Michael Schuster: A fine, fruit-packed nose of ripe blackberry and mineral; very nicely balanced indeed. Rich, with a fairly firm but beautifully textured tannin alongside the year’s fresh acidity; lovely concentration, long, ripe, dry and gravelly, complex and generous—classic, harmonious, middleweight claret; a restrained power with a great tenacity of flavor and excellent length. A joyous fruit mass at its heart, yet all the elegance of fine St-Julien. A beauty; a very complete Branaire. 2018–30+. 16.5/17

Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve: The most well behaved of all the St-Juliens wines we tasted, offering great substance and perfectly controlled tannins and great aromatic diversity. A great wine in this great vintage. 18