2014 Branaire Ducru

95 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

94–96. Barrel Sample. Dark tannins over black plum skins dominate this wine. It has a rich concentration both of tannin and fruit, giving a wonderful array of aromas and flavors as well as the structure for aging.

94 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

Spicy, rich and full of ripe fruit, this wine has great potential. It is structured and dense while bringing out a stylish elegance. Blackberry fruit dominates the tannins to create a wine that has both concentration and fine fruit. Drink from 2022.

93 POINTS

James Suckling

This is a slightly shy mid-weight wine that is anything but a flashy one. If you have some patience though it has plenty of subtlety and sophistication. Drink in 2021.

93 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2014 Branaire Ducru is soft, polished and super-inviting. Succulent red cherry, plum, lavender, spice and mint give the wine its attractive, open-knit personality, while silky tannins add to an overall impression of sensuality. The 2014 should drink well with minimal cellaring. Today, it is among the most accessible of the Saint-Juliens.

92 POINTS

Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

With the blossoms of a black raspberry bramble with a quick sift of white pepper, mocha and earth in the perfume, this wine is all about its elegant tannins, the finesse, freshness and purity of the sweet black and crisp, spicy red fruits. Produced from a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The wine reached 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.63. 92-93 Pts

92 POINTS

James Molesworth - Wine Spectator

Focused and a touch austere for now, with a charcoal edge to the core of black currant and steeped fig fruit. Tobacco and bramble notes check in on the finish, andthere's solid acidity in reserve. Well-built and should evolve nicely.

90 POINTS

Jeb Dunnuck

I was disappointed not be able to taste the 2015 from this estate, but the 2014 Branaire-Ducru showed well from a bottle purchased locally. Revealing a deep ruby/plum color and forward, sexy notes of black cherries, plums, leather, dried tobacco leaves and cedarwood, it offers impressive depth and density in the vintage, beautiful balance, and a rich, layered textured that has it already drinking nicely. It can be drunk anytime over the coming 20 years.

René Gabriel - René Gabriel

Sattes Purpur-Granat, dicht in der Mitte, lila Schimmer aussen. Selten hatte ein Branaire beim Primeur eine so dunkle Farbe. Reifes Bouquet, fast eine rahmige Fülle anzeigend, die Frucht suggeriert Holunder und Cassisnoten. Im Gaumen fest, ausgeglichene Adstringenz, tolles Rückaroma. Es gibt heuer nur ganz wenige Grand Crus, welche deren eigene Leistung der Jahre 2010 mit dem 2014er toppen. Ich setze diesen genial gelungenen Branaire mit Überzeug auf seine hohe Wertung. Das wäre dann auch das Ende einer langen Nichteinkaufsdurststrecke. 18/20 2024 – 2048 18/20