Chateau Branaire Ducru 2009 Cru Classe, St. Julien

Chateau Branaire Ducru has a long history and was Classified in 1855 as a Fourth Growth. Today it is family owned and exceeds its classification regularly. Modern improvements in the cellar including being one of the first producers in the Left Bank to fill tanks entirely by gravity as well as technological improvements have followed extensive work in the vineyards to make it a top performing Chateau. The terroir is deep gravel and the 150 acre vineyard of is planted 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot with an average vine age of 35 years.

This wine from the monumental 2009 vintage is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It has received rave reviews and by all accounts is now ready to start enjoying.

Vinous scored it 92-95 and said "Inky purple. Grapey, floral nose offers the full Branaire spectrum of sexy ripe black cherry, Oriental spice, dark chocolate and coconut aromas. Enters very bright, with rich, dense flavors of red cherry and pomegranate juice, then finishes impressively long and pure, with a lovely hint of fresh blackberry. The wine's lively acids give it great precision and extend its flavors on the aromatic aftertaste. The wine's youthfully aggressive tannins will greatly repay cellaring, and I expect this wine to age effortlessly for the next few decades. I recently had the amazing 1928 Branaire, and though I don't think this '09 will ever reach the heights of that wine, it may be pretty close."

Wine Enthusiast Magazine pegged this as a "Cellar Selection" when it was released in 2012 scoring it 95 points and saying "Very supple wine, with great richness and density. It is all so complete, a pleasure, powerful yet also with sweet opulent fruits layered with dark tannins. For long-term aging."

and Robert Parker scored this 96 points saying "Haut couture becomes a wine! This dense purple wine has the tell-tale notes of flowers and pencil shavings, and its broad aromatics are intense and totally captivating. Powerful, rich, and full, but less tannic than the 2005 and more opulent, this is a dazzling Branaire to drink between 2017-2035."