Once again in 2010, notes of mocha, espresso roast, chocolate, creme de cassis and scorched earth soar from this opaque purple-colored wine. It is aged in 100% new oak, but that is hardly noticeable given the wine’s sensational richness and extravagant fruit. This wine is classic, full-bodied and intense. It’s just a shame that less than 8,000 bottles are usually made. This wine is still backward, but very full, rich, and impressively pure in texture. Give it another 5-8 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 20+ years.

Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #205, Feb 2013)

Once again in 2010, notes of mocha, espresso roast, chocolate, creme de cassis and scorched earth soar from this opaque purple-colored wine. It is aged in 100% new oak, but that is hardly noticeable given the wine’s sensational richness and extravagant fruit. This wine is classic, full-bodied and intense. It’s just a shame that less than 8,000 bottles are usually made. This wine is still backward, but very full, rich, and impressively pure in texture. Give it another 5-8 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 20+ years. From a small but fabulous jewel of a property owned by the Garcin family, sandwiched between Malartic Lagraviere and Haut-Bailly, this blend of 50% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon is absolutely sensational. The debut vintage, 2000, continues to show tremendous potential and clearly reveals the high quality terroir Branon possesses.

Saturated ruby-red. Knockout musky nose combines black raspberry, smoked meat, Asian spices, tobacco and hot stones. Large-scaled and plush on the palate, with compelling sweetness to the layered flavors of of dark raspberry, chocolate, mocha, tobacco and toasty, nutty oak (100% new). Finishes with substantial sweet tannins and outstanding length. For all its richness this is still a baby.

Tasted at Chateau Barde Haut in Saint Emilion. A blend of 50% Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot raised entirely in new oak, the Branon has a fragrant, well defined bouquet with blackberry, iodine, vanilla and cedar. There is still some wood to be subsumed but it is very classy and fresh. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins on the entry. It is still quite closed, despite it being opened two hours prior to my arrival, with plenty of spicy black fruit towards the tannic, savoury finish. Very fine, still robust and therefore it will need 5 to 7 years in bottle. Tasted November 2012.

– eRobertParker.com, Mar 2013

Fully saturated inky-ruby. Sexy aromas of balsamic plum, smoke, sweet spices and wild herbs. Dense, sweet and rich, with the palate showing more vibrancy than the nose suggests. Dark berry flavors are complemented by vanilla, balsamic vinegar and menthol but are currently slightly overwhelmed by smoky oak and cocoa. The wine finishes long but with mounting and rather astringent tannins that detract considerably from its pleasure quotient. I greatly prefer the 2009.