Château Branaire Ducru - Saint-Julien 2013

Wine Advocate

87 / 100

par Neal Martin le 28/10/2016

The 2013 Branaire-Ducru did not particularly impress when I tasted it from barrel. Now in bottle, it feels anonymous, a little dusty on the nose and there is an aromatic hole where the fruit ought to be. Enervated? The palate is medium-bodied with more weight than the nose suggests, but it is very conservative and feels light and ephemeral towards the finish that needs more substance. This Saint Julien estate has overseen better wines than the 2013 in recent years.

Wine Spectator

90 / 100

le 31/03/2016

Jamessuckling.com

91 / 100

par James Suckling le 15/02/2016

Some currant and cooked plum character, underlying dried flowers. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a fresh finish. Balanced and pretty. Drink now.

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

par Robert Parker le 29/08/2014

The dense ruby/purple-colored 2013 Branaire Ducru reveals a floral, blueberry and raspberry-scented nose that leans toward the bluer/redder fruit spectrum indicative of a cooler year. The tannins are sweet; the wine is medium-bodied; and the texture is impressive in this pure, long effort. It should drink well for 10-12 years.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

87-89 / 100

par Stephen Tanzer le 16/05/2014

Saturated medium ruby.  Spicy blackberry, espresso, cedar, flowers and a whiff of green coffee bean on the nose.  Tight, minerally and high-pitched on the palate, with blackberry, spice and coffee flavors nicely carried by smooth tannins and brisk acidity.  Offers noteworthy intensity and flavor interest for a 2013, but finishes with green notes emerging.  Tasted from three different bottles on two different days, with very similar notes.

timatkin.com

93 / 100

par Tim Atkin MW le 07/05/2014

A rare example of a wine that was markedly better in 2013 than 2012, this blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc is perfumed, concentrated and finely balanced with granular tannins and a flourish of acidity.

matthewjukes.com

16,5 / 20

par Matthew Jukes le 23/04/2014

(63 Cabernet Sauvignon, 31 Merlot, 5 Petit Verdot, 1 Cabernet Franc) 60% new oak. Quite silky and smooth and the fruit seems more focussed and also more expressive than many. The oak sits in the background and the fruit is layered and classy. It could do with more control because it drifts away a little on the finish.

Vinous

80-83 / 100

par Antonio Galloni le 18/04/2014

The 2013 Branaire Ducru is reduced in its aromatics and burly on the palate, both of which suggest a raw, unpolished wine that may not be fully formed just yet. The rough, angular tannins are just too much to get past at this stage. Perhaps my sample was not representative.

My Bettane + Desseauve

16,5 / 20

le 15/04/2014

Frais, élégant, racé, type classique de Saint-Julien, devrait parfaitement s’étoffer avec le temps en barrique.

Wine Advocate

86-88 / 100

par Neal Martin le 15/04/2014

The Château Branaire Ducru 2013, a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc picked between 30 September and 15 October cropped at 33hl/ha. Patrick Maroteaux told me that the older vines did not suffer so much from coulure. I tasted the wines on three occasions, once at the château and twice elsewhere. It has a simple bouquet with light, slightly herbaceous black fruit laced with graphite, not dissimilar to that of Beychevelle. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins. There is just a little coarseness in this Branaire Ducru, a little angular at the moment although it has a little more persistency than Beychevelle with the graphite note lending it a Pauillac-like sensibility, though it cuts off very abruptly. This is a decent, honest Branaire Ducru made in a classic off-dry style but it desperately needs more substance.

Decanter.com

17 / 20

par Steven Spurrier le 14/04/2014

Fine deep colour and fine vineyard expression, good depth, balance and class for  the future.

Jamessuckling.com

91-92 / 100

par James Suckling le 08/04/2014

A juicy young wine with berry, cherry and currant character. Medium to full body with well-integrated tannins and a juicy finish. Pure and delicious. Very well done.      

Wine Enthusiast

91-93 / 100

par Roger Voss le 03/04/2014

Full of ripe fruit, this is a fine and rich wine. It has a good balance between fresh acidity and sweet berry fruit. With its bold structure, this is a wine for aging.

Wine Spectator

89-92 / 100

par James Molesworth le 03/04/2014

An elegant, floral style of St.-Julien, with violet and lilac notes out front, followed by rooibos tea, red currant and bitter cherry flavors. The long, stony finish has ample acidity and drive. This should develop into a charmer.—J.M.