The 2011 Branas Grand Poujeaux offers up a rich, generously oak-inflected bouquet of cassis mingled with dark chocolate, vanilla pod, cigar wrapper and baking spices. Medium-bodied, rich and fleshy, with an attractive core of fruit, powdery tannins and a vanillin-tinged finish, it's somewhat reminiscent of a Médoc version of Chateau Angélus—perhaps unsurprisingly, as Hubert de Boüard was the consultant winemaker. Less would have been more, but this is still a creditable effort.

Classy cassis fruit with elegance, balance and length. Drink 2015-2022. (16.5 points)