Brane Cantenac 2015

Tasted blind. Shiny deep crimson. Pretty smart and intense on the nose. Rather subtle and glorious. Very difficult to spit because it’s so suave and layered. Good freshness and so active under the aroma. Meaty but not at all reduced. Complete.Drink 2024-2044

The 2015 Château Brane-Cantenac checks in as a mix of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Carmenere brought up in roughly 75% new French oak. This medium to full-bodied beauty excels on all accounts and gives up gorgeous notes of blackcurrants, lead pencil, spice and hints of toasted bread. Polished, impeccably balanced, concentrated, and with ripe tannin, it’s a rock star in 2015 that can be drunk young or cellared for 20-25 years. Bravo! 2018 - 2043

The nose is rich and ripe with a mix of black fruits the palate has depth richness with cassis and dark chocolate supple and fleshy. A hint of vanilla at the back adds to the complexity the finish lifted has length style polished.

One of a line-up of impressive Margaux in 2015, Brane-Cantenac is at its most textured and well balanced here. The bramble, cedar wood and blackcurrant flavours are complemented by attractive oak, medium weight tannins and vibrant, palate-cleansing acidity. Drink: 2022-32

A neat and tidy Brane, with a firm red fruit theme but the volume is turned down a notch lower throughout the experience than I would have hoped for. A little too hard and coarse on the finish, this wine needs to turn the corner before it ends up being a little too mean and lean. I have a feeling it will not make it.

The 2015 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Carménère. As usual, this Margaux takes a little time to open up in the glass, eventually revealing scents of blackberry, cedar, mint and a light sprinkling of pencil shavings. That minty element becomes more prominent with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and a fine line of acidity. I adore the harmony and texture of this Brane-Cantenac: very svelte and silky on the surface but underneath there is backbone and very fine focus. The finish has a touch of chalkiness, quite saline in the mouth with a long, persistent finish. What an outstanding Margaux this is going to be although like many great vintages it will require several years in bottle. Anticipated maturity: 2023 - 2050.

The 2015 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Carmenère that was picked from 17 September until 7 October (that Carmenère was actually picked on 19 October). It was cropped at 51 hl/ha. This is classic Brane-Cantenac down the line: austere at first, almost aloof, but very well defined and over time it starts revealing lovely tobacco-stained black fruit. The palate is very well balanced with raspberry and wild strawberry on the entry, perhaps more red fruit than I was anticipating. Veins of undergrowth and cedar are in situ on this very well-balanced, reserved and classic Margaux boasting a long and persistent finish that feels satisfying, reassuring even. Not a Margaux for those that seek tons of fruit, it is nonetheless a very terroir-expressive wine that will repay those who know that this cru demands preferably 12-15 years in the cellar. Henri Lurton never wavers from his style of Margaux and it pays dividends here on this great wine for those with patience. Drink 2030-2060.

This is very big and rich wine with dense and rich tannins, lots of ripe fruit. Blackberry, blueberry flavors. Muscular yet polished.

The 2015 Brane-Cantenac is medium to deep garnet-purple in color with a nose of crushed black berries and chocolate-covered cherries with touches of fried herbs and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, refreshing and elegant in the mouth, with chewy tannins, it has an herbal lift on the finish. Drink 2019 - 2034.

Exceptionally deep crimson. Meat and wild flowers on the nose - very interesting. Definitely out of the ordinary. Left-field wine that should not disappoint. Racy and lifted. Really very elegant. Chapeau!Drink 2024-2038