Brane Cantenac 2021 (750ML)

95 AG / 95 DE / 95 JS / 94 JA / 92-94 JD / 93 WA / 93 VM

The 2021 Brane-Cantenac is a classy, elegant wine. The aromatics alone are so enticing. Crushed flowers, sweet pipe tobacco, mint, rose petal and cedar open first. The 74% Cabernet Sauvignon is a bit higher than in most years, which comes through in the wine's aromatic and structural profile. The 2021 is quiet and understated. Élevage was 18 months in 100% new French oak, but the wood is not at all evident—an important and positive sign regarding the wine's overall balance. Even so, the 2021 is a subdued Brane-Cantenac, one that needs time in bottle to shine at its brightest. - Antonio Gallino, Vinous Media

A dark seductive nose, liquorice, sweet and sticky with a real depth to the aromatics, black chocolate and perfumed blackcurrants - that glamour that Margaux does so well. High acid here, crunchy fruit with bite and ample appeal. This is a little high-toned still, with the focus on the mineral, slightly austere sides to the bright and youthful strawberry fruit with toasted wood edges. Tannins are so supple and integrated however, they give a plumpness but this is still quite a linear wine, with such tension and drive - it's tightly-knitted no doubt but has the most gorgeous herbal Cabernet elements on the fresh finish which I totally love. You get understated power, this feels well controlled, sophisticated and totally delectable. What a lovely 2021. Eric Boissenot consultant. 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Carmenère complete the blend. 3.66pH. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

Beautiful finesse here that shows currants, roasted red chili pepper and a hint of charcoal, mineral and pencil shavings. Very refined and layered with a juicy, medium body and a long, composed finish. Classy and very layered. Drink or hold. - James Suckling

Dark plum colour, attractive rich texture, with high aromatics and clear power on the nose. Not exuberant, more red and blue, cool fruits, with purity and power, this has concentration and is one of the best in Margaux in this vintage. Has personality and balance, with curls of black chocolate and liqourice, balacing out the ever-present fresh acidities of the vintage. 100% new oak, 3.63ph. 12.7ph. Harvest September 23 to October 7. 41.2hl/h yield, high for the year, but without dilution which was a potential pitfall of high yields. A potential upscore in bottle. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

I loved the 2021 Château Brane-Cantenac, and I'd put this up with the top wines in the appellation. Medium-bodied, silky, and pure, with considerable elegance, it has lots of red and black fruits, some floral and herbal, tobacco nuances, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's a quintessential Margaux with its complexity and nuance. - Jeb Dunnuck

The 2021 Brane-Cantenac offers up aromas of sweet dark berries mingled with mint, vanilla pod and spices. It shows its élevage and malolactic fermentation in new oak more prominently than it did en primeur. Medium to full-bodied, with good depth and concentration, it's bright and velvety, with plenty of structuring barrel tannin and a vanillin-inflected finish. The quality of Brane's terroirs and a strict selection shows through, so if it can digest its oak more completely, this will prove exceptional. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

The first thing that I notice on the 2021 Brane-Cantenac is that the color is conspicuously deeper than that of the Deuxième Vin. The nose has exquisite, very pure and delineated scents of raspberry and blackcurrant, with a touch of pencil box and cedar. There is almost a Burgundy-like allure to these aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. Classic in style with a clean bead of acidity, there is a noticeable saline/estuarine aspect to this Brane. It’s focused and poised with quite a peppery finish (more-so than out of barrel). Whilst it has no desire to match the imperial heights of other recent vintages, this will allow for perfect drinking over the next 20-odd years. Excellent. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media