2021 Château Branaire-Ducru
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Tasting notes
Tasted blind. Rather dull garnet. Light nose. Chunky tannins. Definitely made for the long term. But not too tart. (JR)
Critic scores
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc and 5.5% Petit Verdot. Fairly deep crimson. Very St-Julien in terms of balance with some savour and much more integrated than many 2021s. Not a long-distance player but nicely balanced, like the two succeeding vintages. Glossy. Lovely texture. A very good 2021. (JR)
Ripe black cherries, leafy underbrush, cedar, and some earthy notes all emerge from the 2021 Château Branaire-Ducru, a more medium-bodied, focused, leaner Saint-Julien that still has ripe tannins and good density. Give it a few years, and if it gains a touch of weight, it might ultimately end up warranting another point or so. The blend is two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
The 2021 Branaire Ducru, one of the smallest crops in recent years (32.5hL/ha) was bottled in early June. It has a clean and precise bouquet: blackberry, cedar, light pencil box scents and just a faint touch of undergrowth. It's certainly classic in style, yet displays more precision than you would have found in a Branaire a decade ago. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. Again, black fruit comes to the fore—graphite-infused black fruit, with a little more salinity than I recall from barrel. There’s a pleasing strictness here; the 2021 is linear, without the frills of the 2019 or 2020. Yet for those seeking traditional claret, this will fit the bill perfectly. Drink it over the next 20-25 years.
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.