Plenty of blackberry, blueberry, lead pencil and violet aromas here that follow through to a full body, with ultra-fine tannins that run the length of the wine. So integrated and polished. Thoughtful young red. Try after 2027.

An intensely perfumed nose with soft cocoa powder aromas. The texture is alluring, juicy and ripe but lifted, quite dense but also linear, a push-pull of direct fruit and chalky, plump tannins. Rich but not as supple as 2018, a bit more angular. Black cherries, plums and currants on the palate with both a nice sweetness and salinity. Not so easy to taste and understand today, it's thought provoking with lots going on. Great potential for a long life and one to watch!! Bottled at the beginning of July 2022. Drinking Window: 2030 - 2055
Tasted by: Georgina Hindle
Part of Château Branaire-Ducru: producer profile

The 2020 Branaire-Ducru is utterly magnificent. A wine of extraordinary depth and dimension, the 2020 possesses tremendous intensity right out of the gate. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, new leather, licorice, cloves and lavender build as into the explosive, palate-staining finish. I don't think I have ever tasted a Branaire quite like this.

vinous.com

The 2020 Branaire-Ducru will require more patience than the supple, sensual 2019, but it is another strong effort for this overperforming estate. Wafting from the glass with aromas of crème de cassis, plums, pencil shavings, petals, burning embers and discreet hints of new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a concentrated core of vibrant fruit and fine but youthfully firm tannins that assert themselves on the gently chewy finish.

Cedar, tobacco, red and black currants, mocha, spice and smoke come through loud and clear in the nose. Soft, silky and supple, the fresh red fruits are already quite expressive creating a refined, medium/full-bodied, silky, wine with purity, character and precision. This will drink well with 7--8 years of aging and will age and develop quite nicely. 93-95

The 2020 Branaire Ducru has a tightly wound bouquet of blackberry, wild hedgerow, freshly tilled loam and distinct sea spray scents, all well defined, albeit 15­–20 minutes after opening my sample bottle. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, and very cohesive, displaying a keen thread of acidity. Unlike previous vintages, there is impressive density on the midpalate where it once was a little lean, and plenty of energy and tension conveyed by the finish. Excellent.
- vinous.com

The 2020 Château Branaire-Ducru is vivid purple in color, with a classy, slightly exotic nose of blueberries, plums, violets, and orange blossom, and a kiss of marine-like iron emerging with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, and focused on the palate, it’s not massive by any means yet shines for its balance, purity, and length.

Drink Date
2024 - 2042

Reviewed by Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The 2020 Branaire-Ducru displays a deep garnet-purple color and pronounced blackcurrant cordial, plum preserves and boysenberries scents, plus hints of sautéed herbs, unsmoked cigars and graphite. The medium-bodied palate has a lot of verve, delivering appealing tension among the tightly wound black fruits and grainy tannins, finishing with an herbal lift.

(58% CS, 32% M, 7% PV, 3% CF; 40hl/ha)
Pleasing nose, softly, freshly rich, subtly gravelly; very nicely balanced, medium-full, fresh to lively in acidity, very fine in tannin, a touch of the slightly “crisper” 2020 St-Julien style; but lovely red- and black-fruit flavor, mineral-infused, a gentle flesh at the core, a very restrained mid-weight style, with a beautiful texture, gravel-marked, and with excellent length. Beautiful wine, fine St-Julien. 2030–50.

Cask sample. Bramble fruit plus tomato leaf and herbs. Finely tannic giving smooth texture. Finishes with lovely violet scent. Pristine fruit that finishes with dark, savoury persistence. (RH)

58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Deepest crimson. Open and inviting with lightly leafy dark fruit, but the leafiness is a freshness, and not excessive. Pure, cool and dark-fruited. There's quite a light touch here on the palate, not especially concentrated but the tannins are very fine and suggest a long life nevertheless. (JH)

Full bottle 1,350 g. 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc. 18 months' ageing.
Deep crimson. Pale rim. Rather luscious fruit initially but a bit tart on the finish and just a little skinny on the mid palate. Relatively short.