2000 Ch Branaire Ducru 4ème Cru St Julien

Producer: Château Branaire Ducru

Region: Bordeaux > St Julien

Vintage: 2000

Type: Red

Grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc

Drinking dates: 2007 - 2020

Pricing

Case size: 12x75cl Equiv. price per bottle incl. VAT £61.78

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Tasting Notes

Goedhuis, April 2001: Another excellent offering from arguably 2000’s most successful commune. Full bodied with massive reserves of rich, slightly exotic late autumn blackberry fruit. Very well knit. The best Branaire for years.
Robert Parker, April 2003, Score: 93: A saturated purple color offers up notes of graphite, plum, raspberry, and blueberry fruit in that distinctive Branaire style. Always a singular wine, even for St.-Julien, the wine boasts superb purity, rich, medium to full-bodied flavors, with loads of sweetness, some subtle toasty oak, and strength and richness that builds incrementally on the palate. A top-flight Branaire, this is the finest wine made at this property since the 1996 and 1982. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025.
Jancis Robinson, Score: 16: Very good colour, silky and scented but an odd oak chip smell (not that I am suggesting for a moment it was caused by oak chips). Full but chunky with rather rustic tannins.
Clive Coates, June 2001: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. 52% in the grand vin. 48 hl/ha. Very good colour. Lovely ripe, concentrated, substantial Cabernet fruit on the nose. This is continued on the palate. Fullish body. Quite tannic. Not too sturdy. This is the best Branaire-Ducru for years, for as well as the usual volume, there is a level of finesse that the château doesn't normally attain. Very good grip. And this extra elegance. Long. Fine. From 2010.

St Julien

St Julien is like the middle child of the Médoc - not as assertive as Pauillac or as coquettish as Margaux. It lies firmly between the two more outspoken communes and as a result produces a blend of them both. Its wines have often been sought out by aficionados for their balance and consistency, particularly in the UK. Yet due to its middle child nature, it can occasionally be overlooked globally and as a result underrated by those markets outside the UK. Despite the fact that it has no first growths, it has several second growths including Léoville Las Cases, Léoville Barton, Léoville Poyferré and Ducru Beaucaillou as well as the celebrated châteaux such as Talbot and Beychevelle.

Château Branaire Ducru

Across the road from Beychevelle lies Branaire Ducru. Until 1988, the entire production was sold in France through the Nicolas chain of wine shops. A change in ownership fortunately also changed that policy and Branaire Ducru now takes its rightful place on the international marketplace. Like most Médoc wines, the core of the blend is Cabernet Sauvignon and intensive work in the vineyard ensures optimum ripeness. The château aims for a balance of elegance and complexity - a trend which has been apparent since 1989, the vintage after its current owner, Patrick Maroteaux, purchased the château.

Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot / Cabernet Franc

One of the most widely-found blends used throughout the Bordeaux region - including such legendary wines as Chateaux Haut-Brion, Cos d'Estournel, Ducru Beaucaillou and Leoville-Barton. At it's best this potentially perfect combination balances depth of flavour, ripe richness and taut tannic structure and length. It also produces some of the finest red wines from the Napa Valley in California and Stellenbosch in South Africa.