2016 Brane-Cantenac (Margaux)

Origin
Margaux, Medoc, Bordeaux FRANCE
Colour
red
Wine Style
dry
Dominant Grape
Cabernet Sauvignon
Closure Style
cork
Maturity
young
Bottle Size
37.5cl
Case Quantity
12
Alcohol
13.5%
Wine Score
96-98 points, Neal Martin, robertparker.com, Apr 2017 94 pts, Jane Anson, decanter.com, April 2017
91 points, Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, Apr 2017
17 points, Jancis Robinson, jancisrobinson.com, Apr 2017 96 pts, J-M Quarin, quarin.com, Apr 2017

This product is delisted and unavailable for sale.

Media Reviews

Neal Martin

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 t he 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. 96-98 points

Jane Anson

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. 94 points

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