CHÂTEAU BRANAIRE DUCRU

Still very young, this is at the very beginning of its life. A classic St-Julien - love the structure and feel the lightness of touch that is such a signature of Branaire. Delicate tannins, this really rises on the finish, the power coming in the length, with brambly fruits building in intensity although you are barely aware of it. Drinking range: 2016 - 2042 Rating: 95 Decanter Magazine (Sept 2014)

(66% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot and 4% petit verdot; 3.68 pH; 13.3% alcohol): Bright dark ruby-red with a pale rim. Blackcurrant, red cherry, minerals and sweet aromatic spices on the enticing, exotic nose. Then pure, clean and refined in the mouth, showing terrific sweetness to the flavors of blackcurrant, black cherry, mocha and wet stone. This sizable wine offers wonderful poise and precision thanks to vibrant but harmonious acidity. The finish is long and seamless, with a plush, tactile mouthfeel. This is an outstanding Branaire-Ducru and easily one of the best wines ever made at the estate. The grapes were harvested between September 20 and October 10. Rating: 93 Ian d'Agata, www.vinousmedia.com (Mar 2014)

Dark red-ruby. Plum, chocolate and some exotic smoky oak on the nose. Lush, smooth and sweet but not at all over the top; offers unusual volume and breadth for Branaire. The exotic aspect carries through on the palate, and yet this wine is holding plenty of material in reserve. Finishes with building tannins and excellent length. Offers superb potential for aging. Rating: 94 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (May 2008)

Good full deep ruby. Intense aromas of black raspberry liqueur, mocha, bitter chocolate and licorice. Superconcentrated, chewy and deep, with a three-dimensional texture and a big structure. Offers terrific sweetness but also an almost medicinal reserve that promises a long evolution in bottle. The black cherry, bitter chocolate, mineral, floral and mint flavors stain the palate and bury the wine's ripe tannins. "Like a fresh liqueur," observes owner/president Patrick Maroteau. The sheer volume of this wine should make it approachable in three or four years. (May/June 2007) Rating: 92-94 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (May 2007)

Proprietor Patrick Maroteaux has been doing everything right since the late nineties, and, along with the monumental 2003 and 2000, the 2005 is one of his crowning achievements. It exhibits a dense ruby/purple color along with a sumptuous nose of raspberry liqueur interwoven with blueberries, crushed rocks, lead pencil shavings, and spring flowers. A big, structured St.-Julien revealing layers of fruit and glycerin, fabulous purity, and full-bodied power and richness, it will be long-lived, but is more backward than either the 2003 or 2000. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2030+. Rating: 94-96 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (May 2007)

Others were more enamoured with this wine than I, principly because it lacked a little freshness on the nose and the acidity should have been a little sharper on the palate, to cut through those thick, meaty black fruits. Just a little unrefined, but given Branaire's pedigree it would not surprise me to find it improved after bottling. Rating: 19+/25 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2006)

(66% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot and 4% petit verdot; 13.3% alcohol) Bright ruby-red. Perfumed aromas of black cherry, black plum, violet, licorice and bitter chocolate. Highly aromatic and graceful in the mouth, with lovely acidity giving verve to the cassis and floral flavors. Very pure, penetrating and long. Perhaps less dense than 2003 but more classic. Finishes vibrant and long, with the floral dark fruit flavors outlasting the round, broad, palate-coating tannins Rating: 91-94 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (May 2006)

Fine concentrated colour and lovely cassis fruit with purity and elegance, plus a dimension of ripeness and depth, lots of charm as well as length. Drink 2010-25. Rating: ****/17.5 www.decanter.com (May 2006)

Very pretty flowers, berry and cherry on the nose, with just a hint of currant. Full-bodied, with big velvety tannins and a medium finish. Lots of fruit and focused character. We will see if it equals the 2003. Rating: 92-94 James Suckling, The Wine Spectator (May 2006)

Relatively pale crimson. Frank, direct, simple Cabernet aromas. Nice limpid texture. Good dry oak. Very relaxed and at ease. Lovely silkiness on the front and marked dryness on the finish. Absolutely not forced. Neat finish. 2016-22 Rating: 17.5 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (May 2006)

Branaire, which has been ratcheting up the quality level over the last 5-6 years, made such a great 2003, I am hesitant to suggest the 2005 is as good, or even better. It will undoubtedly come down to consumer's personal preference, with the 2003 more exotic and flamboyant, and the 2005 more structured or "classic." In any event, the 2005 is one of the top Branaires ever made. Its inky/ruby/purple color is followed by sweet aromas of spring flowers interwoven with black cherries, cranberries, cassis, plums, and hints of forest floor, wet rocks, and new oak. With wonderful purity, full body, terrific fruit intensity, a beautiful, expansive texture, and a stunning 45-50-second finish, it should be at its peak between 2011-2030. Rating: 94-96 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Apr 2006)