Chateau Branaire Ducru 2011

The latest notes are from William Kelley, who now writes for Robert PArket et a. 'An underrated wine that has shed its youthful austerity to offer terrific drinking today, the 2011 Branaire-Ducru 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 one of the best wines from this chateau, with dense fruit and a robust, complex structure. Blackberries, plums, and a rich, generous character are all here, along with fine tannins. Drink this great success from 2018—94WE (edit).

The nose is fruity and offers minerality, a small concentration and deepness. It reveals notes of ripe strawberry, blackberry and slight notes of small black fruits associated with touches of cornflower, and small blue fruits, as well as discreet hints of liquorice, mushroom and a discreet hint of Sichuan pepper. The mouth is fruity, fresh, mineral, and well-balanced and offers a beautiful definition, gourmandize an acidulous frame and precision. On the mouth, this wine expresses notes of fleshy blackberry, ripe wild raspberry and slight notes of very ripe small berries associated with a touch of dry violet, dry rose, and hints of racy minerality, mushroom and a very discreet hint of tobacco and cardamom. Tannins are elegant and well-built. 94VertdeVin. (Google translate, then edit).

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).