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Branaire Ducru 2011

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Branaire-Ducru

Label

Tasting Notes

A dense blue/ruby/purple color is followed by notes of raspberries, incense and spring flowers, supple tannins, medium body and excellent elegance as well as purity. The result is a suave, savory 2011. While it does not possess the size or richness of vintages such as 2009 and 2010, the 2011 has plenty of charm and appeal. Drink it over the next decade.

89
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (212), May 2014

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

92+
William Kelley, RobertParker.com (Cellar 33), August 2022

This is tight and structured, with blueberry and mineral character. Full and firm with excellent tannins for the vintage. Needs at least four years to soften but shows potential: try in 2018.

92
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2014

One of the more concentrated St Juliens of the vintage: thick, dense and pretty serious. The wine teeters on the edge of over-extraction, but there's enough violet-scented fruit and concentration to soak up the tannins. 10+ years.

92
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 2012

Very good depth of Cabernet-cassis fruit, good middle sweetness and firm natural tannins. Will show very well. Drink 2015-2028.

16.5
Steven Spurrier, Decanter.com, April 2012
Read more tasting notes...

A top-notch effort from this estate, the 2011 exhibits an exotic perfume of lead pencil shavings, white chocolate, raspberry jam and red as well as black currants. Loads of fruit, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel and velvety tannin suggest this beauty will drink well for 15+ years. It is one of the stars of the appellation in this vintage. Bravo!

91/93
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (200), April 2012

The 2011 is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc that was picked between 14th and 29th September at just 37hl/ha. It has a straightforward bouquet of light fresh red berry fruit laced with orange rind and graphite, focused but not powerful. After five minutes there is a brine or fish scale note. The palate has a chalky entry with crisp acidity, just a little hardness in the mouth but the finish is softer. There are notes of blackberry, pain grille and graphite with a dry, crisp finish. Fine. Tasted April 2012.

88/90
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, April 2012

A very pretty red with flowers, blackberries, and blueberries. Full and silky with racy tannins and a long finish. Some hints of cocoa and pleasant bitterness. Well structured.

92/93
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2012
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.