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Branaire Ducru 1996

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Branaire-Ducru

Label

Tasting Notes

91
Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (4), December 2003

Particularly lustrous dark crimson. Sweet, beguiling toasty nose. Black cherry elements. Sweet start, not the most classic St-Julien by a long way but it should give pleasure. More developed than most. Drink 2005-15

16
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, September 2006
91+
Farr Vintners, 1996 Bordeaux Blind Tasting 8/9/2006, September 2006
Read more tasting notes...

1996: My concerns about the 1996 Branaire turning out too tannic were unfounded. Tasted three times out of bottle, it is a textbook Branaire, with a tell-tale floral, raspberry, and black currant-scented nose intermixed with minerals and floral nuances. Elegant and pure, with surprising lushness and sweet, well-integrated tannin, this medium-bodied, finesse-styled wine should be at its finest between 2005-2018.

89
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (122), April 1999
90/92
Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (3), November 1998

There are very positive attributes to the 1996 Branaire, from its dark purple color, to its chocolatey, cherry, lead pencil, and toasty aromas and flavors. However, the wine is extremely tannic, somewhat austere, and although the ripeness and palate impression offer excellent purity, medium-bodied richness, and fine ripeness, the wine still seems disjointed and awkward.
Anticipated maturity : 2005-2015.

87/89
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (115), February 1998
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.