2012 Branaire Ducru
Buying options
Tasting notes
Branaire is always one of the more aromatic St Juliens and this year is no exception. This is fresh and quite pretty on the nose with soft, quite sweet berry fruit. Quite silky in texture with well integrated oak. FINE+RARE
Critic scores
Average Score
FINE+RARE
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Mid garnet. Correct, much broader, more intricate nose than most of the other (cheaper) wines in this tasting. Satisfying wine that is not heavy, is sweet but not overripe and is drinking very well in 2023. (JR)
The 2012 Branaire-Ducru has a rather subdued bouquet compared to its peers and lacks the same joire de vivre as the 2012 Clos du Marquis. The palate is medium-bodied with a light grip on the entry, finely balanced with admirable purity. It suggests that the aromatics might be amidst a dumb phase because there is more brightness towards the finish. Tasted blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.
About the producer
This Fourth Growth estate, just a stone’s throw from the wide expanse of the Gironde estuary, has been revitalised under the stewardship of former banker and businessman Patrick Maroteaux, who purchased the property in 1988.