Château Branaire-Ducru 2023

Smoky, dark‑fruited, mineral, complex, a wine to immerse yourself in; polished tannins wrap around the fruit, lots of precision, excellent length. Another great Branaire.

The 2023 Branaire-Ducru is a real success, revealing aromas of dark berries, plums, licorice and lead pencil, subtly accented by spice. Medium- to full-bodied, seamless and layered, it is built around a vibrant, finely delineated core of fruit framed by powdery tannins, concluding with a long, perfumed and sapid finish.

Really fragrant on the nose; graphite and liquorice, dark blackcurrant and bramble fruit elements with highly charged floral aromatics. Smells rich and ripe but also clean. Precise and finessed, this has lovely energy straight away, great movement from start to finish. Juicy and supple, crunchy, with really lovely acidity, not too sharp or too tart, and fine tannins that give a beautiful frame. Not dense at all – this is streamlined but given some weight by the ripe fruit and some texture by the soft stoniness. Pretty and stylish yet still packing some power – there’s a hint of opulence, probably because they’ve used all four grapes, with Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc adding complexity. It has a bit more warmth, and a touch of sweetness, than some others that are more straight. I like this a lot, still with freshness and cool undertones. Hints of cedar and spiced mint on the finish with some graphite and wet stone too. 18 months’ ageing, 60% new oak. 13% press wine. First vintage in the new, gravity-fed cellar. 53% grand vin production. 3.63 pH. 51 hl/ha yield. 3.5% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

Espresso, cherries, blackberries, herbs, mocha, and spice already show aromatically. On the palate, the wine serves up layers of soft, sweet, pure, and racy blackberries, plums, spice, and mocha in a forward, vibrant, fresh style, with a soft, refined, flavorful finish. This is a wine that is going to age quite well, yet it will be delicious to drink with just a few years of aging. The wine blends 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc, and 3.5% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2028-2055.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, brightening on the rim. Floral, a red-berry touch, fresh cherries, a hint of cassis and lime zest underneath. Medium complexity, red-berry and fresh, delicate tannins, subtle fruit, a lively food wine, with some ageing potential.

Fine, delicate bouquet of red berries, sour cherry juice, heather, cooled rosehip tea, and tarragon. On the complex palate, it shows a silky texture, balanced acidity, and medium body. In the focused finish, this purist St. Julien narrows gracefully, very straight and tautly vinified, with delicate red-berry contours and graphite.

Bright fruits, slate-like tannins, peony florals, black tea, tobacco, and loads of St-Julien finesse. Cabernet-dominant in aromatics and fruit profile, a delicious Branaire. Yields of 53 hl/ha.

A lovely fruity nose with creaminess, attractive complexity, finesse, a three-dimensional aspect, elegance, precision, and concentrated finesse. It shows notes of creamy blackcurrant, bright boysenberry and, more subtly, pepper, combined with hints of almost roasted-fresh red berries/a Mediterranean touch to the fruit, elegant maceration accents, licorice notes, as well as fine hints of cornflower, crushed blueberry, spices, and nutmeg. The palate is fruity, beautifully delicate and silky, offering juiciness, a tangy backbone, gourmandise, elegance, an infusion-like character, and concentration. It reveals notes of juicy/concentrated blackcurrant, bright raspberry and, more subtly, juicy blackberry, combined with hints of bright small berries, as well as flickers of tobacco, toasted tones, tonka bean, cornflower, star anise, maceration, black tea, and roasted hazelnut. The tannins are elegant, precise, sapid. Lovely freshness. The attack is supple, precise, and controlled. A certain contained/controlled density. A discreet velvety feel on the finish/persistence. Very lovely length. Plushness and a beautiful mid-palate, a certain density with finesse. A subtle hint of juicy/bright cherry on the finish/persistence.

This lets aromatically expressive notes of apple wood, plum paste and black licorice splash through, with a brambly feel along the edges and cast iron running underneath, providing a solid frame. Shows ample energy and textbook AOC character. For the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2027 through 2040. 15,000 cases made, 1,500 cases imported.