Love Margaux wines with rack of lamb. It is a classic pair as long as you are not doing a Mediterranean mint prep. This is salt, pepper, Napa Valley rub and red wine.
As it airs and intermixes w/ the meal, it rises from 93 to 94.
The wine is approaching its peak. Still has another 10 yrs of appropriate drinking.
The fruits are ripe, juicy; blackberries, black raspberries, plum, dark cherries, strawberries, raspberries with hues of purple & blue fruits. There is excellent integration & evolution. Led pencil shavings, fresh & dry herbs, moist grey volcanic minerals/clay, fresh & dry tobacco, sandalwood, used leather, soft, dark spice with heat on the long set, limestone, dry crushed rocks into powder, touch of black pepper, saline, fresh dark, red flowers with violets, excellent, cool rainfall acidity, well woven, balanced, softly tensioned & structured with a pure elegant finish that lasts a full two-minutes.
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Drank from magnum. Opened about 1 hour before drinking but not decanted and consumed over about 3 hours. Virtually opaque black-garnet color. Tarry, fruity nose with hints of menthol and spice. Very ripe and intense on the palate but still quite primary. Tasted much more of 2003 than Margaux but clearly Bordeaux. Long, moderately tannic finish. All in all a good wine and nicely balanced but rather simple with no indication of future development. Purchased on release and stored in my cellar since.
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Pre-Xmas Indulgence; 12/1/2023-12/22/2023 (Madrid y Alicante - España): Becoming traditional at my home, bottle opened fourteen hours before lunch to slowly oxygenate. Without decanting. Cork in good condition but somewhat sparse in length I've to say. The Lurtons save on every field. The first impression on the nose was of a decided reduction and once well aerated presents feminine aromas representative of Margaux, namely rose petals, cassis broth, fruit yogourt of all forest berries, including a vegetable touch. Too linear to be considered aristocratic. On the palate it stands out for a velvety texture, a medium-bodied wine with an acidity and a balancing acidity, a very short finish for its supposed category. Acid aftertaste. No trace of the famous heat that those prophets proclaimed. It would be absurd to let it age any longer IMHO. Don't expect too much anyway.
Como es tradicion en mi hogar, botella abierta catorce horas antes del almuerzo para que se oxigene lentamente. Sin decantar. Corcho en buen estado pero de una longitud un tanto escasa. Los Lurton ahorran en todos los campos. La primera impresión en nariz fue de una decidida reducción y una vez bien aireada presenta femeninos aromas representativos de Margaux, a saber, pétalos de rosa, caldo de cassis, yogourt de frutillos del bosque, inclusive un toque vegetal. Demasiado lineal para ser considerado aristocrático. En boca resalta por una textura aterciopelada, un vino de cuerpo medio con una acidez con una acidez equilibradora y un final muy corto para su supuesta categoría. Retrogusto ácido. Sin rastro del famoso calor que los profetas proclamaron. Sería absurdo dejarla envejecerla por más tiempo. No esperes demasiado de todos modos.
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20 Vintages of Brane Cantenac: My limited experience with Brane has been mostly positive, and this tasting confirmed my initial thoughts: these days, Brane is A) usually quite accessible and charming, even young; B) the quality has steadily improved over the years, the wines are becoming more complex, precise and balanced; while vintages pre 2015 often seemed a bit simple, more recent vintages show better, C) the aromatics in recent vintages remind me of Ch. Margaux, with beautiful ripe red fruit core, as well as floral and coffee components; and D) the quality/price ratio is exceptionally good (not considered for the ratings). E) The best wine was the ethereal 2020 (96 points), followed by a superbly fresh 2010 (95 points). Although the quality is exceptional these days, the Chateau didn't fully nail every vintage, the 2019 (93pts) and, more surprisingly, the 2016 (93pts) were strong but a tad too ripe and sweet.
TN: Not much perfume jumping out of the glass. But much more open on the palate with surprisingly fresh red fruit and even some rhubarb notes. The downside here was that the tannins on the finish were slightly drying. This is unfortunately true for many 2003 these days. Still, this is quite a success for this difficult vintage. Drink up.
Decanting: Not decanted. I’m not sure if decanting would benefit the wine.
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Very dark red/purple color. Drank a glass over an hour. Same bottle as Chablis28 - see his note for prep. Cassis, sweet, flroal, ripe and juicy fruits on the nose. The palate shows more intense blackberry compote, grpahite, black raspberry, dill, a slight green note.
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Wine Group Left Bank ( '08 & back) diner. My btl and one of only a handful of '03s I own. This is in the pocket but still some upside. Double decant & slow ox for 2-1/2hrs at home plus another hour w/ cork out at BLVD Kitchen b4 drinking. This was quite placid, elegant & fresh. Superbly balanced & very Margaux. No signs of an overripe vintage Like an 03 Burg or CdP. Plenty of depth and pretty fruit along with an enticing nose. Happy that many if not all wines at our dinner showed up with proper air & all 6 btls at our table were degrees of very good to outstanding.
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Vertical of 20 vintages - Chateau Brane-Cantenac: It was a pleasure to taste 20 vintages of Brane-Cantenac. All wines were tasted blind and with little time (10min per flight of 4 wines). Coming from the Margaux appellation, the wine convinced 1) with its accessibility of all vintages, 2) often very feminine and fresh vinification and 3) especially the consistency of quality to be emphasized. So it was not surprising that all 20 bottles (for the first time in this tasting with 12 people) were empty. At the same time, it could also be noted that the very great complexity for ratings above 94 points is often somewhat lacking. Very exciting to observe were the significant change in fruit. Until the 2009 vintage, this was often primarily red-fruited, light and very strongly Cabernet influenced. From the 2009 vintage on, a clear shift to more extraction and sweetness of the fruit is noticeable. The last, often great vintages from 2015 to 2020 are ripe but still with a good freshness/acidity (except for 2015 according to my impression).
Tasting Note: - The nose of the wine is more perfumed and shows signs of artificial fruitiness. - On the palate, the wine is extremely smooth and supple, with a round texture. Compared to the 2000 vintage, it seems a little less complex and has too many perfumed aromas for my taste.
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Bordeaux 2003 – 20 Years On – 33 Reds: All wines tasted blind, not decanted (some wines would have needed it). Observations: 1) 2003 is not a good vintage. The wines don’t have the depth and elegance of good years. But I was positively surprised, that while it’s clearly a hot year, there are less overripe, over-extracted and prematurely dying wines than in 09/10. Still, there is no comparison to how Chateauxs handle hot years today. 2) Compared to five other vintage retrospectives, the 2003 came in last place (lower average score than 2011), with just Chateau Margaux reaching a group score above 95pts. 3) Margaux wines showed best, with the typical immediate charm, while St. Estephe and Pauillac have potential but will need more time (and/or would have needed more air). 4) Right bank wines did not show as good with some alcohol showing and a few wines being on a downhill path. I would not chase 2003 right banks.
TN: A bit muted on the nose. With time a bit ripe dark fruit, certainly the ripest nose in the Margaux flight, even some “new world” sugar tones which disappear later (but probably still not a wine for purists). On the palate lots of blue and dark red fruit around a cassis core and some floral aromas. Intruiguing purity. Fine tannins, superb acidity, excellent balance and harmony with a light and airy texture. A good wine (others liked it a less though), like all Margauxs tonight.
Decanting: No extensive decanting needed.
Group average: 90.5 pts Group rank: Shared 18th out of 29 reds
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Grand Bordeaux 2003 horizontal tasting (Fribourg): Bordeaux 2003 vintage horizontal hosted by a private collector and moderated by Jean-Marc Quarin. Main observations: 1/ Average quality is acceptable, but weighted down by various low-lights, esp. on the right bank. 2/ In general a tannic vintage, lacking balance. 3/ Top 3 wines were Lafite, Mouton and Margaux (all 95). See the tasting story for a complete overview and additional vintage comments.
Tasting note: The first impression already had a green, unripe sting to it. Iron-like minerality, some interesting elements of spice, but not much going on in terms of aging notes. The cherry-like fruit was on the one hand unripe and on the other masked. Heavy tannin load on the palate, fruit again borderline unripe. Not much fun.
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Margaux and Brane on the N and followed up on P. A good wine and I enjoyed it. Has interest and detail and is true to type, but in a weak year. Drink up.
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5th of 12, opened 2 hours, perfect cork and level, excellent showing, much easier and more nuanced fruit expression than previously last in August, even greater pleasure than technical mark, still upside, 10+ years. F+ (18).......possibly the nicest Brane I've drunk from this previous notorious under-performer.
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Overtly smoky nose with leather and earthy elements, dark fruit. On the palate not very elegant but also not overdone. I think they did their best in this vintage. It also helped that Brane Cantenac is usually on the lean side, so 2003 helped them in this respect. Solid, but not great.
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4th of 12, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, significantly more attractive than last bottle in March 2019, now fully mature, nicely balanced, not too hot, easy expression of layered fruit, just enough structure to ensure reasonable aging potential, upside yet. F (17.5).
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Crumbling cork, brief decant. Deep nose with tobacco and cranberry and smoke as well as roast/cured meat. Still vibrant on the finish despite its age. Very good.
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Definitely Margaux appellation in style with the more feminine expression from the left bank. No detection of over ripeness or over extraction from the hot vintage. It is starting to shed its primary flavors and secondary traits are beginning to emerge. Decanted for 2 hours, which turned out to be a good idea. Paired great with a prime tenderloin. I wouldn't pair this with anything fattier than tenderloin as it would be overpowered by a ribeye, etc.
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5 years since we crossed paths with this first ( Papies 90) and this is definitely at a special place. Better still we tried this blind. Very atypical for a bordeaux, smoky, roast meat side. Andreas actually called this as a late 90s Hermitage. Soft, well evolved, earthy too, restrained on the fruit and not burned in any way. Well evolved and dare we say this feels 5-10yrs older than it is. Very good experience of a wine and a good 91-92
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Had this a little over 3 years ago and vowed to open the first of my 3 soon. Times flies! The nose was fantastic upon opening but the palate reserved and a bit tannic on opening. So decided to decant foe 2 hours plus then back into the btl for an adl 75 minutes of slow ox in btl and Riedel BDX prior to dinner. Nita noticed the Margaux appellation on the label and asked me if this was the wine Jack Nicolson referred to in in Something Got to Give with Diane Keaton and I replied no but, I'd be happy to compare it blind along side the heralded 1st growth. This was every bit a stellar example of Margaux elegance, grace with 1st growth concentration and complexity. Not bad for a $29 sale price shortly after release locally! The key is giving this wine the time in cellar and the air it needs. Outstanding BDX! two more left, yea!
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3rd of 12, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, little changed from last bottle in May 17 other than slightly baked quality to the fruit more obvious, tastier than technical mark. VGI (17).
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Evidently, I haven't had this wine in 9 years, and I wasn't particularly impressed with it back then. So.....I was stunned.
Opened 3 hours before pouring, no decant. On the nose, very aromatic fruits with an alluring sense of sweat mixed with a slightly cinnamon minerality in the background.
On the palate, fully integrated. No discernible tannins, but an acidity that I didn't detect in 2008 keeps this lively. The fruit, compared to that earlier tasting....it's still there, but not longer brooding.
Pleasantly surprised / shocked this could morph from a relatively brooding, monolithic '03 beast into something as well-behaved and lovely as this. For my tastes, this bottle is drinking at or near peak today. We've all had the "unpleasant surprises", "over the hill", etc. It's nice when a bottle like this helps to tilt the scales the other way. 92 points objectively, but I like this bottle a lot more than that given my low expectations.
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Much better on Day 2 -- suggesting this wine could benefit from several more years and/or a long decant. Gained depth and concentration on Day 2, showing cedar and Margaux berries.
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2nd of 24, pnp, perfect cork and level, better showing than March in spite of 5 hours in a hot car, nuance and harmony developing in final glass, seems like early days and would benefit from 2 hour decant. At least VGI (17).
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Wonderful! Sophisticated, beautiful wine. Big orange hue, perfect nose of cedar, chocolate, spices, leather, berry fruits, i could go on and on. Just delicious, ready now
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1st of 24, pnp, perfect cork and level - mid ruby, some rim development; fruity not particularly complex or Margaux nose, cassis but also touch of red currant, primary; medium bodied, nice sweetish core, no real concentration, ok length, decent drink if lacking personality, seems not far from full maturity. At best currently VG+ (16.5).......not helped by starting at cold cellar temperature to replace corked LLC '82, certainly last glass was best!
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- Direkt nach dem Öffnen probiert, dazu asiatisches Gericht mit Rind - Farbe: noch kaum Braun-Färbung. Konzentriert und tiefrot - Bouquet: nicht besonders intensiv - Typisch CabS - schön integrierte Tannine, Schw. Johannisbeere. Frucht nicht stark. - Toller Wein.
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Great nose of red and dark fruit and some oak and mature earth Little disappointed about The body wich I think has disappeared And finish is short and not really balanced The 2005 BC is something completely different....... P
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Really liked this wine. Felt very svelte and weightless but yet focused red fruit and minerality. Didn't realize I own three of these myself. l'll have pop one of my own in the next year or so.
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Monthly Tasting Group: Bordeaux with Some Real Honeys (Victory 44, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color. Drank 1 glass over an hour. This was very good indeed. Showing plenty of ripe black fruits, cassis, black cherry, great nose, plenty of earth and nuance, a bit of baked black fruit character on the palate. Really a lovely wine and for the money, pretty hard to beat.
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IMHO the 2003 Bordeaux vintage was incredibly overrated. I know the critics said it was great, but I have been thoroughly unimpressed. I don't know, maybe the Brane Cantenac needs more time, but I tasted a somewhat tired wine...dried herbs and a lot of heat. Now the 2003 vintage was incredibly warm so perhaps that is why I tasted the heat, but where was the lush fruit?
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Texture veloutée, le vin a de la finesse malgré le millésime chaud. Le fruit est mûr bien sûr mais sans excès, un vin pas très complexe mais d'un bel équilibre. 88 pts
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Un très beau Margaux bien typé avec des notes de poivrons rouges, réglisse, cerises noires et une touche de café. Remarquablement frais et élégant pour un 2003. M'a semblé prêt à boire même s'il pourrait se maintenir encore une dizaine d'années. Très bon!
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Playing cards with Ken and Kelli (Our house, Kennett square, PA): Tasted double blind. Decanted for about an hour. Slight bricking color. On the nose some mushroom, leather, slight mint and eucalyptus. On the palate, the wine is soft and silky with medium acid with quite a bit of secondary notes. There is still a fair amount of fruit in the wine. With time a little more tannin emerges and the wine gains some sweetness. My first thought was a super tuscan but I didn't think it had enough acid to be Italian. Then thought Bordeaux or CA Bordeaux blend. Guessed a 10-15 year old California Bordeaux blend due to the slightly lower acid/higher fruit profile and the eucalyptus. I enjoyed this and it was my favorite red of the night.
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Decanted for 1.5hrs and for sure helped. Happy to come across another not overdone 2003 and seems the guys at B-C kept their cool and picked at the right time. Albeit not the best B-C out there. Open on the nose, good fruit, just about turning secondary an drinks very nicely now. Firm tannin on the palate but the wine is well round and has no sharp edges at all. Pretty nice but not a great wine. 89-90
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Enticing nose, with some of the mysterious qualities that bring you back for more. This is medium bodied, with soft tannins and pleasant, mostly red fruit. Decent, but no doubt a poor QPR at today's inflated prices for BDX.
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With flowers, tobacco, earth and blackberry aromas, this medium bodied wine has retained some freshness on the mid palate, ending with a slightly dusty, red berry finish.
Opened and poured into glass to sit for 45 minutes. Deep Red/Violet color. No signs of bricking, in fact this seemed young. Medium bodied, tannins have integrated but still primary Cabernet flavors. I would have guessed this was 80% Cabernet or more. Sweet pure focused fruit. Medium finish. While this is settled down and very drinkable I'm going to wait another 5 years to open the next one.
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Bu avant un Pichon Lalande 1990, Brane-cantenac est un tres beau Margaux. Au nez on peut percevoir la chaleur du millesisme. Les aromes de fruits sont tres presents. Soyeux en bouche, finale moyenne Belle finesse, un tres bon vin.
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This wine is drinking spectacularly right now! Great, rich flavors and well balanced, layered and has a great structure. Magnificent! - WS Grand Tour 2011
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Note after 2.5 hours in the decanter. Plums and black cherries on the nose. A bit brambly with coffee notes on the palate. A bit short on the finish. Not sure where this is heading.
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We did not take tasting notes last night, but this was very drinkable. It was lighter than we anticipated, but it was definitely ready to drink - smelled of dried fruits and tasted of red fruits with soft tannins.
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WS Grand Tour Boston (Copley Marriott): Nose: grilled herbs, hearts of palm, some red fruit and sea salt. Palate: comes across very salt. Some red fruit, but asparagus shows up. Finish: quite smokey and salty. Not sure if this is the style here, but this was a strange wine.
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A showcase of pure fruit, this was very precise and well defined with wild strawberry, raspberry, and plum fruit that was delicious but somewhat one-dimensional.
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Un Brane-Cantenac tout est richesse et en sensualité. Assez typique du millésime de 2003 quand même structuré mais avec peu d'acidité. Des notes de noix de coco, de vanille, de moka, de cassis, de myrtilles et de mûres. Beau vin, un peu plus dans le Nouveau-Monde, qui commence à atteindre son plateau.
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Fairly ripe black fruit mixes with pencil lead and nice underlying minerality. A little green especially on the finish, and the tannins are still a bit obtrusive -- better to wait on this but already pleasant to drink.
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Very enjoyable drinking, although not as good as I had expected. I may have to give it more time. The wine was (still?) very harsh and very unlike a Margaux.
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Pretty ruby color. Lovely nose of sweet Margaux earth with hints of cassis and tree bark. A lovely, elegant wine with a nice fullness for a Margaux. Wonderful earthy, herbaceous flavors with that roasted quality of the vintage. Finishes with a hint of greeness in the subtle but firm tannins. I like the freshness and raw materials here and look forward to seeing how this ages. 89+
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Carrie's Birthday! (Le Bec Fin Philadelphia): A little restrained. Deep dark color. Reserved nose. Blue fruit first to emerge with some mocha and deeper red fruit. Average, but acceptable finish. This needs more time.
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merveille d'équilibre et de finesse. Ouvert 1 heure et demi avant dégustation, le nez est marqué par des notes de fruits rouges , en bouche on note un leger boisé et un grand plaisir.
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Very dark in color all the way to the rim. Black cherry, smoke, meat and tar. There are tannins present, but did not overwhelm me. I liked this a lot. $25 from Costco. I'm going back for more if it is available.
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Generous nose with blackberries and licorice; similar palate with nice minerality. Definitely not New World, but not a classically styled bordeaux. Drinking remarkably well as a 4 year old. The most surprising thing for me was the demise of the wine on the second day. I left about a glass worth in the sealed bottle, looking forward to it all the next day. It was dead on arrival, tasting as though it had been left open for a week.
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(at Bobby Vans – NYC) This was a bit of a surprise. This is very new world in style with a tremendous toasting oak cape covering the ripe fruit of the wine. Lush, big and forward, this did not really remind me of Margaux. I don’t know if it is the vintage or the direction of the winery. Must admit to enjoying it, I was just surprised by the profile. (89)
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Nose: nice soft nose with blueberry, vanilla, chocolate too.
Taste: a floral taste and getting the vanilla and berries on the taste. Nice and smooth on the mouth and goes down very easy. Very well structured and would be interesting to taste in 10 years
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Good color, medium body, well balanced. Tanins moderate without harsh edge. Purchased at tasting. Still enjoyed at the second tasting (right after the Ducru Beaucaillou St. Julien at 3x the price).
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had a sip at beekman liquors with chateau proprietor, henri lurton. for me the tannins overtook the fruit although other tasters did not agree with this opinion. in view of generous parker rating, would have to give this wine the benefit of the doubt. although the wine was decanted, perhaps it should have had more time to breathe.
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My first Brane Cantenac. Dark ruby as all BDX 03. Intense nose, very ripe but still unmistakeably Bordeaux. Improved a lot with decanting and put on weight and structure. Fine Cabernet fruit in the relatively elegant finish. A real winner in my view.
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Gobs of blueberries mixed with some graphite and a bit of smokey tobacco. Very well mannered, medium bodied with ripe fruit, moderate concentration and fairly mild tannins. A delicious drink at this point.
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Tasted twice (in 2005 and in April, 2006). The first nose in 2005 was blackberry and jammy blackcurrant – a sign of the vintage, with second nose (following aeration) yielding some Corinthian raisin. Rather heady on the palate with alcohol showing prominently. 88. Tasted again in April at the château, about eight months later, and it was tasting better – less alcoholic though still somewhat jammy.
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1/27/2024 - Somm David T Likes this wine: 93 Points
Love Margaux wines with rack of lamb. It is a classic pair as long as you are not doing a Mediterranean mint prep. This is salt, pepper, Napa Valley rub and red wine.
As it airs and intermixes w/ the meal, it rises from 93 to 94.
The wine is approaching its peak. Still has another 10 yrs of appropriate drinking.
The fruits are ripe, juicy; blackberries, black raspberries, plum, dark cherries, strawberries, raspberries with hues of purple & blue fruits. There is excellent integration & evolution. Led pencil shavings, fresh & dry herbs, moist grey volcanic minerals/clay, fresh & dry tobacco, sandalwood, used leather, soft, dark spice with heat on the long set, limestone, dry crushed rocks into powder, touch of black pepper, saline, fresh dark, red flowers with violets, excellent, cool rainfall acidity, well woven, balanced, softly tensioned & structured with a pure elegant finish that lasts a full two-minutes.
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12/23/2023 - tomandlu wrote: 88 Points
Drank from magnum. Opened about 1 hour before drinking but not decanted and consumed over about 3 hours. Virtually opaque black-garnet color. Tarry, fruity nose with hints of menthol and spice. Very ripe and intense on the palate but still quite primary. Tasted much more of 2003 than Margaux but clearly Bordeaux. Long, moderately tannic finish. All in all a good wine and nicely balanced but rather simple with no indication of future development. Purchased on release and stored in my cellar since.
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12/12/2023 - Harley1199 wrote:
Pre-Xmas Indulgence; 12/1/2023-12/22/2023 (Madrid y Alicante - España): Becoming traditional at my home, bottle opened fourteen hours before lunch to slowly oxygenate. Without decanting. Cork in good condition but somewhat sparse in length I've to say. The Lurtons save on every field. The first impression on the nose was of a decided reduction and once well aerated presents feminine aromas representative of Margaux, namely rose petals, cassis broth, fruit yogourt of all forest berries, including a vegetable touch. Too linear to be considered aristocratic. On the palate it stands out for a velvety texture, a medium-bodied wine with an acidity and a balancing acidity, a very short finish for its supposed category. Acid aftertaste.
No trace of the famous heat that those prophets proclaimed. It would be absurd to let it age any longer IMHO. Don't expect too much anyway.
Como es tradicion en mi hogar, botella abierta catorce horas antes del almuerzo para que se oxigene lentamente. Sin decantar. Corcho en buen estado pero de una longitud un tanto escasa. Los Lurton ahorran en todos los campos. La primera impresión en nariz fue de una decidida reducción y una vez bien aireada presenta femeninos aromas representativos de Margaux, a saber, pétalos de rosa, caldo de cassis, yogourt de frutillos del bosque, inclusive un toque vegetal. Demasiado lineal para ser considerado aristocrático. En boca resalta por una textura aterciopelada, un vino de cuerpo medio con una acidez con una acidez equilibradora y un final muy corto para su supuesta categoría. Retrogusto ácido.
Sin rastro del famoso calor que los profetas proclamaron. Sería absurdo dejarla envejecerla por más tiempo. No esperes demasiado de todos modos.
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11/19/2023 - Cailles wrote: 91 Points
20 Vintages of Brane Cantenac: My limited experience with Brane has been mostly positive, and this tasting confirmed my initial thoughts: these days, Brane is A) usually quite accessible and charming, even young; B) the quality has steadily improved over the years, the wines are becoming more complex, precise and balanced; while vintages pre 2015 often seemed a bit simple, more recent vintages show better, C) the aromatics in recent vintages remind me of Ch. Margaux, with beautiful ripe red fruit core, as well as floral and coffee components; and D) the quality/price ratio is exceptionally good (not considered for the ratings). E) The best wine was the ethereal 2020 (96 points), followed by a superbly fresh 2010 (95 points). Although the quality is exceptional these days, the Chateau didn't fully nail every vintage, the 2019 (93pts) and, more surprisingly, the 2016 (93pts) were strong but a tad too ripe and sweet.
TN: Not much perfume jumping out of the glass. But much more open on the palate with surprisingly fresh red fruit and even some rhubarb notes. The downside here was that the tannins on the finish were slightly drying. This is unfortunately true for many 2003 these days. Still, this is quite a success for this difficult vintage. Drink up.
Decanting: Not decanted. I’m not sure if decanting would benefit the wine.
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10/25/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Very dark red/purple color. Drank a glass over an hour. Same bottle as Chablis28 - see his note for prep. Cassis, sweet, flroal, ripe and juicy fruits on the nose. The palate shows more intense blackberry compote, grpahite, black raspberry, dill, a slight green note.
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10/15/2023 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
Wine Group Left Bank ( '08 & back) diner. My btl and one of only a handful of '03s I own. This is in the pocket but still some upside. Double decant & slow ox for 2-1/2hrs at home plus another hour w/ cork out at BLVD Kitchen b4 drinking. This was quite placid, elegant & fresh. Superbly balanced & very Margaux. No signs of an overripe vintage Like an 03 Burg or CdP. Plenty of depth and pretty fruit along with an enticing nose. Happy that many if not all wines at our dinner showed up with proper air & all 6 btls at our table were degrees of very good to outstanding.
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9/10/2023 - J_H Likes this wine: 91 Points
Vertical of 20 vintages - Chateau Brane-Cantenac: It was a pleasure to taste 20 vintages of Brane-Cantenac. All wines were tasted blind and with little time (10min per flight of 4 wines). Coming from the Margaux appellation, the wine convinced 1) with its accessibility of all vintages, 2) often very feminine and fresh vinification and 3) especially the consistency of quality to be emphasized. So it was not surprising that all 20 bottles (for the first time in this tasting with 12 people) were empty. At the same time, it could also be noted that the very great complexity for ratings above 94 points is often somewhat lacking. Very exciting to observe were the significant change in fruit. Until the 2009 vintage, this was often primarily red-fruited, light and very strongly Cabernet influenced. From the 2009 vintage on, a clear shift to more extraction and sweetness of the fruit is noticeable. The last, often great vintages from 2015 to 2020 are ripe but still with a good freshness/acidity (except for 2015 according to my impression).
Tasting Note:
- The nose of the wine is more perfumed and shows signs of artificial fruitiness.
- On the palate, the wine is extremely smooth and supple, with a round texture. Compared to the 2000 vintage, it seems a little less complex and has too many perfumed aromas for my taste.
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5/7/2023 - Cailles wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux 2003 – 20 Years On – 33 Reds: All wines tasted blind, not decanted (some wines would have needed it). Observations: 1) 2003 is not a good vintage. The wines don’t have the depth and elegance of good years. But I was positively surprised, that while it’s clearly a hot year, there are less overripe, over-extracted and prematurely dying wines than in 09/10. Still, there is no comparison to how Chateauxs handle hot years today. 2) Compared to five other vintage retrospectives, the 2003 came in last place (lower average score than 2011), with just Chateau Margaux reaching a group score above 95pts. 3) Margaux wines showed best, with the typical immediate charm, while St. Estephe and Pauillac have potential but will need more time (and/or would have needed more air). 4) Right bank wines did not show as good with some alcohol showing and a few wines being on a downhill path. I would not chase 2003 right banks.
TN: A bit muted on the nose. With time a bit ripe dark fruit, certainly the ripest nose in the Margaux flight, even some “new world” sugar tones which disappear later (but probably still not a wine for purists). On the palate lots of blue and dark red fruit around a cassis core and some floral aromas. Intruiguing purity. Fine tannins, superb acidity, excellent balance and harmony with a light and airy texture. A good wine (others liked it a less though), like all Margauxs tonight.
Decanting: No extensive decanting needed.
Group average: 90.5 pts
Group rank: Shared 18th out of 29 reds
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3/20/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 88 Points
Grand Bordeaux 2003 horizontal tasting (Fribourg): Bordeaux 2003 vintage horizontal hosted by a private collector and moderated by Jean-Marc Quarin. Main observations: 1/ Average quality is acceptable, but weighted down by various low-lights, esp. on the right bank. 2/ In general a tannic vintage, lacking balance. 3/ Top 3 wines were Lafite, Mouton and Margaux (all 95). See the tasting story for a complete overview and additional vintage comments.
Tasting note:
The first impression already had a green, unripe sting to it. Iron-like minerality, some interesting elements of spice, but not much going on in terms of aging notes. The cherry-like fruit was on the one hand unripe and on the other masked. Heavy tannin load on the palate, fruit again borderline unripe. Not much fun.
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8/20/2022 - Macdog Likes this wine:
Not as precise as better years but nonetheless delicious and with classic Brane notes. Good value. Doesn’t need much of a decant/ air.
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4/18/2022 - Macdog Likes this wine:
Margaux and Brane on the N and followed up on P. A good wine and I enjoyed it. Has interest and detail and is true to type, but in a weak year. Drink up.
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3/27/2022 - liber Likes this wine: 93 Points
5th of 12, opened 2 hours, perfect cork and level, excellent showing, much easier and more nuanced fruit expression than previously last in August, even greater pleasure than technical mark, still upside, 10+ years. F+ (18).......possibly the nicest Brane I've drunk from this previous notorious under-performer.
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3/24/2022 - Collector1855 wrote: 92 Points
Overtly smoky nose with leather and earthy elements, dark fruit. On the palate not very elegant but also not overdone. I think they did their best in this vintage. It also helped that Brane Cantenac is usually on the lean side, so 2003 helped them in this respect. Solid, but not great.
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12/24/2021 - s******n Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ähnlich wie beim letzten Mal.
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8/13/2021 - liber Likes this wine: 92 Points
4th of 12, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, significantly more attractive than last bottle in March 2019, now fully mature, nicely balanced, not too hot, easy expression of layered fruit, just enough structure to ensure reasonable aging potential, upside yet. F (17.5).
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12/17/2020 - ManhattanBeach Likes this wine:
Crumbling cork, brief decant. Deep nose with tobacco and cranberry and smoke as well as roast/cured meat. Still vibrant on the finish despite its age. Very good.
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12/12/2020 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Definitely Margaux appellation in style with the more feminine expression from the left bank. No detection of over ripeness or over extraction from the hot vintage. It is starting to shed its primary flavors and secondary traits are beginning to emerge. Decanted for 2 hours, which turned out to be a good idea. Paired great with a prime tenderloin. I wouldn't pair this with anything fattier than tenderloin as it would be overpowered by a ribeye, etc.
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11/21/2020 - JTA9904 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Needed 3+ hr decant.
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10/11/2020 - Richkniles Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted with vintners club
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11/1/2019 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
5 years since we crossed paths with this first ( Papies 90) and this is definitely at a special place. Better still we tried this blind. Very atypical for a bordeaux, smoky, roast meat side. Andreas actually called this as a late 90s Hermitage.
Soft, well evolved, earthy too, restrained on the fruit and not burned in any way. Well evolved and dare we say this feels 5-10yrs older than it is. Very good experience of a wine and a good 91-92
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6/1/2019 - chablis28 wrote: 94 Points
Had this a little over 3 years ago and vowed to open the first of my 3 soon. Times flies! The nose was fantastic upon opening but the palate reserved and a bit tannic on opening. So decided to decant foe 2 hours plus then back into the btl for an adl 75 minutes of slow ox in btl and Riedel BDX prior to dinner. Nita noticed the Margaux appellation on the label and asked me if this was the wine Jack Nicolson referred to in in Something Got to Give with Diane Keaton and I replied no but, I'd be happy to compare it blind along side the heralded 1st growth. This was every bit a stellar example of Margaux elegance, grace with 1st growth concentration and complexity. Not bad for a $29 sale price shortly after release locally! The key is giving this wine the time in cellar and the air it needs. Outstanding BDX! two more left, yea!
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3/16/2019 - liber Likes this wine: 90 Points
3rd of 12, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, little changed from last bottle in May 17 other than slightly baked quality to the fruit more obvious, tastier than technical mark. VGI (17).
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3/1/2019 - ascharff Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Bottle had a slight corked aroma but wasn't horrible, but can't come close to the average 90 pt rating
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12/27/2018 - DJRaffel wrote:
Awesome! Really enjoyed this!
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3/5/2018 - Iamwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cherry, currant, dark chocolate, juniper, hint of madeira, serious sweetness, maybe at its peak/best, drinks a bit like a burgundy, very nice
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11/10/2017 - Adrc wrote: flawed
Le vin était anormalement évolué!
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10/4/2017 - vanpe003 wrote: 92 Points
Evidently, I haven't had this wine in 9 years, and I wasn't particularly impressed with it back then. So.....I was stunned.
Opened 3 hours before pouring, no decant. On the nose, very aromatic fruits with an alluring sense of sweat mixed with a slightly cinnamon minerality in the background.
On the palate, fully integrated. No discernible tannins, but an acidity that I didn't detect in 2008 keeps this lively. The fruit, compared to that earlier tasting....it's still there, but not longer brooding.
Pleasantly surprised / shocked this could morph from a relatively brooding, monolithic '03 beast into something as well-behaved and lovely as this. For my tastes, this bottle is drinking at or near peak today. We've all had the "unpleasant surprises", "over the hill", etc. It's nice when a bottle like this helps to tilt the scales the other way. 92 points objectively, but I like this bottle a lot more than that given my low expectations.
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7/22/2017 - DugyDog Likes this wine: 91 Points
Much better on Day 2 -- suggesting this wine could benefit from several more years and/or a long decant. Gained depth and concentration on Day 2, showing cedar and Margaux berries.
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7/16/2017 - Nels+ Likes this wine: 90 Points
Light but typical Margaux. Mature tannins, dark berries, leather and fresh acid. Can still be good 3+ years
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5/25/2017 - liber Likes this wine: 90 Points
2nd of 24, pnp, perfect cork and level, better showing than March in spite of 5 hours in a hot car, nuance and harmony developing in final glass, seems like early days and would benefit from 2 hour decant. At least VGI (17).
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5/8/2017 - Eclipse1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful! Sophisticated, beautiful wine. Big orange hue, perfect nose of cedar, chocolate, spices, leather, berry fruits, i could go on and on. Just delicious, ready now
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3/18/2017 - liber Likes this wine: 89 Points
1st of 24, pnp, perfect cork and level - mid ruby, some rim development; fruity not particularly complex or Margaux nose, cassis but also touch of red currant, primary; medium bodied, nice sweetish core, no real concentration, ok length, decent drink if lacking personality, seems not far from full maturity. At best currently VG+ (16.5).......not helped by starting at cold cellar temperature to replace corked LLC '82, certainly last glass was best!
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1/28/2017 - s******n Likes this wine: 92 Points
- Direkt nach dem Öffnen probiert, dazu asiatisches Gericht mit Rind
- Farbe: noch kaum Braun-Färbung. Konzentriert und tiefrot
- Bouquet: nicht besonders intensiv
- Typisch CabS - schön integrierte Tannine, Schw. Johannisbeere. Frucht nicht stark.
- Toller Wein.
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11/5/2016 - Peck Likes this wine: 89 Points
Great nose of red and dark fruit and some oak and mature earth
Little disappointed about The body wich I think has disappeared
And finish is short and not really balanced
The 2005 BC is something completely different.......
P
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8/7/2016 - ToniTony Likes this wine: 89 Points
Beautiful deep color with good structure, smooth finish; delicious!
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3/20/2016 - chablis28 wrote: 92 Points
Really liked this wine. Felt very svelte and weightless but yet focused red fruit and minerality. Didn't realize I own three of these myself. l'll have pop one of my own in the next year or so.
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3/20/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Bordeaux with Some Real Honeys (Victory 44, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color. Drank 1 glass over an hour. This was very good indeed. Showing plenty of ripe black fruits, cassis, black cherry, great nose, plenty of earth and nuance, a bit of baked black fruit character on the palate. Really a lovely wine and for the money, pretty hard to beat.
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3/20/2016 - FransS wrote: 90 Points
Well done, not showing teh '03 heat, fraicheur, power and sufficiant balance.
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11/20/2015 - chaos Likes this wine: 91 Points
This bottle grew up. Got bigger. Nice balance and mouthfeel. Drinking great.
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6/21/2015 - VinoServant wrote: 87 Points
IMHO the 2003 Bordeaux vintage was incredibly overrated. I know the critics said it was great, but I have been thoroughly unimpressed. I don't know, maybe the Brane Cantenac needs more time, but I tasted a somewhat tired wine...dried herbs and a lot of heat. Now the 2003 vintage was incredibly warm so perhaps that is why I tasted the heat, but where was the lush fruit?
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5/12/2015 - d'Artagnan wrote: 88 Points
Texture veloutée, le vin a de la finesse malgré le millésime chaud. Le fruit est mûr bien sûr mais sans excès, un vin pas très complexe mais d'un bel équilibre. 88 pts
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3/13/2015 - poste244 wrote: 91 Points
Un très beau Margaux bien typé avec des notes de poivrons rouges, réglisse, cerises noires et une touche de café. Remarquablement frais et élégant pour un 2003. M'a semblé prêt à boire même s'il pourrait se maintenir encore une dizaine d'années. Très bon!
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11/19/2014 - Outplaying wrote:
Playing cards with Ken and Kelli (Our house, Kennett square, PA): Tasted double blind. Decanted for about an hour. Slight bricking color. On the nose some mushroom, leather, slight mint and eucalyptus. On the palate, the wine is soft and silky with medium acid with quite a bit of secondary notes. There is still a fair amount of fruit in the wine. With time a little more tannin emerges and the wine gains some sweetness. My first thought was a super tuscan but I didn't think it had enough acid to be Italian. Then thought Bordeaux or CA Bordeaux blend. Guessed a 10-15 year old California Bordeaux blend due to the slightly lower acid/higher fruit profile and the eucalyptus. I enjoyed this and it was my favorite red of the night.
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11/8/2014 - Papies wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 1.5hrs and for sure helped. Happy to come across another not overdone 2003 and seems the guys at B-C kept their cool and picked at the right time. Albeit not the best B-C out there. Open on the nose, good fruit, just about turning secondary an drinks very nicely now. Firm tannin on the palate but the wine is well round and has no sharp edges at all. Pretty nice but not a great wine. 89-90
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8/8/2014 - henryd1 wrote: 90 Points
Enticing nose, with some of the mysterious qualities that bring you back for more. This is medium bodied, with soft tannins and pleasant, mostly red fruit. Decent, but no doubt a poor QPR at today's inflated prices for BDX.
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12/18/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
With flowers, tobacco, earth and blackberry aromas, this medium bodied wine has retained some freshness on the mid palate, ending with a slightly dusty, red berry finish.
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12/15/2013 - thi nguyen wrote: 90 Points
Like the nose but the tast and finished nothing special for the price I pay for .so I give 90 point but still a good wine
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8/3/2013 - Redline325 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened and poured into glass to sit for 45 minutes. Deep Red/Violet color. No signs of bricking, in fact this seemed young. Medium bodied, tannins have integrated but still primary Cabernet flavors. I would have guessed this was 80% Cabernet or more. Sweet pure focused fruit. Medium finish. While this is settled down and very drinkable I'm going to wait another 5 years to open the next one.
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6/9/2013 - paul canet wrote: 90 Points
Bu avant un Pichon Lalande 1990, Brane-cantenac est un tres beau Margaux. Au nez on peut percevoir la chaleur du millesisme. Les aromes de fruits sont tres presents.
Soyeux en bouche, finale moyenne
Belle finesse, un tres bon vin.
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6/1/2013 - Dabolts wrote: 90 Points
Classic left bank, earth and fruit on the nose, integrated tannins, and lots of fruit on the palette. This wine is ready but will last!
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5/3/2013 - skhemka wrote: 86 Points
Definately not 90 rating as per WS
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1/29/2012 - vegasoenophile wrote: 98 Points
This wine is drinking spectacularly right now! Great, rich flavors and well balanced, layered and has a great structure. Magnificent!
- WS Grand Tour 2011
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1/22/2012 - ltadd wrote: 90 Points
Enjoyed with great steak..very easy to drink nice nose well bodied table wine.
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7/25/2011 - cookie7 wrote: 88 Points
Note after 2.5 hours in the decanter. Plums and black cherries on the nose. A bit brambly with coffee notes on the palate. A bit short on the finish. Not sure where this is heading.
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6/19/2011 - aztecmark wrote: 90 Points
No formal Notes. Decanted 3 hours. Very enjoyable.
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6/9/2011 - mstar wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 3 hours before serving. Plum colour. Aromas of tar and cherries. Full bodied with a 20 sec finish.
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5/23/2011 - mike410 wrote: 86 Points
Tasted at the WS Grand Tour in Boston. Did not enjoy this wine at all. It had a peculiar taste that I couldn't put my finger on.
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5/21/2011 - Woodford wrote: 92 Points
We did not take tasting notes last night, but this was very drinkable. It was lighter than we anticipated, but it was definitely ready to drink - smelled of dried fruits and tasted of red fruits with soft tannins.
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5/19/2011 - RockinCabs wrote: 85 Points
WS Grand Tour Boston (Copley Marriott): Nose: grilled herbs, hearts of palm, some red fruit and sea salt. Palate: comes across very salt. Some red fruit, but asparagus shows up. Finish: quite smokey and salty. Not sure if this is the style here, but this was a strange wine.
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5/19/2011 - wino_tim wrote: 89 Points
A showcase of pure fruit, this was very precise and well defined with wild strawberry, raspberry, and plum fruit that was delicious but somewhat one-dimensional.
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1/31/2011 - ggb wrote: 91 Points
Un Brane-Cantenac tout est richesse et en sensualité. Assez typique du millésime de 2003 quand même structuré mais avec peu d'acidité. Des notes de noix de coco, de vanille, de moka, de cassis, de myrtilles et de mûres. Beau vin, un peu plus dans le Nouveau-Monde, qui commence à atteindre son plateau.
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12/25/2010 - Scottlmatthews wrote: 90 Points
12 hours decanted. Beautiful rich red fruit with mocha and pencil lead. Smooth floral Margaux finish. A great wine that deserves attention of time.
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5/22/2010 - mreinitz wrote: 89 Points
Fairly ripe black fruit mixes with pencil lead and nice underlying minerality. A little green especially on the finish, and the tannins are still a bit obtrusive -- better to wait on this but already pleasant to drink.
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4/2/2010 - Wiltse Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for two hours and was still opening up at the end of dinner. Nice aromatics.
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3/18/2010 - robertgoulet wrote: 88 Points
Some mild expresso notes, a bit tight, a couple steps down from the 04' alter ego I had recently.
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11/6/2009 - mwanasheria wrote: 87 Points
Very enjoyable drinking, although not as good as I had expected. I may have to give it more time. The wine was (still?) very harsh and very unlike a Margaux.
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9/16/2009 - dream wrote: 89 Points
Pretty ruby color. Lovely nose of sweet Margaux earth with hints of cassis and tree bark. A lovely, elegant wine with a nice fullness for a Margaux. Wonderful earthy, herbaceous flavors with that roasted quality of the vintage. Finishes with a hint of greeness in the subtle but firm tannins. I like the freshness and raw materials here and look forward to seeing how this ages. 89+
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5/29/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote: 90 Points
Carrie's Birthday! (Le Bec Fin Philadelphia): A little restrained. Deep dark color. Reserved nose. Blue fruit first to emerge with some mocha and deeper red fruit. Average, but acceptable finish. This needs more time.
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3/29/2009 - kopatrota wrote: 94 Points
merveille d'équilibre et de finesse. Ouvert 1 heure et demi avant dégustation, le nez est marqué par des notes de fruits rouges , en bouche on note un leger boisé et un grand plaisir.
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3/28/2009 - sfqwino Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Very ripe fruits and lightly floral. Quite uninspiring for a 2nd growth. A pass for me.
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12/22/2008 - yotaiwan wrote:
still strong and harsh, needs more time
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8/16/2008 - vanpe003 wrote:
No detailed notes. Noticeable olive and herbs. A 'dark' wine without uplifting notes of cherry, menthol, etc. Primary, and quite a bit too young.
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11/14/2007 - cormyr wrote: 90 Points
thinner than i expected for an '03. simple. young and holding back but its all there and with some finesse. at $45 not a very good qpr.
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9/22/2007 - gasman wrote: 93 Points
Very dark in color all the way to the rim. Black cherry, smoke, meat and tar. There are tannins present, but did not overwhelm me. I liked this a lot. $25 from Costco. I'm going back for more if it is available.
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7/27/2007 - WST wrote: 92 Points
Generous nose with blackberries and licorice; similar palate with nice minerality. Definitely not New World, but not a classically styled bordeaux. Drinking remarkably well as a 4 year old. The most surprising thing for me was the demise of the wine on the second day. I left about a glass worth in the sealed bottle, looking forward to it all the next day. It was dead on arrival, tasting as though it had been left open for a week.
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6/26/2007 - dbkitc wrote: 89 Points
(at Bobby Vans – NYC) This was a bit of a surprise. This is very new world in style with a tremendous toasting oak cape covering the ripe fruit of the wine. Lush, big and forward, this did not really remind me of Margaux. I don’t know if it is the vintage or the direction of the winery. Must admit to enjoying it, I was just surprised by the profile. (89)
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5/18/2007 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
very dark ruby color. Typical Bordeaux.
Nose: nice soft nose with blueberry, vanilla, chocolate too.
Taste: a floral taste and getting the vanilla and berries on the taste. Nice and smooth on the mouth and goes down very easy. Very well structured and would be interesting to taste in 10 years
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3/31/2007 - Tigg wrote: 92 Points
Good color, medium body, well balanced. Tanins moderate without harsh edge. Purchased at tasting. Still enjoyed at the second tasting (right after the Ducru Beaucaillou St. Julien at 3x the price).
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12/3/2006 - JR Encanto wrote:
plums and dried herbs and round flavors. I can only imagine what it will be like as it ages.
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11/9/2006 - Wrighty wrote: 87 Points
Watson's World Wine Week tasting - 06 (Marriot Hotel, Hong Kong): Orange candy, dried satsuma? Palate lets it down.
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4/28/2006 - bacchus wrote: 89 Points
had a sip at beekman liquors with chateau proprietor, henri lurton. for me the tannins overtook the fruit although other tasters did not agree with this opinion. in view of generous parker rating, would have to give this wine the benefit of the doubt. although the wine was decanted, perhaps it should have had more time to breathe.
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4/15/2006 - micha_e wrote: 92 Points
My first Brane Cantenac. Dark ruby as all BDX 03. Intense nose, very ripe but still unmistakeably Bordeaux. Improved a lot with decanting and put on weight and structure. Fine Cabernet fruit in the relatively elegant finish. A real winner in my view.
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3/22/2006 - jwwinec wrote: 91 Points
Gobs of blueberries mixed with some graphite and a bit of smokey tobacco. Very well mannered, medium bodied with ripe fruit, moderate concentration and fairly mild tannins. A delicious drink at this point.
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1/27/2006 - Vino Me wrote: 91 Points
TN: 2003 Red Bordeaux (Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting); 1/26/2006-1/27/2006 (Drake Hotel, Chicago, Illinois): Nice followup to the outstanding 2000. I found this wine to be just a step below the 2000 but a wonderful wine nonetheless. Very pretty and generous nose. Medium to full bodied. Tannins are firmly entrenched and the currant and black fruit notes had to struggle to shine. Some refreshing tartness on the finsih. 90-92 points.
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1/23/2006 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasted twice (in 2005 and in April, 2006). The first nose in 2005 was blackberry and jammy blackcurrant – a sign of the vintage, with second nose (following aeration) yielding some Corinthian raisin. Rather heady on the palate with alcohol showing prominently. 88. Tasted again in April at the château, about eight months later, and it was tasting better – less alcoholic though still somewhat jammy.
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1/1/2006 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Wow - rich round lovely aroma. Nice rich chocolate black fruit. 1/06
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