2013 Château Branaire-Ducru
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Tasting notes
The 2013 Branaire-Ducru has ample black fruit on the nose, so much so that I suspect served blind you would not guess that it was the derided 2013 vintage! It is not complex per se, but there are decent pure blackberry and boysenberry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, well judged acidity, a little abrupt on the finish but certainly fresh with a pleasant piquancy. Early drinking fare, but it is well made considering the vintage. Tasted at the property.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind. Deep garnet. Savoury on the nose with a touch of char and graphite. Dry, refined texture, fine tannins. Very fresh but balanced. (JH)
The 2013 Branaire-Ducru did not particularly impress when I tasted it from barrel. Now in bottle, it feels anonymous, a little dusty on the nose and there is an aromatic hole where the fruit ought to be. Enervated? The palate is medium-bodied with more weight than the nose suggests, but it is very conservative and feels light and ephemeral towards the finish that needs more substance. This Saint Julien estate has overseen better wines than the 2013 in recent 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.