Château Brane Cantenac, 2ème Cru Classé, Margaux, 2024
A wonderfully expressive bouquet, redolent of violets, cassis, and mulberry, with subtle inflections of fine herbs and leaf tea. The aromatic profile is lifted, pure and detailed, leading gracefully to a refined palate layered with hedgerow fruit and gravelly blackcurrant. There’s a palpable energy here—juicy, poised, and finely pitched—yet always measured. The tannins are exquisitely rendered: delicate, filigree-like, and laced with saline minerals and graphite. This is a beautifully balanced, harmonious Brane-Cantenac of charm and composure, with the fruit and structure to provide great pleasure over the coming decades. Composed of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc.
critic reviews
Deep garnet-purple colored. Slowly unfurls in the glass to reveal fragrant notes of warm red plums, kirsch, and strawberry pie, plus hints of mossy tree bark and black olives. The light to medium-bodied palate is plush and refreshing with impressive intensity and a perfumed finish. Pretty!
The 2024 Brane-Cantenac was picked between September 17 and October 8. No Petit Verdot or Carménère were included in the blend this year. It was cropped at 46.6 hl/ha and matured in 80% new oak. This has a refined bouquet, understated at first, opening with black fruit, graphite and deft touches of wild mint. The palate is medium-bodied with sapid black fruit on the entry. With fine grip and very fresh, this is a Brane-Cantenac leaning more toward Pauillac in style as it is sometimes wont to do. Lightly peppery on the finish, this is an elegant Margaux that should be broached before its 2020 or 2022 counterparts.
Tons of energy, stone fruits, cherry pits, damson, a lovely feeling of fruit that has plenty of life ahead it, fresh and juicy with sapidity. not trying too hard just full of pleasure. Edge of grilled campfire, graphite, generosity, easily one of the wines of the vintage. 11.3% press wine, 3.53pH, 46.6hl/ha yield. Harvest 17 September to 8 October, 80% new oak for ageing.
A blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2024 Brane-Cantenac exhibits aromas of sweet berries, vanilla pod and toasty new oak, followed by a medium-bodied, fleshy and youthfully tannic palate that's lent a creamy, lactic quality by its malolactic fermentation in new barrels.