A stunning success for the vintage, this enticing St.-Julien reveals notes of lead pencil shavings, sweet raspberries and black currants and a subtle touch of oak. Elegant, restrained yet authoritative and impressively intense, it is a medium to full-bodied, lightly tannic
The 2009 Branaire-Ducru has a medium to deep garnet color and reveals compelling notions of warm cassis, licorice, baked plums and hoisin with hints of sautéed herbs and pencil lead. Youthful and medium to full-bodied, it has a generous core of black fruits with a firm and grainy structure and bags of freshness, finishing long with great purity.
The 2010 Branaire-Ducru displays an inky bluish purple color and loads of mulberry, raspberry, black currant, graphite and floral notes in its intense aromatics. Medium to full-bodied , with sensational ripeness, purity, texture and length, the tannins are slightly more prominent .
The dense ruby/purple 2012 offers pure blackcurrant and black cherry fruit along with some notes of Christmas spices and earth. It is full-bodied and opulent, with light tannins in the finish. This is a beauty of impeccable balance, great purity and texture.
W.S. 90 pts The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Cantemerle has a nose of warm plums, blackberries and red currants with a waft of fragrant earth. Medium-bodied with nice vibrancy and freshness, it offers approachable tannins with a lift to the finish
The dense ruby/purple-colored, charming, finesse-styled 1999 Cantenac Brown offers excellent sweetness, medium body, and abundant black currant fruit intermixed with truffle, toasty oak, and subtle dried herb notes.