2019 Château Brane-Cantenac

The 2019 Brane-Cantenac marked the introduction of the R'Pulse system to enhance extraction and obviate the use of pumping-over. By then, the wine was mostly sourced from 30 hectares at the heart of the estate on Terrace IV gravels, with 100% new oak used during élevage. Vivacious blackberry, blueberry and hints of shucked oyster shells make for a far superior nose to the 2018 with more delineation, freshness and mineralité . The palate is medium-bodied with a notably sapid entry, verging on briny in style with plenty of black olives (perhaps due to the focus on the gravelly terroir?). Cohesive with impressive grip on the finish, this is a long-term prospect that will flourish with bottle age. Superb. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château in September 2025.

High spice notes, cumin, sandalwood, cedar, white pepper. confident, slow unroll, cassis and blackberry, brambled hedgerow, espresso and cocoa bean. Field-grafting increased Cabernet Sauvignon to over 70% on the plateau at this point, with the 1st wine entirely sourced from the 30ha of Terrace 4. Harvest September 18 to October 9, 50.3hl/h yield, 100% new French oak for the first time. Eric Boissenot consultant, Henri Lurton owner, Christophe Capdeville technical director.

The 2019 Brane Cantenac has a flattering, floral, quintessentially Margaux bouquet that is very pure and well-defined. This leans more towards red than black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with a gritty entry, powerful, almost burly, yet it finds a slight tertiary/herbaceous element on the finish that is the leitmotif of this estate. It is a Margaux that I would not approach for now and needs time. My score was skewed by that tertiary element and will reassess at a later date. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.