2010 Château Branaire-Ducru, St Julien, Bordeaux

Red • Full Bodied • Cabernet Sauvignon,Merlot,Petit Verdot,Cabernet Franc

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Code: 20100600750018003230

Description

From a château just across the street from Beychevelle, in the southern part of Saint-Julien, the 2010 Château Branaire-Ducru is largely Cabernet Sauvignon yet includes 24% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. The château never seems to deliver the density and structure of Ducru-Beaucaillou (located just to the north) or the supple sexiness of Beychevelle, but it always has remarkable purity and precision, with a terrific sense of class and elegance. Still youthfully ruby-hued, it has a terrific perfume of red and black currants, freshly sharpened cedar pencils, dried flowers, and savory herbs and tobacco notes.

Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it stays focused and tight on the palate, with classic 2010 purity, precision, and structure that’s balanced by considerable elegance. It clearly offers pleasure today, particularly with a decant, yet I suspect it will benefit from another 4-5 years in the cellar. It should be long-lived.

94/100,Jeb Dunnuck,jebdunnuck.com (May 2024)

Colour

Red
Vintage

2010
Alcohol

14%
Grape

Cabernet Sauvignon,Merlot,Petit Verdot,Cabernet Franc
Body

Full Bodied
Producer

Château Branaire-Ducru

Critics reviews

Robert Parker

94/100

This wine is more backward than I would have normally expected, but nevertheless, it is very impressive. The 2010 Branaire-Ducru displays an inky bluish purple color and loads of mulberry, raspberry, black currant, graphite and floral notes in its intense aromatics. Medium to full-bodied, with sensational ripeness, purity, texture and length, the tannins are slightly more prominent than I remember from barrel, but they are sweet and ripe as opposed to astringent and bitter). This beautiful wine needs 4-6 years of cellaring and should keep 25-30 years.

Producer Patrick Maroteaux continues to fine-tune and turn out a succession of brilliant wines from this chateau, which sits across the famous Medoc Route du Vin from Beychevelle.
94

Proprietor Patrick Maroteaux has completed a decade of brilliant performances at this chateau across the Medoc’s Route de Vin from Beychevelle and a stone’s throw from Ducru Beaucaillou, St.-Pierre and Gloria. A fabulous effort, the 2010's notes of raspberry jam, black currants, crushed rocks and spring flowers are followed by a wine of impeccable purity, medium to full-bodied power, sweet tannin and stunning texture and length. With superb richness and beautiful overall equilibrium, it will benefit from 4-5 years of cellaring and keep for 25 or more years.
93-95

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (February 2013)

Jancis Robinson MW

17/20

Very dark purple. Nice freshness on the nose. Very round and supple and polished. Opulent without being sweet. All assembled by end Feb with about 9% vin de presse. More approachable than most of the 2010s I have tasted so far. Fresh and the fruit almost disguises the marked tannins on the finish. Stricter selection than usual. Dry – very dry summer. 41 hl/ha compared to 47 hl/ha in 2009. Small berries.

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (April 2011)

Robert Parker

94/100

This wine is more backward than I would have normally expected, but nevertheless, it is very impressive. The 2010 Branaire-Ducru displays an inky bluish purple color and loads of mulberry, raspberry, black currant, graphite and floral notes in its intense aromatics. Medium to full-bodied, with sensational ripeness, purity, texture and length, the tannins are slightly more prominent than I remember from barrel, but they are sweet and ripe as opposed to astringent and bitter). This beautiful wine needs 4-6 years of cellaring and should keep 25-30 years.

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (February 2013)