Updated: a day ago
The latest notes are from William Kelley, who now writes for Wine Advocate, saying it is 'An underrated wine that has shed its youthful austerity to offer terrific drinking today, the 2011 Branaire-Ducru, priced at [insert price range], exhibits aromas of sweet cassis, loamy soil, cigar wrapper and classy new oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated palate framed by powdery tannins and lively acids. On release, it was far from apparent that this would emerge as a charming classic, but in a blind tasting, I mistook it for the estate's 2010.Drink Date 2021 - 2045. RP is 92+.
Other tastings are as follows:
This is not just a good wine, it's one of the best from this chateau. It boasts a dense fruit profile and a robust, complex structure. The presence of blackberries, plums, and a rich, generous character, along with fine tannins, make it a standout. This great success has been recognized with a 94WE rating in 2018—a testament to its exceptional quality.
Prepare to be transported by the fruity and mineral nose of this wine, which offers a small concentration and deepness. It reveals notes of ripe strawberry and blackberry, with slight hints of small black fruits, cornflower, and small blue fruits. The mouthfeel is a delightful balance of fruitiness, freshness, and minerality, with a meticulous, acidulous frame and precision. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of fleshy blackberry, ripe wild raspberry, and very ripe small berries, with a touch of dry violet, dry rose, and hints of racy minerality, mushroom, and a very discreet hint of tobacco and cardamom. The elegant and well-built tannins add to the overall experience. This wine has been awarded a 94VertdeVin Rating, confirming its exceptional taste.
Intense ruby garnet, violet reflections, delicate ocher rim lightening. Ripe plums, a touch of herbs and spices, some velvet, delicately animal. Medium-bodied, subtle blackberry confit, integrated, spicy tannins, mineral notes, a hint of sweet fruit on the finish, a versatile food accompaniment. 92Falstaff(edit).