Château Brane Cantenac, 2ème Cru Classé, Margaux, 2016
Tasted twice with equally impressive notes. There's a wild element to the bouquet, sap, meadow flowers infused with ripe cassis and cranberries. The palate is awash with polished raspberry liqueur, black cherry and loganberry. There's plenty of weight, but this is not heavy, it floats across the palate with weightless ease. This is beautifully constructed, juicy yet gentle, finely worked tannins and a peacock's tail of floral fruit on the fine boned tannins. Classic Brane.
critic reviews
The 2016 Brane-Cantenac has the most extravagant bouquet by far, with vivacious black and blue fruit, bunches of violet, potpourri and heather. Beautiful definition. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation, quite sapid in style, not as luxuriant as the nose, and the finish seems to have clammed up at the moment. But just give this time. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.
Full sweet spot Brane Cantenac, not tasting quite as luscious as during the recent vertical at the estate, with the austerity more evident in the tannins, but come on, this is still hard to argue with, full of character and sap and vivid life, cocoa bean, brambled autumnal fruit, cola, crushed rocks and crayons. 70% new oak barrels. Eric Boissenot consultant, Henri Lurton owner, Christophe Capdeville technical director.
Rich, deep, powerful, still just at the start of its life. This is a stunning wine, the standout in the vertical. Luscious black fruits, with a careful climb of freshness and acidity through the palate, carefully placed and so delicious, waves of subtle cumin, cocoa and liquorice spice, cassis, cedar, mint leaf, smoked tea, oyster shell, slate tannins. Can easily hold for another few decades, but honestly it is tasting so good right now, you might want to at least open one bottle so you can begin to follow its progress. Harvest September 22 to October 17, 52.5hl/h yield, 70% new oak barrels. Eric Boissenot consultant, Henri Lurton owner, Christophe Capdeville technical director.