2016 Chateau Brane-Cantenac Margaux

The 2016 Château Brane-Cantenac is a fantastic showing, with the final blend consisting of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Carménère. This gorgeous Margaux offering beautiful aromas of dark currants and cassis which come together with exotic spices, fresh violets, fresh tobacco leaf and graphite. On the palate this boasts a medium to full body with beautifully polished tannins that provide excellent structure. It possesses outstanding overall balance, depth and focus with lovely underlying acidity that persists through the long finish. Readers should have a lot to look forward to, as this is a simply sensational which should have an extremely bright future ahead.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "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. Rating: 96-98"


James Suckling - "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."