Château Branaire-Ducru 2016

The 2016 vintage is an illustration of the great wine years that only Bordeaux has the secret. The beginning of the season was initially constraining from a climatic point of view and this until spring, but fortunately the flowering of the vineyard benefited from a beautiful sunshine in June. The summer turned out to be hot and dry, ideal for the development of the berries. A few rains in September revived the ripening process and at harvest time, the harvest proved to be of exceptional quality.

Blend of the 2016 vintage: 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc.

The robe presents a beautiful deep red color, adorned with a brilliant slightly tiled complexion.

The nose offers fresh notes of ripe fruit and black cherry, followed by mellow wood, exotic spices and menthol.

Delicate on the attack, it shows a silky touch on the palate and quickly reveals a beautiful fruity radiance. Its finely chiselled tannins make it develop rich and powerful, rising crescendo in density and depth to a long and tasty finish. A great Saint-Julien that is still far from revealing its full potential.

Food and wine pairing:

Château Branaire-Ducru 2016 will wonderfully accompany a beef Wellington with black garlic, a leg of lamb of 3 hours, a duck breast with a sauce of porcini mushrooms from the Périgord or a roast pigeon with crosnes and trumpets of death.

It will also be perfect with uncooked pressed cheeses such as Cantal, Edam, Morbier or Saint-Nectaire.

For dessert, it will be particularly delicious with an extra hazelnut tart from Guillaume Mabilleau, a praline entremet or a chocolate layer cake.

Ageing potential and tasting:

Château Branaire-Ducru 2016 is a great Saint-Julien with great cellaring potential, which will reach its peak between 2035 and 2038.

However, it lends itself wonderfully to tasting today. To do this, open and decant the bottle 5 to 6 hours before tasting so that the wine can fully express its potential, at a temperature between 15 and 18°C.

The bottles will be kept in the cellar protected from the light, lying down, at an optimal hygrometric degree of 70%.