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Branon 2010

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Graves
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon

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Tasting Notes

Once again in 2010, notes of mocha, espresso roast, chocolate, creme de cassis and scorched earth soar from this opaque purple-colored wine. It is aged in 100% new oak, but that is hardly noticeable given the wine's sensational richness and extravagant fruit. This wine is classic, full-bodied and intense. It's just a shame that less than 8,000 bottles are usually made. This wine is still backward, but very full, rich, and impressively pure in texture. Give it another 5-8 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 20+ years.

From a small but fabulous jewel of a property owned by the Garcin family, sandwiched between Malartic Lagraviere and Haut-Bailly, this blend of 50% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon is absolutely sensational. The debut vintage, 2000, continues to show tremendous potential and clearly reveals the high quality terroir Branon possesses.

97
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (205), March 2013

Tasted at Chateau Barde Haut in Saint Emilion. A blend of 50% Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot raised entirely in new oak, the Branon has a fragrant, well defined bouquet with blackberry, iodine, vanilla and cedar. There is still some wood to be subsumed but it is very classy and fresh. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins on the entry. It is still quite closed, despite it being opened two hours prior to my arrival, with plenty of spicy black fruit towards the tannic, savoury finish. Very fine, still robust and therefore it will need 5 to 7 years in bottle. Tasted November 2012.

92
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, February 2013

This has great fruit. So pure and beautiful, with blueberry, currant and raspberries. Full,yet very reserved, with a long, long finish

93/94
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, March 2011

Very dark with great freshness. Minerals and refinement. Nicely directed. Dry finish. Vital and vibrant but it cuts off a bit at the end and seems a bit too forced and harsh.

15.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2011

Lots of tobacco leaf fruit, good robust flavours, depth and terroir. Drink 2014-20.

16
Steven Spurrier, Decanter.com, April 2011
Read more tasting notes...

The fruit from this vineyard, planted on a small outcropping of gravel close to both Haut-Bailly and Malartic-Lagraviere, used to be blended with Haut-Bergey until the Garcin family decided it had such an impressive potential that it had to be culled out. A blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the production is a tiny 6,000-8,000 bottles. The debut vintage, 2000, was one of the superstars of that superlative vintage. The 2010 reveals awesome potential. It offers a dense opaque purple color along with a glorious as well as classic Graves bouquet of smoky barbecue scents, blackberries, cassis, tobacco leaf and plums. Deep, full-bodied and pure with singularity, freshness and precision, this stunning 2010 should be accessible in 2-3 years and last for 2-3 decades.

96/98
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (194), May 2011

A deep purple colour. The nose is very ripe with iodine, macerated black cherries and blueberry with good definition. The palate is fresh on the entry with dense, tannic entry, very closed at the moment, good depth but fine delineation on the finish. Masculine, obdurate but it should blossom after bottling. Tasted April 2011.

91/93+
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, April 2011
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.