95

Antonio Galloni

Vinous

The 2022 Branaire-Ducru is a dense, plush wine, atypically so for a Saint-Julien that is usually more reserved. Unctuous in feel, with superb balance, the 2022 Branaire-Ducru is quite the extrovert. Soft contours wrap around a core of dark cherry, plum, mocha, new leather, espresso and licorice. Yields were 33HL per hectare, lower than the historical norm here in the upper 30s/lower 40s because of stress on the vines. The 2022 spent 16 months in French oak, with 60% new wood. This is a decidedly exotic Branaire-Ducru. I can't wait to see how it ages. Tasted two times. 01/2025

96

Neal Martin

Vinous

The 2022 Branaire Ducru, bottled mid-June, was one of the most impressive I tasted from barrel. It retains a wonderful bouquet with more red fruit compared to its peers, hints of iodine and a touch of desiccated orange peel. The wine shows fine, almost clinical delineation. It is medium-bodied with an extremely well balanced palate, slightly powdery tannins and a sense of tension and brightness that, like some of the best Saint-Juliens in 2022, puts it above the 2019 or 2020. Quite linear and mineral-driven towards the sapid finish, this is a classic Branaire-Ducru that will age with style in bottle. 01/2025

96

William Kelley

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate

The 2022 Branaire-Ducru has turned out just as brilliantly as I had hoped. Offering up a deep bouquet of crème de cassis and blackberries mingled with pencil shavings, burning embers and cigar box, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and unctuous, with a rich core of fruit, lively acids and sweet structuring tannins. Iterated and complete, it concludes with a long, broad finish. This blend of 60.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31.5% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc and 2.5% Petit Verdot is worth a special effort to seek out. 03/2025

97

Jeb Dunnuck

Jeb Dunnuck

Darker currants, leafy herbs, graphite, tobacco, and subtle orange zest-like nuances all emerge from the 2022 Château Branaire-Ducru, a ripe, concentrated, flawlessly balanced Saint-Julien. With medium to full-bodied richness, a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, and plenty of tannins, it's another no-brainer of a 2022 that readers will love to have in their cellar. The 2022 is 60.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31.5% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot, aged 18 months in oak. 02/2025

97

Jean-Marc Quarin

Jean-Marc Quarin

Belle couleur rouge sombre, intense et jeune. Nez très aromatique, fin, pur, fruité et subtil. Un monde de minutie vibre dans la bouche, gracieux et savoureux. Au fur et à mesure de son avancée parfumée, le vin évolue fondant, sans aucune aspérité tanique. Compte tenu de son p.H bas, son soyeux est remarquable. Un millésime indestructible. De grande garde. 02/2025

96

James Suckling

James Suckling

Blackcurrants and pencil shavings with such intense but subtle character on the nose. Some crushed stones as well. Full-bodied and dense with layers of polished tannins that are integrated and focused, creamy and caressing. Very long and persistent. 60.5% cabernet sauvignon, 31.5% merlot, 5.5% cabernet franc and 2.5% petit verdot. Best after 2028. 01/2025