(JD 94-96 points) Beautiful blue fruits, tobacco, damp earth, and floral notes all emerge from the 2019 Château Branaire-Ducru. It's medium to full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, has silky tannins, and shows the quality of the vintage perfectly. A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, it will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise for two decades or more. It reminds me of the 2009.

(WE 94–96 points) This is a richly perfumed wine that has bold tannins and dense black fruits. There is a fine line of juicy acidity cutting through all the richness to lend freshness against all the concentration. This is for long-term aging. - ROGER VOSS

Very clear fruit character of blackcurrants, orange peel and spices. Some walnut, too. It’s full-bodied with integrated, polished tannins and shows finesse and focus. Love the focused fruit at the end of this. Strength with finesse. Give it four to five years of bottle age. Try after 2024.

Opening with a strong sense of florality, the wine quickly moves to tobacco leaf, red currants, mocha and cassis on the nose. On the palate, the wine is elegant, fresh, soft and polished, with silky tannins and a palate filled with sweet, ripe, elegant, black plums and currants with a touch of cocoa at the end in the finish. This is a fabulous vintage for Branaire Ducru. Drink from 2027-2055.

The 2019 Branaire-Ducru unwinds in the glass with aromas of raspberries, blackcurrants, sweet soil tones and hints of cigar wrapper, rose petals and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's youthfully tightly wound, with terrific concentration, tangy acids, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish. While this is a little reserved out of the gates, its energy and classical proportions will richly reward bottle age. - William Kelley

The 2019 Branaire-Ducru is rich, layered and sumptuous. Black cherry, licorice, spice, leather tobacco and tar build effortlessly in the glass. The 2019 impresses with its density and pure power, which makes it perhaps atypical for Branaire by its historic standards, but it may be the direction the château seems to be headed in. The aromatics are a bit closed right now, but time in bottle should help take care of that. -- Antonio Galloni

Lifted floral notes are combined with dark currant fruit flavour and fine tannins on the palate. A very elegant Branaire-Ducru and relatively restrained in the context of 2019. Will appeal to those who prefer the more subtle style of Bordeaux, with more nuance than up-front power and weight. The fruit is clean and pure, and there is a lovely freshness on the finish. Good mid-term drinking.

One of the more discreet St Juliens, undergoing a great resurgence right now, and this stands out for its quality and value. Tobacco leaf, baked earth, crushed rocks, crayon and mint leaf set against blueberry and cassis fruits. Balanced, with the finesse of the appellation. Ideally this is put away for another four years or so, but it has the delicacy that makes it just about approachable if you can't wait. I drank it with friends a few months ago, and nobody was complaining. 43hl/h yield.

Leads with vivid violet and cassis, while dark plum, blackberry and boysenberry reduction notes follow quickly. Racy, structured and well-built, with graphite and apple wood driving through the finish. Very pure and aromatic, featuring a nice sanguine echo that lingers at the very end. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2038. — J.M.

The 2019 Branaire-Ducru is a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it flies out of the glass with notes of crushed blackcurrants, black cherries, and stewed plums, plus wafts of rose oil, cinnamon toast, and fragrant earth. The medium-bodied palate is juicy and plush, with lively acidity and a spicy finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The 2019 Branaire Ducru has a fresh and vibrant bouquet, very well defined with beautifully integrated oak, quite precise graphite-infused black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with a ferrous opening, gritty in texture, quite edgy and sharp with an almost citrus fresh, tensile finish. Very fine. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. -- Neal Martin