Chateau Branaire-Ducru - 2008
Blend
2% Cabernet Franc
68% Cabernet Sauvignon
25% Merlot
5% Petit Verdot
68% Cabernet Sauvignon
25% Merlot
5% Petit Verdot
Country
France
Region
Bordeaux
Appellation
Saint-Julien
UPC
0 15643 49846 6
Vineyard
Climate of the summer’s beginning - that means end of
June, July and first decade of August - is wonderfully nice.
Very low amount of rainfall allows a good drying of the
soils.
In mid July many plots show a moderate hydric stress, in favour of the concentration and quality of grapes. The last two decades of August are more difficult: storms begin to worry us about the evolution of grapes.
Serenity comes back in the vineyards with September’s second decade: a very nice dry weather settles down until the end of the harvest. Thanks to this we can wait for a perfect maturation of the grapes, even on the latest plots. Fruits evolute slowly but the magnificent end of the season makes it possible for the grapes to ripen deeply flavors and tannins.
Tasting Notes
The colour is dense and deep. The wine gives off
both ripe and fresh fruit aromas.
Dense but elegant on the palate, it finishes with fine tannins, slowly matured by an exceptional autumn’s beginning, and on fresh hints showing a nice length.
Harvest
Harvest begins on September 30th. The early Merlots are
picked in three days by a small team. We stop during three
days and the late Merlots are harvested on October 6th
and 7th. The picking of the Cabernet Sauvignons starts on
9th and finishes on 15th of October.