Jamessuckling.com 93 / 100 byJames Sucklingthe2/16/2017 This is a slightly shy mid-weight wine that is anything but a flashy one. If you have some patience though it has plenty of subtlety and sophistication. Drink in 2021.
Vinous 93 / 100 byAntonio Gallonithe2/6/2017 The 2014 Branaire Ducru is soft, polished and super-inviting. Succulent red cherry, plum, lavender, spice and mint give the wine its attractive, open-knit personality, while silky tannins add to an overall impression of sensuality. The 2014 should drink well with minimal cellaring. Today, it is among the most accessible of the Saint-Juliens.
Wine Enthusiast 94 / 100 byRoger Vossthe2/2/2017 Spicy, rich and full of ripe fruit, this wine has great potential. It is structured and dense while bringing out a stylish elegance. Blackberry fruit dominates the tannins to create a wine that has both concentration and fine fruit. Drink from 2022.
Wine Spectator 93 / 100 the1/4/2017 Very pure and expressive, featuring lovely violet and cassis aromas and flavors that stream forth, backed by light anise and graphite hints. Maintains a fresh feel through the finish, with light minerality engaging with the fruit. Best from 2019 through 2028.—J.M.
Le Point 17 / 20 byJacques Dupontthe5/21/2015 Fruits noirs, mûre, réglisse, bouche douce, pulpeuse, fraîche, élégante, droite, cerise burlat, charnu et souple. De l’éclat, belle présence aromatique et des tanins pulpeux.
Vinous 91-94 / 100 byAntonio Gallonithe5/11/2015 The 2014 Branaire Ducru is beautifully textured in the glass. Lavender, plum, mint and spice open up nicely in the glass. Initially quite dense and powerful, the 2014 turns more floral and lifted over time. Sweet red cherry, graphite, violet and licorice add further shades of dimension on the finish. Creamy, silky tannins add to an overall impression of sophistication. The style is round, supple and quite giving, even at this early stage. Tasted three times.
The Wine Cellar Insider 92-93 / 100 byJeff Levethe5/5/2015 With the blossoms of a black raspberry bramble with a quick sift of white pepper, mocha and earth in the perfume, this wine is all about its elegant tannins, the finesse, freshness and purity of the sweet black and crisp, spicy red fruits. Produced from a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The wine reached 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.63. 92-93 Pts
Wine Advocate 90-92 / 100 byNeal Martinthe4/30/2015 The Château Branaire-Ducru is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc picked between 24 September with the early-ripening Merlot, and finishing on 11 October. The yields came in at 40 hectoliters per hectare and Patrick Maratoux explained the importance of waiting for the correct maturity of each parcel. It has a tightly wound bouquet with black cherries and orange peel aromas, focused if not quite as complex as say, Château Beychevelle. The palate is medium-bodied, sinewy in the mouth with tensile tannins. This is a wine that seems to be making a huge effort in this vintage, but I would like to see more finesse manifested on the finish by the time it is in bottle. You know, I think that will develop. That 12 to 13% vin de presse lends this Branaire Ducru impressive sustain on the finish and I suspect that it will coalesce throughout the barrel ageing in two-thirds new oak (though the sample shown at the château was 100% new oak).
Asian Palate 88 / 100 byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe4/20/2015 This Branaire-Ducru is solid and balanced with plum, blackberry and firm tannins. Tannins are quite elevated and several years in bottle will be necessary before it is ready to drink. Well made sound wine with balance and supple texture.
Decanter.com 17,25 / 20 bySteven Spurrierthe4/17/2015 Very well-expressed ripe Cabernet fruit with elegant structure and good length. Never showy at the start of its life, this is a classic Branaire that needs to age. Drink: 2019-2030 (90+)
Jancis Robinson 16 / 20 byJancis Robinsonthe4/16/2015 Dark crimson. Energetic nose. Fairly light palate without that much concentration. Round, with less tannic charge than most. Serviceable. A little scrawny on the finish. Drink 2022-2030 (16+)
Jamessuckling.com 92-93 / 100 byJames Sucklingthe4/10/2015 This really builds on the palate with round and velvety tannins and a juicy, savory finish. Layered and complex. Shows real potential.
René Gabriel 18 / 20 byRené Gabrielthe4/1/2015 Sattes Purpur-Granat, dicht in der Mitte, lila Schimmer aussen. Selten hatte ein Branaire beim Primeur eine so dunkle Farbe. Reifes Bouquet, fast eine rahmige Fülle anzeigend, die Frucht suggeriert Holunder und Cassisnoten. Im Gaumen fest, ausgeglichene Adstringenz, tolles Rückaroma. Es gibt heuer nur ganz wenige Grand Crus, welche deren eigene Leistung der Jahre 2010 mit dem 2014er toppen. Ich setze diesen genial gelungenen Branaire mit Überzeug auf seine hohe Wertung. Das wäre dann auch das Ende einer langen Nichteinkaufsdurststrecke. 18/20 2024 – 2048
Wine Enthusiast 95 / 100 byRoger Vossthe4/1/2015 94–96. Barrel Sample. Dark tannins over black plum skins dominate this wine. It has a rich concentration both of tannin and fruit, giving a wonderful array of aromas and flavors as well as the structure for aging. — R.V. (4/1/2015)
Wine Spectator 91-94 / 100 byJames Molesworththe3/31/2015 Focused and a touch austere for now, with a charcoal edge to the core of black currant and steeped fig fruit. Tobacco and bramble notes check in on the finish, andthere's solid acidity in reserve. Well-built and should evolve nicely.