Bordeaux's 2001s revisited – St Julien

 

Château Branaire 2001 St Julien 16 Drink 2007-2014
Deep purple. Modern, sweet black fruits on the nose. Relatively light and jagged. Not much fun. Lots of tannin. Astringent.
Nov: Big, dark and brooding. Quite dramatic in its density. Chewy finish. Needs time. 16 Drink 2008-2016

Château Beychevelle 2001 St Julien 16 Drink 2006-2012
Low-key nose. Casual, no great concentration or lively terroir truth. A disappointment for me.
Nov: Rather dull crimson but fragrant. A perfectly 'pleasant', early-maturing 2001. 16 Drink 2005-2010

Château Clos du Marquis 2001 St Julien 16 Drink 2009-2019
Lots of deep crimson. Aromatic, then...