1971 Château Brane-Cantenac

Community Tasting Notes (9) Avg Score: 88.6 points

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  4/28/2024 - ParisWino Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Uncorked this on my birthday even though I was having a quiet celebration at home with my family, and my wife doesn't care much for old relics (except me). After having been stood up for a couple months (this is always key to enjoying older bottles), the cork was cleanly extracted with a faux Durand, and half was decanted into a clean 375ml with no headroom and returned to the wine fridge for the next day; while the other half was enjoyed with mains and the cheese course. I have had a fair number of Branes from 71-78-79, and they always seem to be solid performers that scratch the mature BDX itch at very reasonable prices (this particular bottle was €35 all-in).
  
  Anyways, on both the first and second night the wine was consistent: on the nose there was a very intriguing nose of strawberries, cranberries, tangerine rind, umami, Earl Grey, a bit of sassafras, and a slight floral note I couldn't place. On the palate the wine was medium bodied; the tannins were fully resolved as expected, and there was a jolt of acidity, not volatile, but rather sour. This wine needs food -- like any very mature wine -- but a bottle in good condition still has something interesting to say to anyone willing to listen closely.

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  1/23/2021 - houstonjeff@hotmail.com Likes this wine: 89 Points

  On the decline yet still life. Fewer fruit notes and more tertiary notes. Forrest floor, truffles, meat, umami, chocolate. Very interesting and was fun to try to a 50th birthday celebration. Color was still there with garnet hues. Really exemplifies how Bordeaux can age.

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  1/10/2017 - DENKMAELER wrote: flawed

  low shoulder, Korken zerbröselt und undicht
  immer noch Charakter und Fülle, leichte Säure, Farbton am verblassen und bräunlich... ausdauernder Margaux?

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  11/11/2016 - maaike2 wrote: 92 Points

  Why has Brane Cantenac lost reputation in the past? Amazing: still red in color, with only minimal signs of aging. Earthy, Smoke, leather, tobacco, backed up by acids. A stunning performance!

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  8/24/2014 - Zweder wrote:

  Birth year wines (plus some extra's) (@ JB): Beautiful bouquet with barnyard, coffee, chocolate cinnamon and fennel. On the palate still juicy red fruits acidity, fennel and cinnamon. Still lively and pleasurable. In fact most tasters thought this wine is too old (and in fact it is), I could still discover some pleasurable aspects. Nevertheless no score.

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View all 9 Community Tasting Notes

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