Chateau Branas Grand Poujeaux 2018

The 2018 Branas Grand Poujeaux is a blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine has 14.5% alcohol and was aged in 60% new and 40% second-year barrels. Deep garnet-purple colored, it bursts with baked plums, stewed black cherries and dried mulberries scents, plus hints of smoked meats, hoisin, bouquet garni and mossy tree bark. The medium- to full-bodied palate delivers a good amount of juicy black fruits with a soft texture and a long, savory finish.

Beautiful florality on the nose, full of freshly picked roses with sweet red and black berry fruit. Smooth and charming on the palate, rich and full of flavour but with a supple texture of fine tannins and plump fruit. It keeps the freshness and salinity while still packing a punch in overall expression. Salty, tangy, ripe, cool and fresh with persistence from start to finish. Lovely personality and character with ripe cassis and plum, toasted oak, dark chocolate bitterness but also cola, liquorice and wet stones. Great clarity and movement. You can sense the sunny vintage and the oak, but it works well here with enough juiciness to make this enjoyable and very drinkable.

Spice and walnut with berry, cherry and a hint of clove. Medium body with a creamy texture, light coffee and milk chocolate. Juicy finish. Delicious already, but better in 2023.

Tasted blind. Looks quite evolved. Sweet and lacking a bit of freshness, but fine if drunk fairly soon. Despite rather dry tannins – food definitely needed! (JR)

The 2018 Branas Grand Poujeaux is a heady, exuberant wine. Sweet red cherry, blood orange, spice, mint and mocha lend striking depth and textural resonance as the 2018 shows off its considerable charm. Silky, pliant and creamy, this expressive, mid-weight Moulis-en-Médoc will drink beautifully right out of the gate.

Aromatically the wine shoots right out of the glass with flowers, licorice, smoke, tobacco leaf, herbs and dark red fruits. And it gets even better on the palate with all its fresh, exuberant, ripe, licorice-covered red fruits, espresso and bitter chocolate. This is a top value from the Left Bank, so savvy consumers take notice.

Deep dark ruby, violet tints, delicate bright rim. Delicate coconut, floral underlay of fresh wild berries, subtle nougat, attractive bouquet. Complex, taut, fine savoury texture, ripe cherries, some nougat, elegant and long, balanced, a versatile food wine with ageing potential.

A charming, complex, already delicious Moulis, the 2018 Château Branas Grand Poujeaux gives up a great nose of red and black fruits, flowery incense, lavender, and chocolate. This carries to a medium-bodied, elegant wine with sweet tannins, a rounded, silky texture, and outstanding length. It's going to drink nicely for at least 8-10 years.

Deep purple garnet with a violet rim. Delicate scent of freshly brewed fruit tea, followed by red currants and rosemary. On the tight palate, a compact body with crumbly extract and firm notes. The encapsulated, focused finish ends with plenty of spice and astringency, unfortunately not reaching the level of previous years.

Kunz barrel sample 19: (50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot) Mineral, fresh, powerful, deep bouquet; cassis, cedar, subtle plum notes, currants, graphite. A tightly woven, multi-layered, aromatic palate with dense dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, diverse aromatics, a finely muscular structure, and a long, powerful finish.

(50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot) Mineral, fresh, powerful, deep bouquet, blackcurrant, cedar, subtle plum notes, currants, graphite. Densely knit, layered, aromatic palate with concentrated dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, diverse aromatics, a finely muscular structure, and a long, robust finish. 18/20 2026 - 2042

A blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2018 Branas Grand Poujeaux is deep garnet-purple in color. It comes bounding out with bold notes of baked blackberries, warm cassis, and Morello cherries, plus suggestions of violets, cardamom, dark chocolate, and star anise. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with generous black fruits, framed by grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and spicy.

Characterful nose with pronounced fruit presence, great ripeness, sweet spices; a well-structured, dense palate with depth, beautiful juiciness and length. Solid, vigorous, very harmonious.

The 2018 is very solid, with great roundness, a very fruity, spherical mid-palate, and a beautiful definition of tannins. It should go far.

Complex bouquet of good intensity with multiple facets, showing mineral and fruity notes and a sense of freshness. I detect nuances of blackcurrant, mint and graphite. On the palate, the wine shows a certain power thanks to well-defined, fine tannins, in line with a beautiful aromatic intensity. Branas Grand Poujeaux is elegant, balanced and sapid. Fruity finish.

Fruity nose, with a hint of leafy notes. Fruity, flavorful palate with medium body and an austere fruit character on the finish. Medium length.