2023 Château Branaire-Ducru
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Tasting notes
This feels a little raw at this youthful stage, with bright fruit. It’s juicy on the palate, not as concentrated as some 2023s, with a herbaceous edge. With air, hints of florals and tobacco emerge – but this needs time to all come together. It has 13.1% alcohol, with a yield of 53hl/ha. Blend: 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc, 3.5% Petit Verdot
Critic scores
James Suckling
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
A blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc, and 3.5% Petit Verdot aged 18 months in 60% new French oak, the 2023 Château Branaire-Ducru offers terrific aromatics of pure cassis, graphite, lots of leafy herbs, violets, and spicy wood on the nose. Medium-bodied on the palate, it has good concentration, ripe, polished tannins, and nicely integrated acidity. Balanced and complex, with outstanding length, it's very much in the style of this classic, ripe, more medium-bodied vintage. It will benefit from 2-4 years in the cellar and have 25 years of overall longevity. Drink 2028-2051.
The 2023 Branaire-Ducru is a very pretty, delicate wine. Floral and gracious, the 2023 is an understated, classy Saint-Julien. It offers lovely understated depth and fine overall balance. Crushed red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, mint, blood orange, cinnamon and white pepper all grace this soft, open-knit Branaire. It will be interesting to see if this gains weight with time in bottle. Today, my impression is that yields of 53 hectoliters per hectare, on the high side, are especially marked.
Espresso, cherries, blackberries, herbs, mocha, and spice already show aromatically. On the palate, the wine serves up layers of soft, sweet, pure, and racy blackberries, plums, spice, and mocha in a forward, vibrant, fresh style, with a soft, refined, flavorful finish. This is a wine that is going to age quite well, yet it will be delicious to drink with just a few years of aging. The wine blends 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc, and 3.5% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2028-2055.
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.