Château Branaire-Ducru 2005

The nose is just utterly delicious, smoky and seductive. This is why you don’t drink St-Julien in a great vintage too young, it has suddenly started to sing and take on all these aromatics dimensions. It’s displaying a floral, violet edge, with truffles and leather. The fruit is still there but it has started to be accompanied by an orchestra of other flavours. This is my favourite wine in the series, hands down. Showing so perfectly today. The tannins are still there but they are melted, and the whole thing has just come together. 60% new oak. Drinking window: 2018-2030. Score – 95. (Jane Anson, decanter.com, Jan. 3, 2019)