Chateau Branaire Ducru 2023

JAMES SUCKLING: "This has so much lead pencil, stone and blackcurrant character, as well as blackberry. It’s medium-bodied with a solid core of fruit and a polished finish. Very classy and structured."

VINUM: "Rauchig, dunkelfruchtig, mineralisch, komplex, ein Wein zum Eintauchen; geschliffene Tannine umgarnen die Frucht, viel Präzision, hervorragende Länge. Schon wieder ein grosser Branaire."

DECANTER: "Really fragrant on the nose; graphite and liquorice, dark blackcurrant and bramble fruit elements with highly-charged floral aromatics. Smells rich and ripe but clean also. Precise and finessed, this has a lovely energy straight away, great movement and motion from start to finish. Juicy and supple, crunchy, really lovely acidity, not too sharp or too tart with fine tannins that give such a lovely frame. Not dense at all - this is streamlined but is given some weight by the ripe fruit and some texture by the soft stoniness. Pretty and stylish and still packing some power - has a tiny air of opulence about it probably because they’ve used all four grapes with Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc adding complexity. It has a bit more warmth, and a touch of sweetness, than some others which are more straight. I like this a lot, still with freshness and cool undertones. Hints of cedar and spiced mint on the finish with some graphite and wet stone too. 18 months ageing, 60% new oak. 13% press wine. First vintage in the new, gravity-fed cellar. 53% grand vin production. 3.63pH. 51hl/ha yield. 3.5% Petit Verdot completes the blend."

WEINWISSER: "Feingliedriges, zartes rotbeeriges Bouquet, Schattenmorellensaft, Heidekraut, erkalteter Hagebuttentee und Estragon. Am komplexen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, balancierter Rasse und mittlerem Körper. Im gebündelten Finale verschlankt sich der puristische St. Julien, sehr geradlinig und straff vinifiziert, zarte rotbeerige Konturen und Graphit."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Located just across from Château Beychevelle, the 2023 Château Branaire-Ducru reveals a dense ruby/purple hue as well as absolute classic notes of red and blue fruits, spring flowers, sappy, and cedarwood. It's medium to full-bodied, has a supple, layered, elegant mouthfeel, remarkable purity, and ultra-fine tannins. It's one hell of a classy, balanced 2023 that will have 20+ years of prime drinking."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Showing a depth in the color, aromatically, the wine exudes blackberries, plums, charcoal, tobacco, black currants, cinnamon, and flowers in the perfume. Palate-wise, the wine is perfectly balanced between its silky textures and vibrant acidities. The finish is soft, polished, refined, and flavorful, leaving you with hints of turmeric, chocolate, and sweet, black currants. This is clearly a top vintage of Branaire Ducru! The length of the harvest, with the extra hang time, gave the team the chance to pick when they wanted to. 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. 13.1% ABV, 3.63 pH. The harvest took place September 12 - October 4. Yields were large at 53 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2028-2060."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2023 Branaire-Ducru has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with classy aromas of dark berries, plums, pencil shavings and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, cool and layered palate that's seamless, complete and enveloping, with terrific depth and vibrancy of fruit, refined tannins and a long, suave finish. At 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc and 3.5% Petit Verdot, it's almost the same blend as the 2022, though at 13.1% alcohol and a pH of 3.63, it's more classically proportioned. Harvest began on September 12 and dragged on through October 4, parcel by parcel, with the vintage's healthy yields meaning the team could use their new winery, equipped with 63 smaller tanks, to keep all those components separate."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Floral, rotbeeriger Touch, frische Kirschen, ein Hauch von Cassis und Limettenzesten ist unterlegt. Mittlere Komplexität, rotbeerig und frisch, zarte Tannine, dezente Fruchtsüße, ein lebendiger Speisenbegleiter, verfügt über Entwicklungspotenzial."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2023 Branaire-Ducru is deep garnet-purple in color. It reveals fragrant scents of crushed blackcurrants, Morello cherries, and lavender oil, giving way to hints of graphite, tar, and aniseed. The medium-bodied palate delivers a good amount of black berry flavors, with savory accents and ripe, grainy tannins to support, finishing with an herbal lift."