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: This was a good wine with still some life left in the tank. As often with very old bottles, you need to give them a bit of time and air to gain intensity and complexity. This was a wine with a good flavor intensity and a finely melted structure, as well as some aromas (like mushroom) you only get in very old Bordeauxs as the highlights. On the nose there are dark berries and earthy minerality and some herbs as well as some medicinal notes. The palate had additional notes of mushrooms which were quite exciting as well as some coffee notes with some time. While not very complex, this is still quite good with lots of finesse and a good balance from start to finish. Solid 91/92pts.

Decanting: Not decanted. A short decant should be enough.

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: Sadly, this bottle wasn’t particularly good. While there was still some life left on the nose, the palate was thin and with barely any fruit left. Nothing to write home about. Still, 89pts for the good nose displaying intense dark berries, crushed rocks, herbal notes and fine burnt sugar notes.

Decanting: Not decanted. I don’t think that more air would have changed things here but maybe this wasn’t a representative bottle.

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: 1983 is a vintage for Margaux and this Brane showed that impressively. Nice complexity and precision with an impressive density for a 40-year-old wine. This deserves 92/93pts easily and one gets the impression that it can improve for a little bit longer. Intriguing bouquet with dark berries (the hot summer is on display here), cola and some burnt sugar notes. On the palate the same dark berry core, burnt sugar, herbs and good, balancing minerality component. Intense aromas, dense structure with still lots of fine tannins. Not as perfectly balanced as the 1989 in the next glass but still quite harmonious.

Decanting: Not decanted. My guess is that this needs a good two hours in a decanter to fully blossom.

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: This was the best wine in the first flight (55/82/83), a touch above the almost equally good 1983. The 1989 vintage with lots of fine fruit and a seductive character is on full display: The bouquet shows intense dark fruit and some burnt sugar notes. With time some medicinal notes. Not very complex but inviting. The palate displays a complex dark berry core with burnt sugar notes, fresh herbs and crushed rocks. Quite complete and balanced with a melted tannin structure and good tension and freshness. Easily 93+pts.

Decanting: Not decanted. It seemed that this vintage doesn’t need much air. A short decant should be sufficient.

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: This is another 1995 that is quite weak. Muted and unbalanced, slightly green and bitter. There is some fruit left that needs some time and air to come out and make the wine better, but like many 1995s, what little fruit there is will be long gone by the time the structure has finally melted. 85pts for the good freshness and minerality?

Decanting: Not decanted. I don’t think a long decant would have improved things here but I would at least try to give it a few hours.

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: There was a lovely, fresh dark fruit component on the nose and especially palate but overall, this bottle did not perform well as it showed lots of green and bitter notes and an unintegrated high acidity.

Decanting: Not decanted. I don’t think that the wine would have improved much with air.

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 a particularly strong vintage, this bottle performed quite well. The winery certainly pushed the ripeness as far as they could and gave it quite a bit of oak and this showed: Quite expressive dark fruit core on the nose and palate with some additional layers of cola, burnt sugar and herbs. The tannin structure was a bit harsh and first but with time got softer and softer, but unfortunately some of tannins were green and no amount of air could have changed that. 90/91pts.

Decanting: Not decanted. 30-60 minutes in a decanter should be sufficient.

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: This bottle felt a bit too pushed at first but revealed a charming wine with medium+ complexity and loads of drinking pleasure with some air. Like many 2000 Bordeaux wines, it is not yet ready and probably still 10-20 years away from its peak. This had an intense ripe dark fruit core, some coffee and oak notes, some herbs on the dark and dense nose. Lots of power and intensity on the palate too with the same aromas, some more minerality along some more oak notes which will have to further integrate. At first it seemed a bit too dense but with time the wine opened-up and revealed the fine tannin structure, a well-integrated acidity, and a satin-like texture. The 92/93pts are certainly not the ceiling for this wine.

Decanting: Not decanted. I guess that this needs 2-3 hours minimum in a decanter.

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: I very much liked the delicate nature of this wine. Everything seemed well put together with some fine dark fruit, cola and oak notes at the core. Unfortunately, there were some green aromas which became quite apparent on the palate and which detracted from the otherwise classic Bordeaux signature.

Decanting: Not decanted. A short decant should be sufficient.

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.

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: Very beautiful nose with cola, fresh dark and blue berries. On the palate lots of coffe and burnt sugar notes, herbs and fresh dark and blue fruit. Even some red berries mixed in. While it is not a very complex wine, this showed great balance, a cool fresh expression of Bordeaux and an impeccable balance. Others liked it less but I’m a fan of wines with a rather seductive style in cooler vintages and this 2004 was no exception. This bottle was easily drinking on a 93+pts level.

Decanting: Not decanted. A short decant should be enough.

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: The positives: There is a lot of substance with many aromatic layers, especially on the palate where a not too ripe fruit core, wonderfully plays with minerality core, earthy notes and some luxurious oak-derived notes. Especially with some air this showed an ever-improving balance and opened-up more by the minute. The negatives: The nose felt a bit disjointed with a far too ripe fruit expression. Overall, this was probably drinking on a 91pts level today but to me it’s clear, that the potential is higher. Like many 2005s, patience is needed.

Decanting: Not decanted. I would wait a few years. If I would open a bottle today, I would decant it for 3-4 hours.

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: There was not much expression here, the wine seemed locked. In addition there were green notes on the palate and the finish showed quite astringent. I’m not sure, if this was a totally representative bottle.

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: This wine showed great: Not overly expressive on the nose, with ripe dark fruit and some minerality. More intense and open on the palate with fine ripe dark berries, coffee notes, herbs, crushed stone and a hint of chocolate. Very 2009, this is a seductive wine with velvety tannins, but good freshness and impeccable balance. Although seductive, it doesn't lose its Bordeaux character. This bottle was consistent with previous experiences (rated up to 95pts), although it had a slightly more subdued nose.

Decanting: Not decanted. One hour in the decanter should be enough, this doesn’t need much aeration.

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: Wow, this is a stunning wine. Yes, it is from a time when ripeness was pushed, yes, it was born in a hot vintage but in 2010, but the team at Brane Cantenac managed all this very well. The nose is expressive with intense fresh black and even fresher blue fruit, some coffee notes and minerality. Fascinating and all delivered with high precision. The same goes for the palate, which needed a bit of air to really shine. Quite layered with a wide range of well delineated fruit from black to blue with even some hints of red berries in there, coffee, herbs, minerality all wrapped around the fruit creating a beautiful aromatic balance. The structure is impeccable, with a wall of ripe, fine tannins, high acidity and a rather airy texture (especially compared to the denser, more slutty 2009 in the next glass). Quite complete and a lot of fun to drink.

Decanting: Not decanted. A short 1-2 hours should be enough.

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: I've had many beautiful 2015s and the Margaux appellation produced some of the best wines this year, but unfortunately this bottle was not up there with the best. On the one hand, you had the great strawberry and floral notes that you find in Margaux, and the tannin quality and freshness are very good, but on the other hand, the alcohol was a bit noticeable, all the pieces weren't coming together yet, and the wine was a bit wild. Maybe this was not an ideal bottle, or maybe the wine is just in an awkward phase. My guess is that it can do better than the 91pts I gave to this bottle.

Decanting: Not decanted. I would try it with 2 hours of decanting.

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: This was a bit perplexing. On one hand the intensity, the broad array of fruit and aromas, the precision and the excellent tannin structure speak of the amazing 2016 vintage. On the other hand, the fruit, especially on the nose, showed much riper than what I would expect from a good wine in this vintage. Some parts were almost candy like. Luckily, there was a lot of fresher, not too ripe blue and red fruit on the palate too, as well as a lot of minerality to match the ripe fruit. All in all, this is a great wine that should provide a lot of drinking pleasure with a few more years of cellaring.

Decanting: Not decanted. I would decant it for 2+ hours.

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: The nose was a bit subdued at first, gaining expression with time, but never fully open. The palate, however, was open right out of the gate with layers of surprisingly fresh fruit with dark berries, fresh red fruit, rhubarb notes, herbs, touch of coffee/toasty notes and a bit of faint minerality. Unlike many other 2018s, the fruit is on the right side of things in terms of purity and ripeness. The structure is impeccable and the wine seemed almost delicate, more delicate than the 2016s and 2019s in the other glasses. This was easily at 94pts.

Decanting: Not decanted. No extensive decanting necessary.

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: This was difficult for me to judge as it was very primary with the ripe fruit dominating everything else. The substance is impressive, the tannins are of high quality, there is a lot of freshness, but it is quite ripe. I've said it before, I think 2019 is a good vintage, but it's much closer to 2009 or 2015 than 2016 or 2020. Time will tell how it all plays out. I'm very hopeful that these can be wonderful wines when they mature and the tertiary aromas can tame the fading sweet fruit.

Decanting: Not decanted. A short decant should be enough.

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: This was my wine of the evening, no question. Like many 2020s, this wine is all about elegance, delicate balance, softness and purity. On the nose and palate, there are intense but never overpowering layers of fresh, pure red and dark red berries, lots of strawberry, rhubarb notes, a hint of Margaux-esque coffee and toasty aromas, herbs and minerality that create a beautiful aromatic balance. High complexity, excellent definition and this wonderful, elegant structural framework. This was the most airy and light, almost Burgundian wine. Wow. I could drink this every day.

Decanting: Not decanted. No decanting needed (but that might soon change).