet franc and 5.5% petit verdot. Very drinkable now but will be better in two or three years.

66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 5.5% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Open and aromatic on the nose with savoury and dark-fruit notes. Supple and fleshy on the palate. Lacks a bit of density but there’s a structure well in place. Competent rather than stirring. (JL)

The 2021 Branaire Ducru, one of the smallest crops in recent years (32.5 hL/ha), was bottled in early June. It has a clean and precise bouquet: blackberry, cedar, light pencil box scents and just a faint touch of undergrowth. It’s certainly classic in style, yet shows more precision than you would have found in a Branaire a decade ago. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. Again, black fruit comes to the fore—graphite-infused black fruit, with a little more salinity than I recall from barrel. There’s a pleasing strictness here; the 2021 is linear, without the frills of 2019 or 2020. Yet for those seeking traditional claret, this will fit the bill perfectly. Drink it over the next 20–25 years.

Dark ruby garnet colour with purple reflections, subtle ochre rim. Fresh plums, dark cherries, delicate notes of tobacco, candied orange zest, some milk chocolate. Medium complexity, some nougat, cherries, ripe tannins, mineral and persistent, only medium length at the moment, dries out a little.

Ripe black cherries, leafy underbrush, cedar, and some earthy notes all emerge from the 2021 Château Branaire-Ducru, a more medium-bodied, focused, leaner Saint-Julien that still has ripe tannins and good density. Give it a few years, and if it gains a touch of weight, it might ultimately end up warranting another point or so. The blend is two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Kunz 2022 barrel sample: (66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 5.5% Petit Verdot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 32 hl/ha, 13% alc. vol., production 130,000 bottles) Floral, sweet bouquet, cassis, cherries, damsons, light tobacco. Medium-bodied, refined palate with sweet fruit, good tannins, finely firm structure, spicy aromatics, fresh finish.

(66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 5.5% Petit Verdot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 32 hl/ha, 13% alc./vol., production 130,000 bottles) Floral, sweet bouquet, cassis, cherries, plums, light tobacco. Medium-bodied, refined palate with sweet fruit, good tannins, a finely firm structure, spicy aromatics, and a fresh finish. 17/20 2028 - 2045

Bright, a little slim through the mid-palate, but carefully expressed and finessed with appellation character, very much savoury Cabernet rose petals and cassis bud, with pencil lead and crayon character on the finish. 32 hl/ha yield, 50% new oak. Tasted twice.

The 2021 Branaire-Ducru is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a lot of coaxing to reveal notes of fresh blackberries, blackcurrants, and pencil shavings, plus hints of bay leaves and crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate has a sturdy frame with grainy tannins and compelling tension, finishing on a savory note.

There is still a subtle touch of oak ageing on this wine with lovely refinement, still a little tight but with potential, supported by very elegant, fine tannins. We have full confidence in its future.

An open, welcoming nose with aromas of dark fruit and slate, as easy to read as a book. On the palate, the dark fruit returns with invigorating energy, accompanied by sapid floral notes. The finish is tasty and minty, with pleasantly gripping tannins, offering a silky, melting texture that is deeply soothing.

Branaire-Ducru shows a linear, precise character. Everything is well in place in this wine. The bouquet reveals hints of garrigue, licorice, and red berries, giving a through-line focused on freshness. Supported by velvety tannins, the wine is elegant and fine, while offering a certain breadth. It will be approachable in its youth while offering good ageing potential.

Beautiful dark color. Very aromatic nose with ripe, subtle, and even perfumed fruit. Delicate on entry, very fruity mid-palate, with a tannic structure present this year yet nuanced; the wine develops with savory depth, length, and sap, leading to a very aromatic finish. Blend: 66% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, 5.5% petit verdot, 6.5% cabernet franc.

Fresh, vibrant, elegant, and almost discreet, the wine is classic in style, in a good way. The nose, with its display of flowers, tobacco, cherries, kirsch, and hints of cocoa, shines with little effort. The medium-bodied palate, with its profile of sweet, ripe, red cherries, comes along with gentle accents of leafy herbs, cocoa, espresso, and soft-textured plums. The wine drinks well young, yet can age and develop for 2 decades. The blend is 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, and 5.5% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2025–2050.