Chateau Branaire Ducru 2015

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Clearly on the right track. The wine is elegant, refined, fresh, pure, classy and classic. The tannins are soft with the right amount of polish, The juicy, sweet, red fruits offer lift, purity and persistence to this medium-bodied wine. As this ages, it it only going to get better and better. This bottle was opened in the name of science, to know where the wine is going. It is going to be a beauty of you can wait another 7-9 years to reach maturity."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "This family-owned estate has produced a structured and dark wine with great concentration balanced by acidity and pure, creamy fruit. It is a wine with a good future. The aftertaste leaves juicy acidity and firm tannins. Drink from 2025."

WINE SPECTATOR: "This pumps lush fig, boysenberry and blackberry confiture notes along, pushed by a rather polished but ample structure. Lots of anise and violet details cascade in on the finish, giving this extra aromatic dimension. Best from 2020 through 2038."

JAMES SUCKLING: "More open than many 2015 St.-Juliens at this stage in spite of the firm, dry tannin structure behind the bright cassis. The tannins need some integration, but with some patience (from 2021 or 2022), this will become a rather fine wine."

DECANTER: "The 2015 main bottling, as with the 2nd wine, has an approachability, an accessibility and a warmth to the fruits, with touches of grilled smoky oak. This is lovely, it has a good freshness to it and keeps the fruit bouncing along right through the palate. Less intensity than the 2016, but lots to enjoy and again the effortless balance of the appellation. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040"

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung, zarte Edelholzwürze, reife Kirschfrucht, zart nach Orangenzesten, tabakige Nuancen, facettenreiches Bukett. Saftig, frische Kirschen, elegant, frisch strukturiert, eingebundene Tannine, ausgewogen und gut anhaftend, dezente Extraktsüße im Finale, gutes Reifepotenzial bei mittlerer Länge."

WEINWISSER: "Sattes Purpur-Granat, dicht in der Mitte, lila Schimmer aussen. Pflaumiger Bouquetansatz, dezent laktischer Anflug, zeigt eine gute Tiefe an. Im Gaumen mit viel Kirscharomatik und eine leicht florale Note im Extrakt, hat Fleisch und Potenzial, aromatisches Finish. Neigt zur Klassik."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Branaire-Ducru has an earthy nose over a core of red and black currants with hints of tapenade, pencil shavings and sage. The medium-bodied palate is firm and chewy, with just enough fruit and a lively finish."