Château Brane Cantenac, 2ème Cru Classé, Margaux,

Generous yet balanced, plenty to sink your teeth into here, this is a Brane Cantenac that knows exactly where it is going, and that has kept a Margaux effortlessness even in the heat and drought of the summer. You feel the warmth in telltale sweetness of the fruits - blackberry puree, cassis fruit pastilles, plenty of bitter black chocolate and liqourice, but it never loses its juice, and keeps momentum through the palate. No Carmenère in the blend in this vintage. 45hl/ha yield. 70% new oak. Harvest from 17 September to 11 October.

Brane-Cantenac 2018 is deep garnet purple in color. It offers a perfumed nose of lilacs and spice box, over a core of warm cassis, preserved plums, and forest floor, with a hint of crushed rocks. Full-bodied, rich, and with wonderfully velvety tannins, it has a lively backbone and a very long mineral-tinged finish.

The 2018 Brane-Cantenac was picked from September 17 until October 11 at 45hl/ha, and aged in 70% new French oak. As I wrote in my barrel report, the bouquet is more forthcoming than other vintages, scents of blackberry, cranberry, fern and mint lending it a Pauillac touch, as you often find on Brane-Cantenac in its youth. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity. As usual, there is a soupçon of underlying greenness that will dissipate with bottle age. This brims with energy yet remains very classic in style. Will it drink earlier than other vintages? I am not so sure; revisiting this in bottle, I would certainly afford it 4–5 years.