Nose of black berry, mint, forest floor, mushroom, and barnyard, same on the palate, medium/big body, tasty, mouth filling fruit, lots of subtle complexity, got better and better as the night went on, the medium/long finish was its best feature, very flavorful finish.
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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: 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.
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Vinøs hyttetur 2023: Blind. Krydret, fanstastisk kompleks nese; balasert, rik og silkemyk - men et fint tannindryss i en lang finish. Ungdommelig. Den aller beste flasken B-C jeg noen gang har drukket. Tippet Ch. Margaux 89 eller 83.
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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: - Intriguing nose, surprisingly good, has pretty good fruit too, almost as much fruit as the 1989 but not the balance as this. - Nice to drink on the palate, also feminine with lots of Cabernet fruit. Great acidity but also has some rough edges, still lots of tannins present that probably won't fully integrate. But still wonderful to drink! - 92 points
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Zero notes due to insane En Premier march. Killer wine out of Mag tasted shortly after the 2022. Gorgeous wine with depth, fruit, earth, leather and a gorgeous finish. Could drink this for days and be perfectly happy. *this 100% benefited from being a Mag vs 750
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En Primeur campaign for the 2022 vintage Day Four (Bordeaux): From Magnum. It is a bit of a treat to try this after the same vintage from bottle earlier in the week. Unsurprisingly this is fresher with more obvious dark hued fruits, brambles but still with Autumn leaves, leather. Juicy, softly fruited, savoury tannic burr is integrated, talcy and persistent. All travels long. Good.
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En Primeur campaign for the 2022 vintage Day Three (Bordeaux): Leather, earth, Autumn leaves, slightly meaty, touch of caramel, brambly fruit. Medium plus intensity acidity, juicy, savoury, meaty underpin, the fruit is a little dried out on the palate, yeast extract, drying talc textured tannins. Nice
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Nose of black berry, forest floor, mushroom, and hint of barnyard, on the palate, medium/big body, tasty, mouth filling fruit, lots of subtle complexity, held up for 3 hours tonight, medium/long finish, thank you Derrald for the treat, label and cork photos uploaded.
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At first closed but opens after one hour in a carafe, light and fragrant, fully resolved and balanced, nicely fresh despite the age. Earth, mushrooms, cedar, cloves and spices, well structured even though the fruit is getting a bit thin in an elegant manner. A good bottle which lasted well up till 3-4 hours after opening. An attractive claret which is very enjoyable now, this is the way to go if one likes aged, a tad austere Bordeaux.
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Nez évolué : sous-bois, épices, pot pourri, bois précieux, tabac, léger trait de vert. J'aime beaucoup ! Bouche superbe avec de la densité, de la rondeur, fondue mais encore précise avec de l'allonge. Quel équilibre, c'est proprement irrésistible ! Très belle finale qui prolonge l'harmonie perçue en bouche, tout en délicatesse et en assurance.
Pas le plus grand des bordeaux âgés que j'ai bu mais un très beau vin à boire. Comme souvent, il s'est avéré un parfait compagnon de table et n'a pas survécu au déjeuner (c'est bien dommage, j'ai quelques craintes à me pencher à nouveau sur le cas du Barbera 18 de Rinaldi...) !
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A bottle in excellent shape for the age, this was cristal clear without any cloudiness...Very good provenance.
Light to medium body, wine needed 60 minutes to wake up. When it did, it replaced raisininess with red potpourri. As it exhaled it was truffle galore on the nose and palate followed by a light footed intense wine that became sweeter and more tannic and powerful. Definitely muscular for the appearance, this wine was very aristocratic and bone dry, giving it the classy weightlessness of a fine wine. I think this is at peak while having the acidity to stay intact for a long time to come...Drink
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Same btl as R&Rler. I'm scoring this wine based on how it drank, for maybe, all of 30 minutes. It was fairly closed for the first 15-20 minutes after pouring. Most everyone at the table missed out on its elusively narrow but impressive open for business timeframe. Then it closed down hard again and drank more like a 2001 :). For a very brief time frame this drank like a very fresh but layered fully resolved 35yr old BDX. Kind of perplexing but amazing while it lasted. During that interlude this wine was sublime with; forest floor, cigar box, mineral, cassis and such a lovely burgundy meets Margaux elegance & finesse. Then it reverted back to its closed more tannic youthful self. Dang! Score ranged from 86-89 on opening to 94-96 when singing and then, back to around 90pts. Call it 94pts based on the brief timeline when it singing. A very elusive wine at this point. My WOTN for about 15 minutes :).
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Three out of Five Ain't Bad (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color with a 5mm margin. PNP, drank a glass over 90 minutes. This was actually best right after popping the cork. There was a rather infectious waft of fine tobacco at first, that seem to get more muddled and just lost some of the fine quality it had at the start. Still, quite good with more pencil to go with the tobacco and tobacco leaf (which seemed to fade away), cassis and blackberry fruits, fairly dense and almost even a little chewy yet despite some good age. This didn't feel like it had reached maturity yet, though we all thought it was best initially. I'd be curious to see this with a couple hours of air to start; that could backfire but I would take the chance I think. 91+pts.
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HDH auction at Spiaggia; 9/19/2019-9/21/2019 (Chicago, IL): Slightly dirty nose, with a hint of brett. Underlying it is some very lovely red fruit and perfume, but it's not the most expressive overall. The palate shows its age, with a little bit of rust. Pretty good, but I'd be inclined to drink up.
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Another awesome bottle of this. Surprisingly little bricking and showing a gloriously complex nose after a couple hours in the decanter. Aromas of roast meat, charcoal, chocolate covered espresso bean, black truffle, plum, mixed florals, and thyme. The palate repeats much of the nose, with lush fruit. The only detractor I can find is a slightly bitter note on the finish.
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Wow! Stunning. Pours dark ruby, light bricking at the rim. Bottle is pristine. Perfect cork and fill. The nose is deep and seductive of coffee, dark chocolate, thyme, plum, black truffle, a hint of volatility, dark cherry, and old furniture. The palate has moderate tannin, and moderate acid. Surprised this is showing this young and had this much tannin. Amazing wine.
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The best drinking ‘83 Margaux, I’ve had, including the Palmer and the Ch. Margaux, which are both still so primary, it’s not a fair comparison. The Brane Cantenac has tertiary development, yet the fruit lives on. A beautiful gamey aroma with bright red fruit, straw, soil, and cigar box. On the attack, the wine is soft but not meek. Gentle tannins provide structure, but no texture, really. You get raspberry, plum, mushroom, sous bois, tobacco leaf, graphite, and something very subtly spice-cakey on the entry through the mid-palate with the earthier notes and spice outlasting the fruit. There’s a medium length finish of wet forest floor, pencil shavings, and truffle. Medium body. Fruitier than the very mushroomy and meaty ‘00. Plenty of time left on well stored bottles. (12-23-17, Chez Panisse)
Allowed to breathe in glass 1 hour. Clear garnet-blood-brick-rust red color. Elegant bouquet of cigar tobacco, mixed dried red fruit, creme de cassis, mushrooms, earth, hints of dried flowers and spices. Similar on the palate, full body, balanced, seamless, lingering finish. Mostly tertiary at this point, but still has some nice fading fruit.
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Great bottle with a fill into the neck. Classic Bordeaux scents of cedar and tobacco. Fully mature and seamless mouthfeel. All of the flavors have melded together beautifully althogh most of the fruit has faded leaving a more savory wine. There is still a sense of freshness tying it all together.
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Fruitfull, impressively young, complex, develops nice during the evening, notes of earth, leather, tobacco, chocolate, but not too much. Very good wine
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Totally mature never very tannic sweet cherry fruit medium claret color nice fruit to acid balance decanted 1 hour pleasant medium bodied wine served with braised wild pheasant in lemon nutmeg cream sauce and barley asparagus risotto, perfect!
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Decanted for 1 hr took for holiday dinner at Le Provencale with the girls Beautifully aged Bordeaux with a gorgeous nose and palate. This wine was elegant with a nice balance of fruit and acidity. Tannins are resolved Not sure this wine will improve more.
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This probably suffered in comparison to some of the other great bottles we opened; Elegantly styled with an inviting bouquet of red fruits, leather and floral accents; The palate has a pretty mix of dried red fruits, earth and cedar; Not the most overly complex Brane Cantenac, but thoroughly enjoyable
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Guys this was really nice. I was expecting to pull 2004 but got this one instead. Yes, it is mature,yet holds together, still plenty of fruit, tannins resolved. Nice wine indeed
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Bottle in seemingly very good condition from OWC with bottom neck fill and a cork that was (only) 2/3 soaked. PnP but decanted later without any improvement. Garnet with clear bricking towards the rim. This bottle is clearly past peak with very little fruit left, fairly high acidity, leather. Could have been a 75 instead of a 83 as well. Looking at the other notes giving it the benefit of doubt - perhaps an not entirely correct bottle. NR
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Decanted for 30 mins and took to Ruths Chris Excellent nicely aged bordeaux. Beautiful nose showing its age with an elegant taste with plenty of fruit and long finish. Tannins are resolved. Drink within next 3-5 years
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This was an excellent surprise. Fairly dark color, no bricking, did not look at all like an older wine. Lots of fruit on first pour, some structure remains but tannins basically fully integrated. After an hour open picked up more of the aged leather and earthy flavors you would expect but still did not taste like an "old" wine. Lots of acidity on the finish. I never drink Bordeaux, but this was excellent.
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Same note as July of this year. Reticent nose. Leather, old wool, damp earth on the palate. Firm and medium to full bodied. Still some life ahead for this.
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Top shoulder fill, cork with signs of slight seepage. Pours brick/ruby red. Barnyard nose intially, then old Bordeaux cellar smells lift from glasses when served. Still a hint of fruit on palate but mostly graphite.
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Very impressive, much better than last bottle. Classic old Margaux, few tannins very well balanced, powerfull smell of farmyard, leather but still fruity. Long lasting taste. Drinking well now but can last for some more yrs
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The smell is very closed in the beginning. Opens after an hour wit a very classic Bdx nose. Still lots of tanins. Not as soft as 1978. Devellops very possitive after 1-3 hours with secondary flavours. Even tried to spare a little bit in the fridge to the next day. Still very good at second day showing it has a long life ahead.
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Superbe Margaux à maturité, qui atteint un subtil équilibre au nez entre arômes tertiaires (tabac, cuir ...) et de belles notes de fruits (cassis, prune, cerise ...) et de fleurs. La bouche est soyeuse et délicate, d'une grande pureté.
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Good fill and perfect cork so I was very hopeful...
At first the nose was quite leathery and somewhat closed. A bit austere on the palate with drying tannins on the finish. After some air it opened up to reveal a complex, very pretty nose of violets, berries and toast. The palate opened up too with flavors that match the nose. Nice length and many layers of flavor...
Next night, this was even better. Way better, in fact. Perfectly integrated with deep, complex flavors of kirsch, berry jam and currants and a long, smooth finish that caresses the palate.
An elegant and beautiful wine!
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S FL WS Group Welcomes VinT (Chez JC & FKG, Hollywood, FL): Some bricking at the rim, but the fruit was still lively with cherry and currant flavors. Medium + acidity and medium body with cedar notes and nice elegance and complexity on the finish.
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Ahh. This was nice. Exactly what I was expecting. Fully mature, integrated, resolved and on its way down most likely. Browning a bit, gentle nose w some leather, cedary hints. Smooth and polished. Nothing fancy or complex. Bit short on finish but very nicely done.
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A great Christmas wine. This was fresher and brighter than I would have expected, while having developed very nicely. The nose was all tobacco and leather early on, but with some nice red fruit on the palate. After about an hour (to my dismay) the tobacco profile had largely dissipated and the fruit reemerged in a more significant way with red currant and sloe berries (pacharanes). The finish began to sour a bit too, but not at all in an off-putting way, just not as smooth as at opening. The bit that I left for a couple hours seemed again more integrated. Tobacco gone, but the finish was smooth and the wine very enjoyable. Overall, an elegant Margaux and a very good experience.
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30th Birthday - Bordeaux Wine (1983) (Le Sommelier, Copenhagen): Nose: Plums, coffee and a lot of chocolate. A hint of sewer. Palate: Tight structure with a lot of black currant fruit. Toasted oak, chocolate, coffee and a hard acidity. Impressive but it does seem a bit unresolved and difficult to fully understand.
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Very good bottle, see my first note on this wine. Aromatic profile this time was more on leather/fungi than fruits, so I guess this bottle had evolved a wee bit quicker (it didn't help that this bottle was one of those that travelled between le Var and le Grand-Duché by car a day in July hidden in the car's spare tire compartment, right above the exhaust system: the bottle was warm in my hands as I took it out that evening...)
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Compared to the one I previously had, this one was leaner and had a less sumptuous mouthfeel and a metallic tinge in the aftertaste one quite often experiences in older bottle. Still very drinkable though, the bottle disappeared very fast.
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This is what the Brits would call a luncheon claret -- perfectly satisfying for its integration, the structure now essentially gone and everything amalgamated together. You're not going to find anything in the UC-Davis wheel to pin on this, it's just pure wine, although given its age it's actually a little fresher and brighter than I might have expected.
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Medium ruby garnet with a little bricking. Nose opens with tar, cedar and a touch of cassis and plum. Wonderful example of an old world Cabernet. Lots going on with the flavors of this wine. Layers and layers of flavors that including plummy, spices leather, a little violet and olives. Smooth beautiful mature tannins. Remarkably after almost 30 years still showing a considerable amount of fruit.
I have to take my hat off and applaud the wine maker who made the 1983 Château Brane-Cantenac. Once again the 83 Bordeaux Vintage surprises and delights with a grand slam home run. Wanted a nice aged Bordeaux to serve with a rack of lamb. So glad we opened this. Surprised that Parker gave this wine a 88. The 83 more than any recent vintage of Bordeaux has consistently exceeded my expectations with surprises from Lynch Bages, Pichon Baron and St Pierre. Still holding on to our 83 Lafite. That should be the greatest surprise of all. BYW, still have price tag of $17.00
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Last bottle and as it turns out, the best showing I've had from this wine. Layers of mature leather, tobacco, spicy and floral elements and red fruits combining together seamlessly in a polished, medium weight package. The tannins are fully resolved and it's drinking superbly right now.
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Similar to my last bottle but with a bit more mid-palate weight. There's a lovely complex aromatic profile that keep building and evolving; it's a bit thin in the mouth initially but gains weight and depth with air and it's drinking very nicely now, fully mature and excellent with veal.
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Great aromatics with tobacco, worn leather, floral elements and gentle red fruited elements combining into a lovely scent. It doesn't show the same depth or character in the mouth though, where it feels slightly thin and tired at first, gaining some weight with air but still remaining fairly one-note to taste.
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Had this wine over dinner and it disappeared rather quickly, so had little time to detail it's analysis (I was in charge of the food and cooking). Very little signs of aging, the nose was immediately open, very pure and deep. Fruit still very present, the wine is at full maturity. It is in the mouth that the wine showed to be very special, the textural quality of the tannins was really impressive lending the wine a "toucher de bouche" that was simply delicious and extremely refined, as a mature Margaux is supposed to taste. The wine didn't tire over it's (short) time of display, so it might be possible to wait a few more years (but I don't really see for what reason). Excellent.
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Some bricking on the edge. Nice tobacco, leather and floral notes on the nose. Developed quite nice in the glass. I liked the acidity and lively qualities. Still some nice fruit. Married beautifully with the lamb.
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Popped and poured; this cork was in better shape so decided not to decant. Light red with definite bricking on the edge. Not a lot on the nose initially; on the palate light completely resolved tannins with some drying out on the finish. Faded from there as the drying tannins overwhelmed the fruit; 28 years old, but clearly not Chateau Margaux or Palmer from this vintage.
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Based on how good the 83 Palmer was a few weeks ago decided this might still be alive, having it in my cellar since 85. The cork was problematic; broke in half, so decanted very gently and removed pieces of cork. The color is a lovely mature red with minimal browning. Initially a bit reticent on the nose, but very nice medium to light and very smooth palate impression, tannins are completely resolved. A lovely drink but never developed a great deal of complexity; still for $17!
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Fully mature but showing a great deal of vibrancy to its spice, cured meat, savory dried herb and cherry aromas. Medium to full bodied, but very lively on the palate, offering more dried red fruit and herb flavors and a persistent cedar-y finish.
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Older Bordeaux at Troquet (Boston, MA): Wild aromatics here, very leathery and earthy with touches of meat, violets and red fruits; almost Rhonish in its flavour profile. Lovely in the mouth; elegant and silken textured with tannins fully resolved, plenty of acidity giving it lift and a medium length finish.
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UCD wine group (Boulder, CO): Not decanted. Mahogany/violet red. Beautiful, draw-you-back sort of nose of sweet flowery dark fruits, real earthiness (not seen in the Cali cabs), mocha, and spices. Soft medium weighted fruit with a full mouth presence that layered out nicely but without much complexity. Finished with soft tannins and minimal acidity. Medium length. This was very nice to drink and oh so easy to enjoy. Given the wine continued to improve in the glass, I think it has many years drinking at this peak.
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Fill well into neck. No obvious storage problems, yet this bottle was extremely tart, harsh and lacking in fruit. Past whatever prime it might have ever had.
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Very distinct browning at the edge. The nose has some light plumminess which fades to tart cranberry. It also has a very distinct mineral and iron accent, almost like blood. On the palate this has a smooth entry with a hint of sweetness on the edge, lovely cedar, and forest floor. Good length on the pleasing, slightly complex, lightly drying finish.
This is hardly a blockbuster, but for a recently acquired bottle with excellent provenance, it hits the spot with a lamb roast on a night when I was looking for a mature Bordeaux experience.
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With K at home at dinner (stew). Medium-dark ruby. Decent legs. Smells delicious. Forward, fruity nose. Charming. Margaux all the way. In the mouth, somewhat simple, but round, plump and precocious. Delicious for drinking now, though some tannins remain. Dry finish, should be drunk up. Very good. 5-11-15-7: 88/100.
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12/15/2023 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of black berry, mint, forest floor, mushroom, and barnyard, same on the palate, medium/big body, tasty, mouth filling fruit, lots of subtle complexity, got better and better as the night went on, the medium/long finish was its best feature, very flavorful finish.
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11/24/2023 - ATL wrote:
Perfect!
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11/19/2023 - Cailles wrote: 92 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: 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.
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10/8/2023 - LWI wrote: 96 Points
Vinøs hyttetur 2023: Blind. Krydret, fanstastisk kompleks nese; balasert, rik og silkemyk - men et fint tannindryss i en lang finish. Ungdommelig. Den aller beste flasken B-C jeg noen gang har drukket. Tippet Ch. Margaux 89 eller 83.
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9/10/2023 - J_H Likes this wine: 92 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:
- Intriguing nose, surprisingly good, has pretty good fruit too, almost as much fruit as the 1989 but not the balance as this.
- Nice to drink on the palate, also feminine with lots of Cabernet fruit. Great acidity but also has some rough edges, still lots of tannins present that probably won't fully integrate. But still wonderful to drink!
- 92 points
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4/25/2023 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 93 Points
Zero notes due to insane En Premier march. Killer wine out of Mag tasted shortly after the 2022. Gorgeous wine with depth, fruit, earth, leather and a gorgeous finish. Could drink this for days and be perfectly happy.
*this 100% benefited from being a Mag vs 750
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4/25/2023 - chatters wrote:
En Primeur campaign for the 2022 vintage Day Four (Bordeaux): From Magnum. It is a bit of a treat to try this after the same vintage from bottle earlier in the week. Unsurprisingly this is fresher with more obvious dark hued fruits, brambles but still with Autumn leaves, leather. Juicy, softly fruited, savoury tannic burr is integrated, talcy and persistent. All travels long. Good.
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4/24/2023 - chatters wrote:
En Primeur campaign for the 2022 vintage Day Three (Bordeaux): Leather, earth, Autumn leaves, slightly meaty, touch of caramel, brambly fruit. Medium plus intensity acidity, juicy, savoury, meaty underpin, the fruit is a little dried out on the palate, yeast extract, drying talc textured tannins. Nice
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7/5/2021 - ATL wrote:
A very type-y Margaux with plenty of life left. Drink or hold.
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6/9/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cedar and nicely mature with earthy semi sweet blackberry.
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5/16/2021 - misterstarre Likes this wine:
Opened too late in the evening to recall the details, but pretty and delicious as always.
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5/15/2021 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose of black berry, forest floor, mushroom, and hint of barnyard, on the palate, medium/big body, tasty, mouth filling fruit, lots of subtle complexity, held up for 3 hours tonight, medium/long finish, thank you Derrald for the treat, label and cork photos uploaded.
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3/10/2021 - jordanj wrote: 89 Points
Bottle was fine but on its decline.
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2/21/2021 - NewFrenchClaret Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delightful- musty dark fruit, cloves and Worcester sauce nose. Nicely structured with a good mix of acid and tannin. Medium-long finish.
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1/3/2021 - ljl Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cork crumbled while opening. Cherry red in appearance. Lovely nose and taste of vanilla, strawberry and cherry. A real delight.
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12/25/2020 - Lype Likes this wine:
At first closed but opens after one hour in a carafe, light and fragrant, fully resolved and balanced, nicely fresh despite the age. Earth, mushrooms, cedar, cloves and spices, well structured even though the fruit is getting a bit thin in an elegant manner. A good bottle which lasted well up till 3-4 hours after opening. An attractive claret which is very enjoyable now, this is the way to go if one likes aged, a tad austere Bordeaux.
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9/6/2020 - Marc C Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nez évolué : sous-bois, épices, pot pourri, bois précieux, tabac, léger trait de vert. J'aime beaucoup !
Bouche superbe avec de la densité, de la rondeur, fondue mais encore précise avec de l'allonge. Quel équilibre, c'est proprement irrésistible !
Très belle finale qui prolonge l'harmonie perçue en bouche, tout en délicatesse et en assurance.
Pas le plus grand des bordeaux âgés que j'ai bu mais un très beau vin à boire. Comme souvent, il s'est avéré un parfait compagnon de table et n'a pas survécu au déjeuner (c'est bien dommage, j'ai quelques craintes à me pencher à nouveau sur le cas du Barbera 18 de Rinaldi...) !
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6/15/2020 - johnh1001 wrote: 92 Points
Probably past it’s prime, but very soft, elegant and earthy. Held up well for 3 hours but limited depth.
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5/17/2020 - Purple Tooth wrote: 93 Points
A bottle in excellent shape for the age, this was cristal clear without any cloudiness...Very good provenance.
Light to medium body, wine needed 60 minutes to wake up. When it did, it replaced raisininess with red potpourri. As it exhaled it was truffle galore on the nose and palate followed by a light footed intense wine that became sweeter and more tannic and powerful. Definitely muscular for the appearance, this wine was very aristocratic and bone dry, giving it the classy weightlessness of a fine wine. I think this is at peak while having the acidity to stay intact for a long time to come...Drink
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1/8/2020 - chablis28 wrote: 94 Points
Same btl as R&Rler. I'm scoring this wine based on how it drank, for maybe, all of 30 minutes. It was fairly closed for the first 15-20 minutes after pouring. Most everyone at the table missed out on its elusively narrow but impressive open for business timeframe. Then it closed down hard again and drank more like a 2001 :). For a very brief time frame this drank like a very fresh but layered fully resolved 35yr old BDX. Kind of perplexing but amazing while it lasted. During that interlude this wine was sublime with; forest floor, cigar box, mineral, cassis and such a lovely burgundy meets Margaux elegance & finesse. Then it reverted back to its closed more tannic youthful self. Dang! Score ranged from 86-89 on opening to 94-96 when singing and then, back to around 90pts. Call it 94pts based on the brief timeline when it singing. A very elusive wine at this point. My WOTN for about 15 minutes :).
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1/8/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Three out of Five Ain't Bad (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color with a 5mm margin. PNP, drank a glass over 90 minutes. This was actually best right after popping the cork. There was a rather infectious waft of fine tobacco at first, that seem to get more muddled and just lost some of the fine quality it had at the start. Still, quite good with more pencil to go with the tobacco and tobacco leaf (which seemed to fade away), cassis and blackberry fruits, fairly dense and almost even a little chewy yet despite some good age. This didn't feel like it had reached maturity yet, though we all thought it was best initially. I'd be curious to see this with a couple hours of air to start; that could backfire but I would take the chance I think. 91+pts.
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9/19/2019 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
HDH auction at Spiaggia; 9/19/2019-9/21/2019 (Chicago, IL): Slightly dirty nose, with a hint of brett. Underlying it is some very lovely red fruit and perfume, but it's not the most expressive overall. The palate shows its age, with a little bit of rust. Pretty good, but I'd be inclined to drink up.
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6/29/2019 - ljl Likes this wine: 90 Points
Same as the one I drank earlier this week
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6/22/2019 - ljl Likes this wine: 90 Points
Huge bouquet upon opening. Little age in appearance. Leathery with some fruit.
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2/1/2019 - Prinsen wrote: 93 Points
Excellent mature bordeaux. Leather, farmyard, earth bit not toomuch and still fruit behind. Very long palate and very pleasant.
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12/18/2018 - Wine Canuck wrote: 95 Points
Another awesome bottle of this. Surprisingly little bricking and showing a gloriously complex nose after a couple hours in the decanter. Aromas of roast meat, charcoal, chocolate covered espresso bean, black truffle, plum, mixed florals, and thyme. The palate repeats much of the nose, with lush fruit. The only detractor I can find is a slightly bitter note on the finish.
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11/21/2018 - Prinsen wrote: 93 Points
Very good wine, classic bdx smell, complex, long taste
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7/23/2018 - Wine Canuck wrote: 95 Points
Wow! Stunning. Pours dark ruby, light bricking at the rim. Bottle is pristine. Perfect cork and fill. The nose is deep and seductive of coffee, dark chocolate, thyme, plum, black truffle, a hint of volatility, dark cherry, and old furniture. The palate has moderate tannin, and moderate acid. Surprised this is showing this young and had this much tannin. Amazing wine.
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6/9/2018 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Manura and coffee; Perfectly matured with smooth melted tannins; textured and sweet with lingering blackberry and smooth sweet long finish.
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4/22/2018 - misterstarre wrote: flawed
Totally corked. A wall of TCA on the nose. Couldn't get passed it.
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12/31/2017 - lplarsson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Took 3 hours to open up. Wonderful licorice, leather, dark fruit. Got better and better through the evening.
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12/23/2017 - misterstarre Likes this wine: 95 Points
The best drinking ‘83 Margaux, I’ve had, including the Palmer and the Ch. Margaux, which are both still so primary, it’s not a fair comparison. The Brane Cantenac has tertiary development, yet the fruit lives on. A beautiful gamey aroma with bright red fruit, straw, soil, and cigar box. On the attack, the wine is soft but not meek. Gentle tannins provide structure, but no texture, really. You get raspberry, plum, mushroom, sous bois, tobacco leaf, graphite, and something very subtly spice-cakey on the entry through the mid-palate with the earthier notes and spice outlasting the fruit. There’s a medium length finish of wet forest floor, pencil shavings, and truffle. Medium body. Fruitier than the very mushroomy and meaty ‘00. Plenty of time left on well stored bottles. (12-23-17, Chez Panisse)
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11/28/2017 - Javachip Likes this wine: 90 Points
Allowed to breathe in glass 1 hour. Clear garnet-blood-brick-rust red color. Elegant bouquet of cigar tobacco, mixed dried red fruit, creme de cassis, mushrooms, earth, hints of dried flowers and spices. Similar on the palate, full body, balanced, seamless, lingering finish. Mostly tertiary at this point, but still has some nice fading fruit.
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11/20/2017 - EhrlichDY wrote: 92 Points
Great bottle with a fill into the neck. Classic Bordeaux scents of cedar and tobacco. Fully mature and seamless mouthfeel. All of the flavors have melded together beautifully althogh most of the fruit has faded leaving a more savory wine. There is still a sense of freshness tying it all together.
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6/3/2017 - Prinsen wrote: 93 Points
Fruitfull, impressively young, complex, develops nice during the evening, notes of earth, leather, tobacco, chocolate, but not too much. Very good wine
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1/29/2017 - kenlikeswine wrote: 90 Points
Totally mature never very tannic sweet cherry fruit medium claret color nice fruit to acid balance decanted 1 hour pleasant medium bodied wine served with braised wild pheasant in lemon nutmeg cream sauce and barley asparagus risotto, perfect!
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12/9/2016 - redknife Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 1 hr took for holiday dinner at Le Provencale with the girls
Beautifully aged Bordeaux with a gorgeous nose and palate. This wine was elegant with a nice balance of fruit and acidity. Tannins are resolved
Not sure this wine will improve more.
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9/13/2016 - Bacchus&Ceres wrote: 90 Points
Beautiful burgundy garnet elegant silky smooth well integrated sweet cherry balanced harmonious smooth tobacco lovely
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8/24/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Elegant, refined, silky and soft, with a floral, tobacco, truffle and sweet cherry nose, this medium bodied charmer is fully mature.
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11/29/2015 - eluebchow wrote: 90 Points
This probably suffered in comparison to some of the other great bottles we opened; Elegantly styled with an inviting bouquet of red fruits, leather and floral accents; The palate has a pretty mix of dried red fruits, earth and cedar; Not the most overly complex Brane Cantenac, but thoroughly enjoyable
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9/13/2015 - yenda wrote: 93 Points
Guys this was really nice. I was expecting to pull 2004 but got this one instead. Yes, it is mature,yet holds together, still plenty of fruit, tannins resolved. Nice wine indeed
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6/5/2015 - pavel_p wrote: flawed
Bottle in seemingly very good condition from OWC with bottom neck fill and a cork that was (only) 2/3 soaked. PnP but decanted later without any improvement. Garnet with clear bricking towards the rim. This bottle is clearly past peak with very little fruit left, fairly high acidity, leather. Could have been a 75 instead of a 83 as well. Looking at the other notes giving it the benefit of doubt - perhaps an not entirely correct bottle. NR
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5/13/2015 - redknife Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 30 mins and took to Ruths Chris
Excellent nicely aged bordeaux. Beautiful nose showing its age with an elegant taste with plenty of fruit and long finish. Tannins are resolved. Drink within next 3-5 years
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5/13/2015 - Tubulus wrote: 93 Points
This was an excellent surprise. Fairly dark color, no bricking, did not look at all like an older wine. Lots of fruit on first pour, some structure remains but tannins basically fully integrated. After an hour open picked up more of the aged leather and earthy flavors you would expect but still did not taste like an "old" wine. Lots of acidity on the finish. I never drink Bordeaux, but this was excellent.
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11/28/2014 - ArtF Likes this wine: 91 Points
Same note as July of this year. Reticent nose. Leather, old wool, damp earth on the palate. Firm and medium to full bodied. Still some life ahead for this.
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10/22/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfectly balanced and matured; smooth sweet blackberry-cherry; soft integrated tannins with a smooth silky long finish.
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10/8/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic Margaux terrior; leather with cedar; sweet-sour blackberry; earthy and elegant; smooth and long.
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10/4/2014 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine: 90 Points
Shows signs of age already. It's drinking well but it's headed towards the cliff. Drink up.
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9/28/2014 - redknife Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for 30 min. Nice aged Brane that wont get better, would drink within 3-5 years
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9/14/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 91 Points
Leather and cedar; integrated; a bit acidic, but nice sweet blackberry and good balance.
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8/28/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Complex cedar and leather; structured with sweet blackberry.
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8/6/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cedar and rubber; juicy blackberry with licorice; long; tannins still present.
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7/6/2014 - ArtF Likes this wine: 90 Points
Top shoulder fill, cork with signs of slight seepage. Pours brick/ruby red. Barnyard nose intially, then old Bordeaux cellar smells lift from glasses when served. Still a hint of fruit on palate but mostly graphite.
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6/13/2014 - Prinsen wrote: 94 Points
Very impressive, much better than last bottle. Classic old Margaux, few tannins very well balanced, powerfull smell of farmyard, leather but still fruity. Long lasting taste. Drinking well now but can last for some more yrs
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6/7/2014 - DaveGCO Likes this wine: 85 Points
Trying to drink up some old 83s. Served with ribeyes. Fruit still evident, pleasant, tannins smoothed out. Won't hesitate to serve again
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6/7/2014 - Prinsen wrote: 92 Points
The smell is very closed in the beginning. Opens after an hour wit a very classic Bdx nose. Still lots of tanins. Not as soft as 1978. Devellops very possitive after 1-3 hours with secondary flavours. Even tried to spare a little bit in the fridge to the next day. Still very good at second day showing it has a long life ahead.
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6/6/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful flowered nose; near perfect balance with harmony; soft and elegant with fully integrated sweet tannins; long smooth finish.
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5/4/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mature and well and smoothly integrated; soft sweet tannins; textured; blackberry; great composition; long and elagant finish.
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5/2/2014 - MEZEL Likes this wine: 93 Points
Superbe Margaux à maturité, qui atteint un subtil équilibre au nez entre arômes tertiaires (tabac, cuir ...) et de belles notes de fruits (cassis, prune, cerise ...) et de fleurs. La bouche est soyeuse et délicate, d'une grande pureté.
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4/11/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich chocolate-coffee-cedar-tar nose; cedar and sweet blackberry; a bit harsh and tannic on the finish but with long sweet cassis and blackberry.
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3/23/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Blackberry and leather nose; fully integrated tannins; earthy with soft blackberry and moderate finish.
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3/22/2014 - redknife Likes this wine: 94 Points
Brought to Steph and Ari's A nice mature Bordeaux with plenty of fruit left. Decanted for one hr
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3/17/2014 - meniscus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good fill and perfect cork so I was very hopeful...
At first the nose was quite leathery and somewhat closed. A bit austere on the palate with drying tannins on the finish. After some air it opened up to reveal a complex, very pretty nose of violets, berries and toast. The palate opened up too with flavors that match the nose. Nice length and many layers of flavor...
Next night, this was even better. Way better, in fact. Perfectly integrated with deep, complex flavors of kirsch, berry jam and currants and a long, smooth finish that caresses the palate.
An elegant and beautiful wine!
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3/16/2014 - ArtF Likes this wine: 94 Points
Liked this more than '82 we drank recently. More wafting nose, smoother, longer finish. Beautifully mature and elegant at 31 years.
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3/12/2014 - vinole wrote: 92 Points
S FL WS Group Welcomes VinT (Chez JC & FKG, Hollywood, FL): Some bricking at the rim, but the fruit was still lively with cherry and currant flavors. Medium + acidity and medium body with cedar notes and nice elegance and complexity on the finish.
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2/8/2014 - envirovino wrote: 92 Points
Ahh. This was nice. Exactly what I was expecting. Fully mature, integrated, resolved and on its way down most likely. Browning a bit, gentle nose w some leather, cedary hints. Smooth and polished. Nothing fancy or complex. Bit short on finish but very nicely done.
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2/1/2014 - SimonK wrote: 93 Points
volle nase, rotkirsche, leichter tabak, pilze, unterholz
sauerkirsch, nelke, chili, leder
nicht sehr komplex
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12/26/2013 - Enfant sauvage Likes this wine: 93 Points
A great Christmas wine. This was fresher and brighter than I would have expected, while having developed very nicely. The nose was all tobacco and leather early on, but with some nice red fruit on the palate. After about an hour (to my dismay) the tobacco profile had largely dissipated and the fruit reemerged in a more significant way with red currant and sloe berries (pacharanes). The finish began to sour a bit too, but not at all in an off-putting way, just not as smooth as at opening. The bit that I left for a couple hours seemed again more integrated. Tobacco gone, but the finish was smooth and the wine very enjoyable. Overall, an elegant Margaux and a very good experience.
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10/19/2013 - canan wrote: 92 Points
30th Birthday - Bordeaux Wine (1983) (Le Sommelier, Copenhagen): Nose: Plums, coffee and a lot of chocolate. A hint of sewer.
Palate: Tight structure with a lot of black currant fruit. Toasted oak, chocolate, coffee and a hard acidity.
Impressive but it does seem a bit unresolved and difficult to fully understand.
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8/14/2013 - thomasito2001 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good bottle, see my first note on this wine. Aromatic profile this time was more on leather/fungi than fruits, so I guess this bottle had evolved a wee bit quicker (it didn't help that this bottle was one of those that travelled between le Var and le Grand-Duché by car a day in July hidden in the car's spare tire compartment, right above the exhaust system: the bottle was warm in my hands as I took it out that evening...)
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4/1/2013 - thomasito2001 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Compared to the one I previously had, this one was leaner and had a less sumptuous mouthfeel and a metallic tinge in the aftertaste one quite often experiences in older bottle. Still very drinkable though, the bottle disappeared very fast.
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12/18/2012 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine:
This is what the Brits would call a luncheon claret -- perfectly satisfying for its integration, the structure now essentially gone and everything amalgamated together. You're not going to find anything in the UC-Davis wheel to pin on this, it's just pure wine, although given its age it's actually a little fresher and brighter than I might have expected.
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6/2/2012 - Prinsen wrote: 93 Points
Impressive bordeaux fully mature not many tanins left with a complex taste develloping over 3-4 hours and a great smell of a good margaux
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4/29/2012 - Nyindallas wrote: 93 Points
Medium ruby garnet with a little bricking. Nose opens with tar, cedar and a touch of cassis and plum. Wonderful example of an old world Cabernet. Lots going on with the flavors of this wine. Layers and layers of flavors that including plummy, spices leather, a little violet and olives. Smooth beautiful mature tannins. Remarkably after almost 30 years still showing a considerable amount of fruit.
I have to take my hat off and applaud the wine maker who made the 1983 Château Brane-Cantenac. Once again the 83 Bordeaux Vintage surprises and delights with a grand slam home run. Wanted a nice aged Bordeaux to serve with a rack of lamb. So glad we opened this. Surprised that Parker gave this wine a 88. The 83 more than any recent vintage of Bordeaux has consistently exceeded my expectations with surprises from Lynch Bages, Pichon Baron and St Pierre. Still holding on to our 83 Lafite. That should be the greatest surprise of all. BYW, still have price tag of $17.00
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1/19/2012 - salil wrote: 93 Points
Last bottle and as it turns out, the best showing I've had from this wine. Layers of mature leather, tobacco, spicy and floral elements and red fruits combining together seamlessly in a polished, medium weight package. The tannins are fully resolved and it's drinking superbly right now.
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11/2/2011 - salil wrote: 89 Points
Similar to my last bottle but with a bit more mid-palate weight. There's a lovely complex aromatic profile that keep building and evolving; it's a bit thin in the mouth initially but gains weight and depth with air and it's drinking very nicely now, fully mature and excellent with veal.
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10/15/2011 - salil wrote: 88 Points
Great aromatics with tobacco, worn leather, floral elements and gentle red fruited elements combining into a lovely scent. It doesn't show the same depth or character in the mouth though, where it feels slightly thin and tired at first, gaining some weight with air but still remaining fairly one-note to taste.
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9/24/2011 - thomasito2001 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had this wine over dinner and it disappeared rather quickly, so had little time to detail it's analysis (I was in charge of the food and cooking). Very little signs of aging, the nose was immediately open, very pure and deep. Fruit still very present, the wine is at full maturity. It is in the mouth that the wine showed to be very special, the textural quality of the tannins was really impressive lending the wine a "toucher de bouche" that was simply delicious and extremely refined, as a mature Margaux is supposed to taste. The wine didn't tire over it's (short) time of display, so it might be possible to wait a few more years (but I don't really see for what reason). Excellent.
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8/5/2011 - rnellans wrote: 93 Points
Some bricking on the edge. Nice tobacco, leather and floral notes on the nose. Developed quite nice in the glass. I liked the acidity and lively qualities. Still some nice fruit. Married beautifully with the lamb.
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3/27/2011 - rosenst1 wrote: flawed
Popped and poured; this cork was in better shape so decided not to decant. Light red with definite bricking on the edge. Not a lot on the nose initially; on the palate light completely resolved tannins with some drying out on the finish. Faded from there as the drying tannins overwhelmed the fruit; 28 years old, but clearly not Chateau Margaux or Palmer from this vintage.
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1/12/2010 - yenda wrote: 90 Points
at the peak. was a bit scared as what to expect but it drank very nicely
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12/11/2009 - aof wrote: 90 Points
Bordeaux and Game-83 Brane Cantenac, 96 L'Evangile, 03 Leoville Barton and more.: Restrained on the nose, quite elegant with some finesse. A little short on the depth and finish. A good mature claret though.
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10/11/2009 - rosenst1 wrote: 90 Points
Based on how good the 83 Palmer was a few weeks ago decided this might still be alive, having it in my cellar since 85. The cork was problematic; broke in half, so decanted very gently and removed pieces of cork. The color is a lovely mature red with minimal browning. Initially a bit reticent on the nose, but very nice medium to light and very smooth palate impression, tannins are completely resolved. A lovely drink but never developed a great deal of complexity; still for $17!
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9/25/2009 - wino_tim wrote: 93 Points
Fully mature but showing a great deal of vibrancy to its spice, cured meat, savory dried herb and cherry aromas. Medium to full bodied, but very lively on the palate, offering more dried red fruit and herb flavors and a persistent cedar-y finish.
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9/24/2009 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Older Bordeaux at Troquet (Boston, MA): Wild aromatics here, very leathery and earthy with touches of meat, violets and red fruits; almost Rhonish in its flavour profile. Lovely in the mouth; elegant and silken textured with tannins fully resolved, plenty of acidity giving it lift and a medium length finish.
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12/9/2008 - thomaskeil wrote: 92 Points
UCD wine group (Boulder, CO): Not decanted. Mahogany/violet red. Beautiful, draw-you-back sort of nose of sweet flowery dark fruits, real earthiness (not seen in the Cali cabs), mocha, and spices. Soft medium weighted fruit with a full mouth presence that layered out nicely but without much complexity. Finished with soft tannins and minimal acidity. Medium length. This was very nice to drink and oh so easy to enjoy. Given the wine continued to improve in the glass, I think it has many years drinking at this peak.
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6/12/2008 - Kevin_C wrote: 89 Points
Deep color. Initial nose of cocoa and mature bordeaux. Very fine in the mouth, sweet, good mouth coverage. A finish that you don't mind lingering.
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3/31/2007 - mikeweav wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely Incredible.... Drinking very well right now. Retained some tannins and actually improved in the glass.
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1/10/2006 - Chuck Miller wrote: 78 Points
Fill well into neck. No obvious storage problems, yet this bottle was extremely tart, harsh and lacking in fruit. Past whatever prime it might have ever had.
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8/14/2003 - Eric wrote: 89 Points
Very distinct browning at the edge. The nose has some light plumminess which fades to tart cranberry. It also has a very distinct mineral and iron accent, almost like blood. On the palate this has a smooth entry with a hint of sweetness on the edge, lovely cedar, and forest floor. Good length on the pleasing, slightly complex, lightly drying finish.
This is hardly a blockbuster, but for a recently acquired bottle with excellent provenance, it hits the spot with a lamb roast on a night when I was looking for a mature Bordeaux experience.
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5/6/1990 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 88 Points
With K at home at dinner (stew). Medium-dark ruby. Decent legs. Smells delicious. Forward, fruity nose. Charming. Margaux all the way. In the mouth, somewhat simple, but round, plump and precocious. Delicious for drinking now, though some tannins remain. Dry finish, should be drunk up. Very good. 5-11-15-7: 88/100.
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