Château Brane-Cantenac - Margaux 2016 (750ml)
Price: $120.00
| Producer | Château Brane-Cantenac |
| Country | France |
| Region | Bordeaux |
| Subregion | Margaux |
| Varietal | Bordeaux Blend |
| Vintage | 2016 |
| Size | 750ml |
Jancis Robinson 17.5/20
Tasted blind. Sweet and easy. Not dramatic but well mannered and all in balance. Inky and very Margaux. Henri Lurton and his sustainable viticulture will presumably be very pleased that his wine was the group's second-favourite Margaux after Ch Margaux in this Southwold tasting.
Wine Advocate: 98 Points
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. 96-98
Decanter: 96 Points
Magnificent Cabernets in 2016 at Brane, continuing on from the strong showing of 2015. This wine is magisterial, with the plummy damson aromatics showing that even at this young stage the fruit will not be contained. The Carmenère and Cabernet Franc pairing makes another appearance (3%), the Carmenère now in its second decade and starting to repay their belief in the grape, bringing a welcoming flourish of white pepper and rose petal. There's exceptional layering of the dark fruits and rich tannins on the palate, with a wonderful smoky edge. 39% of production, from a 51hl/ha yield demonstrating that the best terroirs in the Médoc don't need to be cropped low to show intensity and complexity. Another exceptional year here.
James Suckling: 96 Points
So much ripe and sweet tobacco on the nose with currant and blackberry character. Full body, intense tannins with density and beauty. It’s a wine with great structure and panache for this estate. Try after 2024.
Vinous: 96 Points
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 doesnt come better than this. -- Neal Martin
The Wine Cellar Insider: 96 Points
The complex nose sets you in the right direction with its hints of espresso, flowers, thyme, ripe cherry, plum and cocoa aromas. Medium-bodied, finesse styled in character, with silky textures and freshness, if you can wait a decade for this to open, you are going to have a stunner in your glass!.
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