[ Home > Wines > Bordeaux > St. Julien > Chateau Branaire Ducru 2000 - Bordeaux Futures ]
Bordeaux St Julien Shows intense aromas of violets, berries and cherries. Full-bodied, with big velvety tannins and a long finish. Best in years from Branaire. Score range: 92-94 WIne Spectator Branaire is always a singularly-styled St.-Julien with distinctive aromatics, including blueberries, raspberries, minerals, and violets. The 2000 is a sweet, medium to full-bodied, pure offering with terrific balance, ripe fruit, excellent delineation, and a sense of freshness. It should ultimately rival the 1996, 1989, and 1982 as one of the finest Branaires of the last twenty-five years. Moderate tannin in the finish suggests some cellaring is required. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2025. Rated 90-92 Robert Parker Château Branaire, known by the name of Branaire-Ducru, became a piece detached from the Beychevelle estate when Bernard de la Valette, duke of Epernon, died and his estate reverted to the crown of France in 1666. In 1680 it was acquired by Jean-Baptiste Braneyre who bequeathed it to his grandchildren, whose name was du Luc. Louis du Luc, who inherited it by partition in 1825, got production going magnificently. This estate which belonged to Mr. G. Ducru until 1879 then became the joint property of the marquis Carbonnier de Marsac, viscount Périer de Larsan and the count and countess J. de la Tour, whose experience and the care they gave to the winegrowing and winemaking were well known by the Bordeaux trade and even in other countries. Classified a fourth growth in 1855, it has belonged to a family group since 1988, presided by Patrick Maroteaux. The vineyard covers about 50 hectares and is situated on the finest gravel crests in the commune of Saint-Julien-Beychevelle. Its exposure justifies the favour it enjoys. Production is 250 tonneaux of a wine which is distinguished by rare richness of sève, a lot of softness, a delicious aroma and great firmness. Since 1991, winemaking is carried out in a modern fermentation room using gravity-flow. This means that the vintage and the wine do not have to be pumped up which allows the grapes to remain intact because these are as it were the messengers of the character of the terroir and the typicity of château Branaire. After traditional ageing in oak barrels and fining with fresh egg-white, the wine is bottled at the domain |
|
Copyright 2007 Internet
Wines & Spirits. All rights reserved.
|