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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.2 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 24 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by M. Schmid on 10/2/2023 & rated 93 points: Beatiful bordeaux, but rather on the light side and the fruit is only subtle. I like it with food and without decant. Drink up until 2024-2025 (498 views) | | | Tasted by Robwild on 9/17/2021 & rated 89 points: Earthy barnyard nose. Tabaco, vanilla, pencil shaving, and Oak. Fading tannins. Was obviously a treat in its prime but now past its time. Drink up. (1773 views) | | | Tasted by DrZett on 9/4/2021 & rated 87 points: Stable, some tobacco and lots of earthy notes. The little dark fruit which was left was fading fast. Still enjoyable but past its prime. Drink up now. (IG) (1785 views) | | | Tasted by glou.sf on 8/29/2021 & rated 92 points: Leather, red cassis, mushrooms, tobacco, and a slightly dusty note on the nose. Quite acidic with integrated tannins, iron, and some red fruit flavors. Good finish. This is fully mature and I don’t think it’s going to improve from here, but the wine is pleasure to drink. A bit lighter style of Bordeaux, especially for 86. (1895 views) | | | Tasted by pavel_p on 12/12/2020 & rated 93 points: 4 years since I last had this wine, and luckily this is a perfect bottle. In neck/bottle neck fill, clean and dry top of cork with only the bottom third soaked. Slow ox’ed for about 30 min. Still a dark garnet with a fairly wide translucent rim, no browning. Great showing, a touch of cedar on the attack, then iron and rich deep dark fruit integrated with tobacco notes, a touch of sweetness perhaps hinting at Margaux but overall more Pauillac than Margaux in style in 86, fine to medium tannins still providing a solid structure. Medium finish. I love 86 Bordeaux.
A very solid 93 and the fruit in good bottles like this will easily last another 10 years. (2435 views) | | | Tasted by tobyc on 11/20/2020 & rated 93 points: Made from Cabernet Sauvignon (69 %), Merlot (22 %), Cabernet Franc (8 %).
Colour: Brownish w. orange hue.
Bouquet: Developed but still pure. Blackcurrant was predominant w. tobacco, liquorice, compost, prunes, herbs and malty sweetness like a heavy stout.
Palate: Dry, med- tannins, med acid and med+ body wchich shouln't be mistaken for heavy but rather elegant and dancing on the palate. The tannins are rounded and refined and overall making the wine silky soft, persistent and beautifully matured.
33 years old and still both fresh and fruity. A wonderful example of just how well Bordeaux last. (1923 views) | | | Tasted by rpenn77 on 4/10/2020 & rated 86 points: Rich cedar notes but not much fruit left. (1292 views) | | | Tasted by rpenn77 on 4/10/2020 & rated 85 points: Rich cedar nose but not much fruit left. Seems a little thin on the finish. (1416 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundywine on 1/2/2020: A bit past its peak (in 2019) (1453 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 10/5/2018 & rated 91 points: A very nice, fully-mature wine here, that manages not to display the hard tannins found in the majority of wines from this difficult year. Medium bodied, soft, finesse in style, there is a complex, earthy, cherry, pipe tobacco filled bouquet that meshes perfectly with the soft, earthy, red fruits on the palate. There is no reason to age this any further. The wine was made from a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. (2988 views) | | | Tasted by bobadopolis on 6/19/2017 & rated 89 points: Mixed bag at the table. A couple people loved it, one person hated it, and the other 3 seemed to think it was enjoyable but moderately disappointing given previous reviews. Pretty harsh on opening, but mellowed with about an hour of air. Might have benefitted from a longer decant, or maybe the bottle was slightly off. 89 points was my assessment of the overall score at the table. Have another bottle which I look forward to. Note to self: open a few hours beforehand in case initial taste deems that a longer decant is in order. (2881 views) | | | Tasted by paulst on 9/18/2016 & rated 92 points: Mature; brownish red; cedar; integrated and sweet; a bit light mid palate with pleasant finish. (3376 views) | | | Tasted by pavel_p on 6/10/2016 & rated 93 points: Had a great bottle of the 1986 Brane Cantenac 3 years ago, probably the best vintage of BC I have had among those excellent 70s and 80s vintages produced at this Chateau. Hence was excited to try it again. Excellent bottom neck fill and cork. PnP as I was not sure how advanced this wine would be. Healthy color with a fairly dark garnet but needs a good 90 min in the open bottle to show its best. Compared to the bottle 3 years ago the dark fruit has retreated a fair bit but is still providing nice balance with some beautiful notes of cigar box, leather and cedar. A great bottle to sip on its own without food and enjoy. Medium plus finish. Great wine if you can find it. (3906 views) | | | Tasted by oncocyte on 3/13/2016 & rated 94 points: I did not consult CT before pulling this bottle, as part of a plan to clear overaged deadwood from the cellar. I'll not make that mistake again. I would have carried it more gingerly from the cellar had I known I was holding a fully armed elegance bomb. It was glorious straight from the bottle. Fully mature, fully integrated, soft dark fruity flavors and a structural backbone that would suggest Pauillac but no graphite. Not for the fruit bomb lover, but a thrill for the older Bordeaux fan. (3523 views) | | | Tasted by paulst on 9/13/2015 & rated 88 points: The cork came out in pieces; cranberry color; sour plum; light finish. (3559 views) | | | Tasted by pavel_p on 8/24/2013 & rated 93 points: Wow - best Brane Cantenac I have ever had and head and shoulders above the 89 opened a few months ago. Great weight and balance. Would have guessed Pauillac blind as I was getting some pencil shavings on the palate. Fully integrated tannins. Medium plus finish. Really impressive wine and in a great place now. After the recent, fantastic 86 Palmer, would love to try some more Margaux from 1986. (5165 views) | | | Tasted by itsallaboutwine on 7/7/2010: As usual delicious and at peak. (3394 views) | | | Tasted by itsallaboutwine on 10/3/2008 & rated 93 points: Outstanding, Neil Martin is right about that one, great value at 40€. Drink up. (4714 views) |
| By Neal Martin
Vinous, Long Distance Runner: Brane-Cantenac 1924-2015 (Jan 2019) (1/1/2019)
(Brane-cantenac Brane-cantenac Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Brane-Cantenac Producer website - Read more information about Chateau Brane Cantenac
Château Brane-Cantenac is a 2nd growth estate.
Production Area: 75 hectares in the Margaux appellation.
Terroir: There are 3 main terroirs on the estate: the first and the most valued is a large sweep of gravel in front of the château at the top of the Margaux-Cantenac plateau. The plateau de Brane has a thick layer of surface gravel, which provides both radiant heat to the vines as well as excellent drainage. The second section is centered around and behind the château; here there is still gravel, but a higher proportion of sandy soil, and no clay. The third section is on the other side of the Route d’Arsac; this is La Verdotte, a 10-hectare vineyard planted 35 years ago; here the soil is a gravelly sand again. There is a fourth vineyard, Notton, a 13-hectare plot of coarse gravel over clay, and more distant from Brane-Cantenac than the other vines.
Plantation Density: 8,000 vines per hectare
Average Age of the Vines: 35 years old
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon covers 55% of the vineyard, with 40% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc, and 0.5% Carmenère
Harvest: The fruit is picked by hand with typical yields around 45 hl/ha, and then transported to the cellar using the Air Tec system which cushions the fruit, protecting it from damage with its pneumatic suspension. The freshly harvested fruit enjoys a cold soak; for wet vintages, the team uses concentration methods, reducing the water content of the must by vacuum extraction.
Vinification: The fermentation is induced by inoculation with yeast, and in the first few vats there may also be contemporaneous inoculation with malolactic bacteria. The fermentation is naturally temperature controlled, and may last between 7 and 10 days. As it progresses, the wine can see a lot of handling, not only pumping over but sometimes pigeage and even délestage. The fruit will see a maceration lasting between 20 and 30 days before pressing using two pneumatic presses, and both the free-run and press wines are then fed into barrels, using 60-70% new oak, ready for malolactic fermentation.Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.Margaux Read more about Margaux and its wines As with a large part of the Bordeaux vineyards, vines first appeared in Margaux during the Gallo-Roman period.
In 1705 a text mentions Château Margaux . But we have to wait for the end of the eighteenth century and the coming of the earliest techniques in aging for the concept of wines of high quality to develop. The confirmation of this was the famous 1855 classification which recognized 21 Crus Classés in the Margaux appellation. One hundred years later, the Viticultural Federation and the Margaux appellation of controlled origin were born. The appellation, which stretches out over five communes, is actually unique in the Médoc in that it is the only one to contain all the range of wines, as rich as they are vast, from First Great Cru Classé to the Fifths, not forgetting its famous Crus Bourgeois and its Crus Artisans.
In Margaux there is a predominance of Garonne gravel on a central plateau of about 4 miles in length and one and a quarter wide. To the east-south-east, it overlooks the low lying land by the estuary. Its east side is marked by gentle, dry valleys and a succession of ridges.The layer of gravel in Margaux was spread out by a former Garonne in the early Quaternary. Rather large in size, it is mingled with shingle of average dimension and represents the finest ensemble of Günz gravel in the Haut-Médoc. It is on this ancient layer on a Tertiary terrace of limestone or clayey marl that the best Médoc crus lie. All the conditions for successful wine are present : a large amount of gravel and pebbles, poor soil which cannot retain water and deep rooted vines.
It is customary to say that Margaux wines are the "most feminine" in the Médoc, thus stressing their delicacy, suppleness and their fruity, elegant aromas. This does not affect their great propensity for aging; just the opposite, for the relatively thin terroir imparts tannins which give them long life. The other characteristic of these wines which combine an elegant vitality, subtlety and consistency, is their diversity and personality. Over and above the flavour which is their "common denominator", they present an exceptional palette of bouquets, fruity flavours which show up differently from one château to another.
Production conditions (Decree dated August 10 1954)
In order to have the right to the Margaux appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the commune of Margaux, Cantenac, Soussans, Arsac and Labarde, "excluding the land which by the nature of its soil or because of its situation, is unfit to produce wine of this appellation".
- satisfy precise production conditions: grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare).
Vins de Bordeaux:
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Merlot
Soil: Gravel and silt plateau on a layer of limestone or silt on clay
Surface Area: 1,530 ha |
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