Château Branaire Ducru - Saint-Julien 2009

Wine Advocate

92 / 100

byNeal Martinthe1/1/2013

Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. The Branaire Ducru '09 seems more forward than other wines, a touch of VA informing the sweet red fruits. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly jammy redcurrant and cranberry fruit laced with soy. The finish is missing some of the tension and purity of its peers although it appears to meliorate in the glass. Tasted January 2013.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

93 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe7/31/2012

Bright, deep ruby. Superripe, brooding aromas of black cherry, bitter chocolate and licorice. Sweet, concentrated and fine-grained, with terrific depth to the plush cassis and coffee liqueur flavors. Serious dusty, fine tannins will not stand in the way of early approachability but this wine has the structure for a 20+-year life in bottle. 93(+?) points

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/28/2012

Haute couture becomes a wine! This dense purple wine has the tell-tale notes of flowers and pencil shavings, and its broad aromatics are intense and totally captivating. Powerful, rich, and full, but less tannic than the 2005 and more opulent, this is a dazzling Branaire to drink between 2017-2035.

Jamessuckling.com

95 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/15/2012

Gorgeous aromas of dark berries and wet earth, with hints of graphite. Full body, with juicy, chewy tannins and a long rich, fruity, and succulent finish. Best ever from here. Try in 2019.

La Revue du Vin de France

18 / 20

the1/31/2012

Superbe corps, fruit opulent et généreux, tanins nobles. Il a tout pour évoluer parfaitement. Une réussite majeure.

Wine Spectator

93 / 100

byJames Molesworththe1/11/2012

A ripe, chewy, muscular style, with good cut despite the hefty tar, blackberry, roasted fig and singed apple wood notes. The long, anise-stained finish lets the tarry edge play out, though this shows a touch more finesse than some of its colleagues. Best from 2015 through 2025. -J.M

Falstaff

90-92 / 100

byPeter Moserthe9/23/2010

Zart vegetal-blättrig, Orangenzesten, rotbeerige Frucht, feine Kräuterwürze, Feigen. Frisch, präsente Tannine, zart schokoladige Nuancen, wirkt etwas verkapselt, lebendiger zitroniger Nachhall.

Le Figaro

94-96 / 100

byBernard Burtschythe6/30/2010

Robe sombre. Nez superbe de fruits rouges. En bouche, le vin est souple et suave, d’une grande longueur, les tannins sont fins, le tout est harmonieux. Du niveau des immenses 2005 ou 2000, entre autres.

timatkin.com

93 / 100

byTim Atkin MWthe6/30/2010

13.55% alcohol. 65CS, 28M, 4PV, 3CF Often over-shadowed by other St Juliens, Brainaire-Ducru generally makes wines that are supremely drinkable. Don’t interpret this as faint praise, because this four-way blend is packed with fruit, has silky tannins and carries its oak lightly. Yet another enjoyable St Julien. 10+ years.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

92-95 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe6/30/2010

Inky purple. Grapey, floral nose offers the full Branaire spectrum of sexy ripe black cherry, Oriental spice, dark chocolate and coconut aromas. Enters very bright, with rich, dense flavors of red cherry and pomegranate juice, then finishes impressively long and pure, with a lovely hint of fresh blackberry. The wine's lively acids give it great precision and extend its flavors on the aromatic aftertaste. The wine's youthfully aggressive tannins will greatly repay cellaring, and I expect this wine to age effortlessly for the next few decades. I recently had the amazing 1928 Branaire, and though I don't think this '09 will ever reach the heights of that wine, it may be pretty close.

Vinifera

4 / 5

the5/31/2010

Très joli nez, assez intense, sur des notes de fruits noirs avec une touche florale d'une grande élégance. Il associe à merveille le caractère très mûr du millésime et une fraîcheur d'expression, tandis que la finale met en évidence une remarquable trame aux tanins élégants et juteux.

La Revue du Vin de France

17,5-18,5 / 20

the5/26/2010

Très "Saint-Julien" dans son esprit, avec une sensualité de bouche incroyable, un soyeux de tanins et un fruit délicieux. Un modèle d'équilibre et de droiture, avec un fruit vibrant qui exprime beaucoup de fraôcheur et de suavité. Délicieux, il est d'ores et déjà irrésistible.

Le Point

17 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/6/2010

Fruits noirs, réglisse, Zan, bouche moelleuse, belle qualité de tanins en milieu de bouche, beaucoup de douceur, suave, velouté, bonne matière, pas mal de tanins mais fondus. Beaucoup de fruit, cerise burlat. O=2016 G=25 ans

TAST

18 / 20

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/30/2010

L’échantillon le plus policé des grands quatrièmes crus classés de Saint-Julien, délivrant une très grande matière mais parfaitement contrôlée dans l’extraction du tanin, beaucoup de diversité aromatique (on pourrait même ici utiliser le mot chatoiement). Une superbe réussite dans un millésime de référence.

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2010

Tasted at the château and at the UGC. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, some of the Merlot (28%) plots reached 14.8%, the overall alcohol is 13.55% and pH 3.53. The Petit Verdot (4%) had very high quality tannins with good finesse, and 3% from old Cabernet Franc. A bright garnet core. The nose is well defined, quite elegant, but perhaps showing a little tighter than other Saint Juliens. Blackberry, a touch of cedar, like at Ducru, just a faint scent of the Gironde estuary and then with time, just a faint hint of griottes. The palate is full-bodied, nice grippy tannins, a little edgier than Ducru, a touch my sharpness and the acidity is racier. Good structure, a touch more rigid at this stage but that will melt by the time of bottling. A saline touch towards the finish interwoven with a citric thread. Good length. This is a Saint Julien standing to attention on parade. Hopefully it will stand at ease by bottling. Tasted March 2010.

Wine Enthusiast

92-94 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/30/2010

Wood dominant, smooth tannins and an open, generous texture. This is ripe and full in the mouth.

Wein Wisser

18 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe4/30/2010

Tiefes, sattes Purpur, Granatschimmer am Rand. Herrliches Veilchenbouquet mit blauen Früchten unterlegt, schöner Zeder- und Vanillehauch, elegant und relativ schlank im ersten Ansatz. Saftiger Gaumen, fast tänzerisch auf der noch etwas pikanten Zunge, rote Pflaumenschalen, wirkt insgesamt eher leichtgewichtig und braucht noch Barrique-Unterstützung, um etwas mehr «Body» zu erlangen. Patrick Marroteau sucht in seinen Weinen Frische, Frucht und Eleganz. Hier ist alles davon vorhanden. Im Vergleich zu den anderen St.- Julien-Boliden wirkt der Branaire recht leicht. Die 18/20 muss er sich erst noch verdienen. 2017–2035

Jean-Marc QUARIN

16,5 / 20

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/30/2010

Couleur sombre, intense, belle. Nez fin, fruité, floral et subtil. Il sent aussi les fruits noirs ce qui est rare à Branaire. Entrée en bouche pleine et le vin se développe juteux, sur un corps tendre et pulpeux avec toujours un peu de retenue en milieu de bouche. Finale longue, à la tannicité présente et toujours bien couverte par le fruit. Très bonne persistance, assez parfumée.

Wine Advocate

92-95 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/28/2010

Only time will tell whether the 2009, another great effort from Branaire, will eclipse the 2005 and 2003. Certainly at 13.6% alcohol it is the most powerful Branaire ever made, and the final blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot showcases what a great vintage 2009 is for Cabernet Sauvignon. An inky/blue/purple color is followed by raspberry, boysenberry, crushed rock, graphite, and floral notes, and an opaque, broad, dense, substantial, impressively structured wine without any hardness. It requires 4-5 years of cellaring, and should last four decades or more. (Tasted two times.) Drink 2014-2054

Periodic Review of Wine

92-94 / 100

byAlan Duranthe4/28/2010

Top quality is the norm at Branaire Ducru which delivers in each vintage. The 2009 is reminiscent of the 2003 and perhaps 2005 and 2006. It is a full-throttled, rich St-Julien of amazing appeal. Its color boasts a saturated purple followed by irresistible fragrances of caramel, white chocolate, cherry/blueberry liquer, and crème brûlée. This is loaded with beautiful richness and an expansive, rounded, pure finish that provides impeccable length, clean-edges, and seamlessness. It is certainly a full-bodied, dense, and lavish offering from Patrick Maroteaux. Maturity period 2016-2033.(92-94+)

Wine Spectator

92-95 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/9/2010

Aromas of blueberry, dried citrus fruit and currant. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a long, long finish. Structured and tannic, but sweet fruit behind.

Decanter Magazine

17.5 / 20

bySteven Spurrierthe4/9/2010

Deep purple red, fragrant and precisely expressed Cabernet cassis, lovely depth of natural ripeness, a finely textured wine, already elegant and will age well. Drink 2015-28.

Jancis Robinson

16,5 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/7/2010

Dark crimson with a pale rim. Very light nose with a rather unwelcome note of coconut. Sweet start and very fondu. Just a little simple but lusciously so. I am perhaps looking a gift horse in the mouth here – though the tannins on the finish are pretty rustic. If this were sold at an attractive price it would please many. Some real succulence. (16.5+) Drink 2017-2027