I have been an active participant on the Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts forum for over 20 years. This is the only participative site on the internet focusing on Bordeaux wines. The wonderful thing about BWE is that it also enables Bordeaux lovers from around the world to meet in the flesh and pull a few corks. Thanks to BWE I have been to dinners in half a dozen countries with people I would never have met otherwise. I am so grateful to live in the digital era!
I mention this because one BWE gathering in New York a few years ago featured 1982 great growth Médocs. The wines had all been contributed by an anonymous donor to a blind tasting dinner with about 40 people. What a great gesture! This involved classified growths up to and including Mouton Rothschild. Although Mouton was voted number one, not far behind was a château none of us expected: Branaire Ducru. This was my first inkling that Branaire was a seriously underrated estate – not exactly a dark horse, but one all too rarely in the limelight.
I have been attending the Union des Grands Crus en primeur barrel tastings for a couple of decades. These are wonderful events, not just for a preview of the new vintage of world-famous wines, but also as a way of meeting people and keeping up to date with what’s happening in the wine country. Well, among all my experiences at these tastings, one that really stands out was discovering the 2009 vintage in Saint Julien and Pauillac.
These wines had everything for me.
Received wisdom in Bordeaux is that 2009 and 2010 are both excellent vintages with a very different profile: 2009 is purported to be rich, fruity, and seductive, whereas 2010 is considered more austere, but also more elegant and with better ageing potential (therefore, ultimately superior). I’m not convinced this is true but, even if I’m wrong, 2009 Médocs are by any standard truly exceptional. And seeing as I have several bottles of the 2009 Branaire Ducru, I figure it was about time I tried one at age 16.
Belonging to the Maroteaux family since 1988, the estate has 60 hectares of vines. Branaire Ducru is one of four 4th growths in Saint Julien. While perhaps not as well-known as Talbot or Beychevelle, this is at least partly due to the fact that those châteaux have a much larger production, with 1.8 and 1.5 times more vines respectively. The impressive château building is just across the road from Beychevelle on the famous Route des Châteaux. Like his father before him, François-Xavier Maroteaux is currently president of the Union des Grands Crus.
On to the wine: the first impression was excellent thanks to the regal, very deep colour with mahogany tinges. The soft, subtle and pure nose was captivating, with hints of ethereal sweet blackcurrant, pipe tobacco, fresh earth, cinnamon, roast coffee beans, and a floral component.
The wine shone even more on the palate. The flavor profile was both penetrating and soft with remarkably velvety tannin. It filled out from the very first, but without any chunkiness. In short, it was a big, but classy wine. Reflecting its Saint Julien origin, the taste epitomized the term “brambly” in that there were lovely wildberry aromas along with a positive sort of greenness (the blackberry bush itself) typical of great Cabernet Sauvignon. The aftertaste was quite long, mineral, slightly dry, and showed a little heat, but no burn. 13.5 % alcohol is on the low side these days. On the whole, the rich fruitiness was beautifully balanced by lively acidity.
The wine’s most outstanding feature was its gorgeous tannic texture, not so much smooth and soft as cushiony.
At peak? Probably not, but this is the sort of wine that tastes delicious at all stages. And I’d put this at late adolescence.