2015 Château Brane-Cantenac

Community Tasting Notes (92) Avg Score: 93.1 points

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  3/31/2024 - Max S. Likes this wine:

  Drank at Chip's tasting 03/2024

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  3/10/2024 - Gone with the wine Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Needed at least 5hrs to open up. Leave for another 5yrs at least

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  3/6/2024 - Cailles wrote: 91 Points

  Margaux Extravaganza: Margaux vs. Palmer vs. Brane over two decades (1996/2009/2015). Given the pedigree of the vintages, particularly for Chateau Margaux, expectations were quite high, but especially the last two vintages didn't live up to past performances (I've previously rated Ch. Margaux up to 100pts, Ch. Margaux 2015 up to 99pts, and Palmer 2009 98pts) at first. There were some overripe aromas that were too prominent and an uncharacteristic imbalance. Of course, Ch. Margaux and Palmer showed remarkable complexity and precision, but the balance was a bit off. Still, these are some good to great wines, especially on day 2 and with more air they got better and better. Ultimately, Ch. Margaux 2015 (96pts) was the winner with its unique aromatic profile, slightly outperforming the 1996 and 2009 vintages, both at 95pts. Brane and Palmer were a notch or two below, with the Palmer 2015 particularly affected by premature oxidation. I don't doubt the potential of these wines, given the many fine examples I had last year, but I wouldn't open them today.
  
  TN: This young, this is a rather sweet wine dominated by a lot of red fruit, almost Napa-esque in their quality. The wine will need time to shed its baby fat and bring the herbal and earthy notes forward to create a better balance. In addition, the wine has still some slightly coarse tannins. I would wait 10-20 years. 90/91pts for all the substance and precision.

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  1/28/2024 - PSPatrick wrote: 92 Points

  From half-bottle. 13.5% ABV. Decanted for four hours in a small decanter. Dark berry fruit and ripe red berry fruit, blackberry, black raspberry, black currant, dark plum, chocolate, cocoa, spices, vanilla, light coconut, and light smoke, with medium-level acidity, chocolaty tannin, and very good length. There is a touch of greenness that just adds additional complexity. Certainly not the most concentrated 2015 Bordeaux, but well balanced, and very smooth, and drinking very well already at this young age. A very good vintage for Château Brane-Cantenac! Drink now, and over the next 20 years. 92(+)

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  1/6/2024 - Sun_Ship Likes this wine: 95 Points

  The heady, sexy, quite frankly intoxicating nose brings an array of vivid floral notes, rosehips, crushed raspberries, blueberry jam, with a layer of meatiness, brick dust, graphite, fresh pie crust and digestive biscuit. Took longer than my last bottle to open: after 2.5 hrs it began to sing. Silky and enveloping on the palate, with melting raspberry and dark fruits, a soaring line of balancing acidity and grippy but perfectly ripe tannins. Let this decant for a while and enjoy. 95+

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