2021 Chateau Branaire Ducru - 4eme Cru Classe St. Julien

Decanter.com – 94 pts – GH: *Purple and pink flowers on the nose, sweet strawberries and cherries and some milk chocolate notes. Delicate and poised on the palate, this has an air of elegance and refinement from the first sip, the sleek tannins giving support and a fine grip while the herbal Cabernet and Petit Verdot touches give spice, bright summer berry fruit and tension. This has a good core and persistence of flavour that doesn't let up, not weighty of particularly dense, but well defined and focussed. Stylish and glamorous in the best way while being understated - a difficult feat in 2021. Totally moreish and just so well constructed and delivered. A top wine! You get energy and precision here but it's the understated character I like so much, it just grows and grows quietly and then leaves you with the lingering impression of the beauty of St-Julien.* - 04/2022

Falstaff Magazin – 91 pts – PM: *Dunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Feine Brombeerfrucht, frische schwarze Kirschen, zart nach Cassis und Edelholz. Frisch und saftig, rote Kirschen, gut integrierte Tannine, mineralisch im Abgang, verfügt über Reifepotenzial.* - 05/2022

Vinum Magazin – 18/20 pts: *Besonders verführerische, blumige Aromatik; feingliederiger, schlanker, finessenreicher Wein mit ellenlangem, sehnig fruchtigem Ausklang, perfekt ausbalanciert, wird zu einem besonders harmonischen, erfrischen liebenswürdigen Wein heranreifen.*

WeinWisser – 17,5+/20pts – GL, TW: *66 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 22 % Merlot, 6,5 % Cabernet Franc, 5,5 % Petit Verdot. Filigran rotbeeriges Bouquet, Schattenmorelle, Himbeergelee, ein Hauch Thymian und zartes Veilchenparfüm. Am mittleren Gaumen weiche Textur, stützende Rasse, fein nervig, körniges Extrakt und asketischer Körper. Im gebündelten Finale Preiselbeersaft, Tabakblatt und fein sandige Adstringenz. Hat bewusst einen klassischen Weg gewählt und kann noch zulegen.* – 04/2022

JancisRobinson.com – 16/20pts – JL: *66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 5.5% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Open and aromatic on the nose with savoury and dark-fruit notes. Supple and fleshy on the palate. Lacks a bit of density but there’s a structure well in place. Competent rather than stirring.* - 04/2022

Vinous.com – (93-95) pts – AG: *The 2021 Branaire-Ducru is sleek, elegant and nuanced. There is more Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in the blend than in the 2018-2020 period, when the Merlots were especially successful. As a result, the aromatics are absolutely alluring, but the wine is much less forthcoming on the palate. At 12.9% alcohol, the 2021 is a classically austere Branaire that looks like it will need quite a bit of time to blossom. It is undoubtedly a very pretty wine, even if not fully expressive at this stage. Dark cherry, plum, chocolate, leather and rose petal linger. Tasted three times.* - 04/2022

Vinous.com – (91-93) pts – NM: *The 2021 Branaire Ducru was picked from September 24, albeit slowly, until October 14, at 32hL/ha. It has quite an intense, dare I say precocious bouquet of bold brambly red fruit that eventually settles in the glass and turns darker. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit and a touch of black pepper and tobacco. Quite a marine-influenced Saint-Julien, it fans out gradually toward the finish and exerts a gentle grip. Though not quite reaching the heights of recent vintages, it represents a true articulation of the growing season and of Branaire-Ducru itself.* - 04/2022

Thewinecellarinsider.com – (92-94) pts – JL: *Flowers and black raspberries with black and red currants open the wine in the nose. The wine is medium-bodied, fresh, sweet, juicy and pure. Classic in style, this is going to be approchable early, so you will be able to enjoy all the ripe, elegant, cherries, plums and peppery currants without a long wait. Yet, the wine will age for 2 decades ore more easily. The wine is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc and 5.5% Petit Verdot, 13% ABV, 3.68 pH. The harvest took place September 24, finishing October 14. The yields were low at 32 hectoliters per hectare and from there, roughly 60% of the harvest was placed into the Grand Vin. Drink from 2024-2050.* - 05/2022