- 2019 Château Branaire-Ducru - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (1/18/2024)
This was $42 on futures. Seriously, $42. What an incredible bargain. The depth and balance are classic Branaire, but to get that level with a different label would probably be three times the price. Of course I don’t want another label. This one has been a favorite for many years, and continues to this day. St. Julien is my sweet spot for Bordeaux, and this is exactly what I am looking for.
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Agree, David, it’s outstanding. I even like the 2016 just a little bit more, and it’s priced about the same.
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I bought a bunch of magnums from TWM for $79.97 sitting on my couch back in 2020 during Covid for my son born in 2019 who would obviously survive thru natural selection.
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I would normally hold off for 10-20 years, but at 57 that doesn’t seem prudent!
2019s have been really open and delicious, that lick of acid keeps them so fresh.
2019 is open and delicious without being overtly modern or manipulated
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Yes! There’s a definite freshness to this wine that keeps it centered in Bordeaux. That said, it wouldn’t surprise me if blind I would peg it as a very classic California like Corison which for me has always been Bordeaux in Napa.
Have you tried the Ferriere? I think you would like that, too. The 2016 and 2019 are steals.
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Bought 2022 futures
I bought at 76 for my kids
The issue is bandwidth. With 500-600 more bottles of Cabernet moving into my cellar I think I am done buying Cab-based wines.
Guess I should have bought cases of this at the Costco blitz pricing @ $35.
99 last year! Have not tried one yet but now it’s on deck! Thanks for the note.
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From my early days of exploring Bordeaux I found Branaire Ducru utterly enjoyable. Then I started feeling like that’s too easy, that somehow I should be aiming for bigger prizes and more collectable wines of higher repute. Now I’m over that and accept that I should just accept the joy it brings for the vintages I’ve accumulated, 2000 through 2019.
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This was $42 on futures. Seriously, $42. What an incredible bargain.
Well then I’m glad I picked up a some at Costco for $37.
Lovely traditionally styled claret for a song and just picked up the ‘20 earlier this week for a laughable $29.99/btl in Zachys inventory clearance sale.
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Terrific juice IMO. Bought some on futures as well, then tasted it at UGC in NYC, and found some more!
Kinda went through the same thing.
I really like the balance on this wine. We also took advantage of the prices at Costco, but this was back in late 2022. The 2020 is also very good, and still available at less than $50.
Langoa Barton, from the same appellation, has also turned it up a notch and priced similarly.
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I do find it a little surprising that you like these wines so much given their rather unapologetic use of new oak.