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2005 Château Branaire-Ducru St. Julien Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note

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2005
Château Branaire-Ducru  (St. Julien)
95
The years have been kind to this wine. A single sniff hooks you with its blackberries, currants, tobacco, smoke, leafy herbs, and background note of mocha. Refined, reserved, chewy, vibrant, and easy to drink, the finish serves up a nice blend of currants, and blackberries with a hint of spice. Perhaps 30 minutes in the decanter is all the wine needs to show its stuff. Drink from 2024-2040.

The years have been kind to this wine. A single sniff hooks you with its blackberries, currants, tobacco, smoke, leafy herbs, and background note of mocha. Refined, reserved, chewy, vibrant, and easy to drink, the finish serves up a nice blend of currants, and blackberries with a hint of spice. Perhaps 30 minutes in the decanter is all the wine needs to show its stuff. Drink from 2024-2040.

6,204 Views   Tasted
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Just about there, the nose struts its cigar box, red currant, tobacco leaf, flower, and mocha profile with ease. Vibrant, elegant, refined, and medium-bodied, the wine feels just great on your palate with all of its ripe, red and black, spicy currants that linger effortlessly. Drink from 2022-2045.

Just about there, the nose struts its cigar box, red currant, tobacco leaf, flower, and mocha profile with ease. Vibrant, elegant, refined, and medium-bodied, the wine feels just great on your palate with all of its ripe, red and black, spicy currants that linger effortlessly. Drink from 2022-2045.

5,569 Views   Tasted
This continues improving with each tasting. The tannins have softened and now you find an elegant, soft, refined, and silky wine with all the cassis, red currant, tobacco leaf, mocha, and cedar you could ask for. The finish is bright, fresh, and lifted, with ample sweet, mildly spicy, ripe, red fruits. Give this beauty 60-90 minutes of air before service.

This continues improving with each tasting. The tannins have softened and now you find an elegant, soft, refined, and silky wine with all the cassis, red currant, tobacco leaf, mocha, and cedar you could ask for. The finish is bright, fresh, and lifted, with ample sweet, mildly spicy, ripe, red fruits. Give this beauty 60-90 minutes of air before service.

6,799 Views   Tasted
Between 60-90 minutes of air brought out the soft, silky tannins, nuances of tobacco, cassis, blackberry, spice and wet earth. Elegant, fresh and refined, this is coming on strong. Another few years in the cellar and this promises to be even better!

Between 60-90 minutes of air brought out the soft, silky tannins, nuances of tobacco, cassis, blackberry, spice and wet earth. Elegant, fresh and refined, this is coming on strong. Another few years in the cellar and this promises to be even better!

7,837 Views   Tasted
Opened in honor of Patrick Maroteaux, who passed away, November 19. Still showing a nice depth of color, the wine offers cassis, cedar, thyme, smoke, and spice on the nose. Decanted for 1 hour, and enjoyed over the next 90 minutes, the wine continued improving and filling out with time. Freshness meshed with sweet, juicy ripe cassis and a beautiful purity of fruit on the palate. There is still a bit of firm tannins remaining, that will continue softening with time. Give this another 5 years and it could merit a better score.

Opened in honor of Patrick Maroteaux, who passed away, November 19. Still showing a nice depth of color, the wine offers cassis, cedar, thyme, smoke, and spice on the nose. Decanted for 1 hour, and enjoyed over the next 90 minutes, the wine continued improving and filling out with time. Freshness meshed with sweet, juicy ripe cassis and a beautiful purity of fruit on the palate. There is still a bit of firm tannins remaining, that will continue softening with time. Give this another 5 years and it could merit a better score.

9,090 Views   Tasted
Still young, it's easy to see how much this has to offer. The nose is starting to develop secondary characteristics, the tannins are beginning to soften and the textures continue adding more silk in the mouth. Give it another 3-5 years and this should be even better.

Still young, it's easy to see how much this has to offer. The nose is starting to develop secondary characteristics, the tannins are beginning to soften and the textures continue adding more silk in the mouth. Give it another 3-5 years and this should be even better.

7,887 Views   Tasted
Cedar wood, flowers, tobacco and dark red fruits are hidden and require coaxing in the nose. On the palate, the wine is silky, elegant and fresh. This is still quite young and shows a lot of promise. The wine is however, clearly letting you know, there is a nice future ahead if you give it another 3-5 years of bottle age.

Cedar wood, flowers, tobacco and dark red fruits are hidden and require coaxing in the nose. On the palate, the wine is silky, elegant and fresh. This is still quite young and shows a lot of promise. The wine is however, clearly letting you know, there is a nice future ahead if you give it another 3-5 years of bottle age.

8,682 Views   Tasted
Absolutely charming and surprisingly open with its tobacco, cassis, coffee bean, licorice, blackberry, earth and cocoa scents nose. Silky and polished on the palate, there is a lot of room for improvement as it's still a very young wine.

Absolutely charming and surprisingly open with its tobacco, cassis, coffee bean, licorice, blackberry, earth and cocoa scents nose. Silky and polished on the palate, there is a lot of room for improvement as it's still a very young wine.

11,879 Views   Tasted
Tobacco, earth, cigar box, black cherry aromas lead to a wine that is on a more rapid path of development than anticipated. While not mature, this polished, rich style of Branaire Ducru is already starting to be fun to drink. I’m holding mine, but to quote the owner, Patrick Maroteaux, "It’s still young, but it would not be criminal to have it at a dinner now.”

Tobacco, earth, cigar box, black cherry aromas lead to a wine that is on a more rapid path of development than anticipated. While not mature, this polished, rich style of Branaire Ducru is already starting to be fun to drink. I’m holding mine, but to quote the owner, Patrick Maroteaux, "It’s still young, but it would not be criminal to have it at a dinner now.”

12,969 Views   Tasted
Deep ruby in color, this wine opened with tobacco, smoke, earth, fresh berries, soil and forest scents. Concentrated with ample fresh fruit, coupled with a solid structure, this has the potential to bome one of the longest lived vintages of Branaire Ducru. The round textured wine ends with fresh berries, cassis and spice. I'm waiting another 5 years before opening my case.

Deep ruby in color, this wine opened with tobacco, smoke, earth, fresh berries, soil and forest scents. Concentrated with ample fresh fruit, coupled with a solid structure, this has the potential to bome one of the longest lived vintages of Branaire Ducru. The round textured wine ends with fresh berries, cassis and spice. I'm waiting another 5 years before opening my case.

18,314 Views   Tasted
You can smell, taste and feel the perfectly ripe fruit this wine is made from. Add a kiss of blackberry and cassis, sweet oak and mocha and you're off to the races. This full bodied wine offers a juicy mouth full of Cabernet. Elegant tannins, concentration and depth of flavor keeps everything in balance. This is without a doubt the best Branaire Ducru ever made. Give it 12 years in the cellar, if you can keep your hands off it.

You can smell, taste and feel the perfectly ripe fruit this wine is made from. Add a kiss of blackberry and cassis, sweet oak and mocha and you're off to the races. This full bodied wine offers a juicy mouth full of Cabernet. Elegant tannins, concentration and depth of flavor keeps everything in balance. This is without a doubt the best Branaire Ducru ever made. Give it 12 years in the cellar, if you can keep your hands off it.

12,903 Views   Tasted
Plush, stylish, balanced and charming. Packed with elegant, ripe, black fruit, mocha and spice. I like this better than their 2003.

Plush, stylish, balanced and charming. Packed with elegant, ripe, black fruit, mocha and spice. I like this better than their 2003.

7,230 Views   Tasted

When to Drink Chateau Branaire Ducru, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Branaire Ducru can be enjoyed on the young side with decanting, due to its elegant, fresh character. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 2-3 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Chateau Branaire Ducru is usually better with at least 8-10 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Pibran offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 12-25 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau Branaire Ducru with the Best Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Branaire Ducru is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Chateau Branaire Ducru is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, stewed, and grilled dishes. Branaire Ducru is also good when served with Asian dishes, hearty seafood, or fish like tuna, mushrooms, pasta, and cheese.

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