94-96

Antonio Galloni

Vinous

The 2025 Branaire-Ducru is a powerful wine with a darker fruit profile than most years. Dark blue/purplish fruit, lavender, cloves and licorice open first. Floral overtones and brisk acids reappear to perk up the close. A clean, vibrant finish rounds things out in style. This is such a gorgeous and expressive wine. The 2025 is quite simply a fabulous Branaire. Tasted two times. 04/2026

93-95

Neal Martin

Vinous

The 2025 Branaire-Ducru was cropped at 33 hl/ha, which is not too low in the context of the growing season, but the smallest since 1991. Picking was from September 4 with the early Merlots and finished September 22. The Merlot on clay soils was deemed high quality and therefore comprises a slightly higher percentage of the blend. It is aged in 60% new and 40% one-year-old barrels. This has a flattering bouquet with black plum and strawberry fruit, and a noticeable though agreeable powdered chocolate/mocha note at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with silky smooth tannins, a fine bead of acidity, and hints of mocha and mint merging with black fruit. The finish is quite linear and understated, keeping within the style of the château. Very classy, this will give a lot of pleasure without too much cellaring. 13.2% alcohol. 05/2026

94-96

Yohan Castaing

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate

The 2025 Branaire-Ducru is a compelling wine in the making, revealing an open, refined bouquet of cassis, mulberries, spices, flowers and pencil lead, with its new oak largely remaining in the background. Medium- to full-bodied, it’s sapid and perfumed, built around a seamless, layered core of fruit framed by finely grained, velvety tannins and concluding with a long, fresh and precise finish. Matured in 65% new oak, this blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 6% Cabernet Franc captures the estate’s signature style—polished, balanced and texturally refined—while clearly reflecting the brightness and freshness of the vintage. 04/2026

94-96+

Jeb Dunnuck

Jeb Dunnuck

Deep purple-hued, the 2025 Château Branaire-Ducru is a gorgeous Saint-Julien based on 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, and 6% Cabernet Franc that's still resting in 62% new French oak. Harvested between September 4th and the 22nd, it has a perfumed nose of darker black and blue fruits intermixed with loads of leafy tobacco, smoky herbs, flowers, and spice, with a kiss of Pauillac-like graphite. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied with wonderfully integrated oak, beautifully polished tannins, and a supple, charming, round, and velvety style that's already hard to resist. It checks in at 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.65, and this is a seriously impressive barrel sample. 05/2026

96

Jean-Marc Quarin

Jean-Marc Quarin

Couleur noire, aux reflets pourpres. Nez intense, fin, fruité, pur et subtil. Fond d'épices et de fruits rouges et noirs. Ultra délicat en entrée de bouche, avec un port aérien et pourtant dense, le vin s'allonge, respire en milieu de bouche tout en appuyant discrètement sur des tanins au grain fin. C'est royal, ciselé, profond et incrachable. Assemblage : 62 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 26 % Merlot, 6 % Petit Verdot, 6 % Cabernet Franc. Degré d'alcool : 13° - pH : 3,65 – IPT : 65. Rendement : 33 hl/ha 04/2026

96-97

James Suckling

James Suckling

Voluptuous dark fruit, cedar and a touch of tar on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with an expressive yet concentrated profile, a precise structure and fine-grained, high quality tannins. Chiseled and balanced. 04/2026