Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, aged in new French oak, deep Ruby red color, with aromas of red fruits, spice and spice box herbs. On the palate flavors of blackberry, ripe plum, tobacco and cinnamon spice. Fine tannins, long finish, balanced acidity, ending with ripe fruit, spice and earthy mineral character. Wait a few years before Sipping!
— a month ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

1998 vintage. Cork a little dry near the bottom so called out the Durand for a rescue. Less meniscus than expected. Dusty, earthy nose. Medium body. Heaps of allspice/sandalwood, prunes and baking chocolate hovering about in the medicinal/oily nose and (mostly) in the flavor profile. Ridiculously reminiscent of an aged (‘80’s-‘90’s) Branaire-Ducru St. Julien BDX. So much so that, if blind tasting, that is the guess. This is gliding along. No highs or lows to navigate currently. Not a showstopper by any means but one helluva ringer in a blind tasting. Some bretty influences here and there but nothing warranting a red card/dq. Picked up slightly more body and a noticeable cinnamon/clove note on the finish after being open for an hour. Also...some muddiness along with a sudden frontal-palate richness (at the 1.5 hours open mark) reminiscent of Petit Verdot involvement/influence. WTF?!?! Bring it! 4.21.24. — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Presented double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine pours a deep purple/garnet color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears and signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of cassis, mixed brambles, tobacco, purple flowers, graphite, dry organic earth and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+.

Initial conclusions: this could be Cabernet Sauvignon (or based blend), Merlot (or based blend) or Tempranillo (or based blend) from France, the United States or Spain. But the oak is French so unlikely to be from Spain and I think this leans more towards its structure so I’m taking this to France. Final conclusion: this is a Cabernet-Sauvignon-based blend from France, from Bordeaux, from the Haut-Medoc, 2015. I’ll take it. Tasty stuff. Drink now through 2049. — a month ago

Casey Stringer

9.0

Nice restaurant purchase. Served a bit warm. Nice wine. Classic BDX profile from a good year. — 9 years ago

Charles Treister

9.5

Delicate and soft. — a month ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Splendid 2nd Brand of a 4th Growth Chateau Branaire-Duceu from the left bank of Bordeaux.
All vines from this vinyard are +35 years old in average and entirely hand-harvested. It showcases a wine enough refinement and balance. Medley of red fruit and a bit earthly. This wine screams food pairing. Tannins are packed and solid, quite complex. Long and lingering finish. — a year ago

Yuriy Roman

9.8

Dinner at Christophe Coperet's house. He opened some delicious bottles:
Champagne Tarlant - la matinale - 2003
Sauternes - Château Yquem - 1981 (this was ridiculously good)
St Julien - Château Branaire Ducru - 2008
St Julien - Château Talbot - 1998
St Julien - Château Beychevelle - 1988
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru "La Combe d'Orveau" - Domaine Henri Perrot Minot - 1998 (my favorite of the list)
Pouilly Fuisse - Domaine Corsin - 1998. — 10 years ago