Brane Cantenac 2016

Margaux, Second Growth

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Tasting Notes
I missed this wine in my recent 2016 Bordeaux report, but I was able to purchase a bottle locally. A tremendous Margaux, the 2016 offers the quintessential elegance of the appellation as well as plenty of density, concentration, and ripe tannins. Beautiful notes of blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, cedarwood, and flowery incense all emerge from the glass, and it builds nicely with air, offering medium to full body, flawless balance, and a great finish. This is classic Margaux as well as a classic 2016. It’s already approachable, and I doubt it will close down, yet it’s going to develop additional nuances with another 4-6 years of bottle age and have 25-30 years of prime drinking. Score: 95 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2023-2048 14 November 2019
The 2016 Brane-Cantenac is very pretty and nuanced. The richness of the year comes through, and yet there is a good bit of freshness and energy as well to balance things out nicely. Brane-Cantenac offers a fine expression of the year in a wine that will drink well with minimal cellaring. Time in the glass brings out an attractive register of floral notes that add to the wine's undeniable appeal. Score: 93 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2022-2046 01 January 2019
The 2016 Brane-Cantenac is terrific, and also a worthy follow-up to the 2015, although it naturally reflects the very different personality of the year. Dark red and purplish fruit, mocha, spice and leather infuse this super-expressive Margaux. Vivid and intense, but with a perceptible feeling of translucent finesse, the 2016 is wonderfully complete and expressive. It also has quite a bit of potential to grow from there. Tasted three times. Score: 90 - 93 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 25 April 2017
The 2016 Brane-Cantenac has been on a roll of late, under the watchful eye of Henri Lurton. This latest bottled vintage is superb. The divine, pure blackberry and bilberry bouquet develops touches of graphite in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, silky-smooth texture and a superb bead of acidity. This is not a powerful Brane-Cantenac, and it is perhaps less austere than I suspected en primeur, but it should drink beautifully over the next three decades. If you have a penchant for traditional claret, it really doesn’t come better than this. Score: 96 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2028-2056 01 October 2018
The 2016 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Carmenere picked from 22 September until 17 October (the tiny parcel of Carmenere picked three days later). The yields came in at 51 hectoliters per hectare and it is matured in 75% new oak and 25% one-year-old barrels, the final alcohol level 13.3%. It has a beautifully defined, very detailed bouquet with mineral-rich black fruit laced with cedar and graphite notes, living up to its nom de plume as the "Pauillac of Margaux." The palate is simply the best that I have ever tasted at the estate, without question. This has presence, but also weightlessness, filigree tannin and perfectly pitched acidity, with real intensity and drive. The tension here is outstanding and the persistence is incredibly long. It is not the showiest of all the 2016s by a long stretch, and yet it is everything you could possibly want from a Margaux. Like Beychevelle this year, the 2016 Brane-Cantenac puts recent vintages in the shade, thanks not only to the growing season, but also a new punching down system in their gravity-fed winery that was completed in 2015. The 2016 is a benchmark against which future vintages will be compared. Score: 96 - 98 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2026-2060 28 April 2017
Gorgeous campsite woodsmoke effect on the nose and the effect, as is so often the case with Brane, is that their use of oak ageing is extremely cleverly thought out. This is a luscious wine with rich, deeply layered fruits and gentle spices, all set against well brushed, caressing tannins. This is a great vintage for this property, so effortless. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Carmenere (now old enough at 10 years, and successful enough due to the late harvest, to finally make it into the grand vin). Excellent. Score: 94 Decanter, - Maturity: 2027-2050 20 April 2017
Exotic nose of ground coffee roast and blackcurrant jam. Rich and full-bodied with deep cherry fruit, blackforest gateau. Palate-staining, firm and ripe, this is big but balanced. Score: 91 - 93 Albany Vintners, - 19 April 2017
Dark purplish crimson. Neat, unforced, smells fully ripe. Salty finish and a fine spread across the palate. Bone dry, but not too drying, finish. Cool, unforced and sophisticated. Very competent indeed. Score: 17 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2026-2044 17 April 2017
Shows a coffee edge, along with tobacco and bay notes that meld steadily into the core of steeped plum and black cherry fruit. The fleshy finish lets the bay element take an encore. A touch old-school. Score: 90 - 93 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 10 April 2017
This is really strong from Brane-Cantenac this year with toned muscles and beautiful fruit. Full-bodied, chewy and polished. Shows wonderful intensity and density yet remains reserved and very tight. Very impressive from here. Grabs you. One of the best ever from here. Score: 95 - 96 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 24 March 2017

Tasting Notes

I missed this wine in my recent 2016 Bordeaux report, but I was able to purchase a bottle locally. A tremendous Margaux, the 2016 offers the quintessential elegance of the appellation as well as plenty of density, concentration, and ripe tannins. Beautiful notes of blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, cedarwood, and flowery incense all emerge from the glass, and it builds nicely with air, offering medium to full body, flawless balance, and a great finish. This is classic Margaux as well as a classic 2016. It’s already approachable, and I doubt it will close down, yet it’s going to develop additional nuances with another 4-6 years of bottle age and have 25-30 years of prime drinking.

Score: 95

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2023-2048 14 November 2019

The 2016 Brane-Cantenac is very pretty and nuanced. The richness of the year comes through, and yet there is a good bit of freshness and energy as well to balance things out nicely. Brane-Cantenac offers a fine expression of the year in a wine that will drink well with minimal cellaring. Time in the glass brings out an attractive register of floral notes that add to the wine's undeniable appeal.

Score: 93

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2022-2046 01 January 2019

The 2016 Brane-Cantenac is terrific, and also a worthy follow-up to the 2015, although it naturally reflects the very different personality of the year. Dark red and purplish fruit, mocha, spice and leather infuse this super-expressive Margaux. Vivid and intense, but with a perceptible feeling of translucent finesse, the 2016 is wonderfully complete and expressive. It also has quite a bit of potential to grow from there. Tasted three times.

Score: 90 - 93

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 25 April 2017

The 2016 Brane-Cantenac has been on a roll of late, under the watchful eye of Henri Lurton. This latest bottled vintage is superb. The divine, pure blackberry and bilberry bouquet develops touches of graphite in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, silky-smooth texture and a superb bead of acidity. This is not a powerful Brane-Cantenac, and it is perhaps less austere than I suspected en primeur, but it should drink beautifully over the next three decades. If you have a penchant for traditional claret, it really doesn’t come better than this.

Score: 96

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2028-2056 01 October 2018

The 2016 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Carmenere picked from 22 September until 17 October (the tiny parcel of Carmenere picked three days later). The yields came in at 51 hectoliters per hectare and it is matured in 75% new oak and 25% one-year-old barrels, the final alcohol level 13.3%. It has a beautifully defined, very detailed bouquet with mineral-rich black fruit laced with cedar and graphite notes, living up to its nom de plume as the "Pauillac of Margaux." The palate is simply the best that I have ever tasted at the estate, without question. This has presence, but also weightlessness, filigree tannin and perfectly pitched acidity, with real intensity and drive. The tension here is outstanding and the persistence is incredibly long. It is not the showiest of all the 2016s by a long stretch, and yet it is everything you could possibly want from a Margaux. Like Beychevelle this year, the 2016 Brane-Cantenac puts recent vintages in the shade, thanks not only to the growing season, but also a new punching down system in their gravity-fed winery that was completed in 2015. The 2016 is a benchmark against which future vintages will be compared.

Score: 96 - 98

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2026-2060 28 April 2017

Gorgeous campsite woodsmoke effect on the nose and the effect, as is so often the case with Brane, is that their use of oak ageing is extremely cleverly thought out. This is a luscious wine with rich, deeply layered fruits and gentle spices, all set against well brushed, caressing tannins. This is a great vintage for this property, so effortless. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Carmenere (now old enough at 10 years, and successful enough due to the late harvest, to finally make it into the grand vin). Excellent.

Score: 94

Decanter, - Maturity: 2027-2050 20 April 2017

Exotic nose of ground coffee roast and blackcurrant jam. Rich and full-bodied with deep cherry fruit, blackforest gateau. Palate-staining, firm and ripe, this is big but balanced.

Score: 91 - 93

Albany Vintners, - 19 April 2017

Dark purplish crimson. Neat, unforced, smells fully ripe. Salty finish and a fine spread across the palate. Bone dry, but not too drying, finish. Cool, unforced and sophisticated. Very competent indeed.

Score: 17

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2026-2044 17 April 2017

Shows a coffee edge, along with tobacco and bay notes that meld steadily into the core of steeped plum and black cherry fruit. The fleshy finish lets the bay element take an encore. A touch old-school.

Score: 90 - 93

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 10 April 2017

This is really strong from Brane-Cantenac this year with toned muscles and beautiful fruit. Full-bodied, chewy and polished. Shows wonderful intensity and density yet remains reserved and very tight. Very impressive from here. Grabs you. One of the best ever from here.

Score: 95 - 96

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 24 March 2017

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