“I have always found Branaire Ducru to be curiously underrated, undervalued, and somewhat forgotten whenever Bordeaux enthusiasts discuss their favorite wines.”
“2000 was the first vintage to demonstrate that numerous high quality Bordeaux wines can be made in all price categories.”
In short, these two quotes by Robert Parker are the reason we recently purchased 2000 Branaire Ducru.
Chateau Branaire Ducru is located in the southeastern portion of St. Julien, across from Chateau Beychevelle which it once was part of up until 1680. The winery’s vineyards located throughout the commune contain various amounts and types of gravel in the clay soil, allowing for beneficial drainage of the vines, about 70% of which are Cabernet Sauvignon. The current owner and winemaking team at Branaire feel these vines perform best at an age of 35 years and gently renew portions of the vineyards accordingly. About 22% of the remaining vines are Merlot and the rest divided between Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Perhaps it is this diversity of plots and gravel, or perhaps the attention to vine age or varietal composition, or a combination of all, but there is a general feeling that this Fourth Growth is one of the most exotic examples of St. Julien.
In April of 2001 Parker called “Bordeaux 2000 the Greatest Vintage Since 1990”, in February 2002 “As Good As It Gets” and in April of ’03 “The Pinnacle of a Qualitative Revolution.” Basically, the vintage didn’t begin great, rather somewhat damp with marginal sunshine. But a hot and dry August and September seemed to help the grapes evolve exceptionally. Parker revisited the vintage in 2010, and his belief that techniques wineries used in the cellars combined with the raw material they harvested in the vineyards would produce an excellent vintage was confirmed. In particular, he raised Branaire Ducru’s score from 93 to 94 points.
Last week our procurement of 2000 Branaire Ducru arrived and immediately I requested a sample in hopes that I too could confirm this excellence. The cases were pristine. When I pulled the cork I was shocked at how little the wine seeped in with well over a decade of resting.
The wine in the decanter revealed a nose of currants, damson and berries, with floral, truffle and cedar notes. Flavors of cassis, raspberry, blackberry and pomegranate rolled over my tongue as it left the glass. The wine was silky with cocoa powder tannins and a singing mid-palate! Exotic is easily a word I can associate with this St. Julien and the wine shows 15 years young. In my opinion this stash has just begun to hit its zone which should provide plenty of enjoyment for another 15 years to come. At $109/btl this truly represents strong value. We currently have some cases left to sell of these wonderful specimens, and I strongly suggest grabbing one or two.