2021 Château Brane-Cantenac, Cru Classé Margaux

The first thing that I notice on the 2021 Brane-Cantenac is that the color is conspicuously deeper than that of the Deuxième Vin. The nose has exquisite, very pure and delineated scents of raspberry and blackcurrant, with a touch of pencil box and cedar. There is almost a Burgundy-like allure to these aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. Classic in style with a clean bead of acidity, there is a noticeable saline/estuarine aspect to this Brane. It’s focused and poised with quite a peppery finish (more-so than out of barrel). Whilst it has no desire to match the imperial heights of other recent vintages, this will allow for perfect drinking over the next 20-odd years. Excellent.

The 2021 Brane-Cantenac is a classy, elegant wine. The aromatics alone are so enticing. Crushed flowers, sweet pipe tobacco, mint, rose petal and cedar open first. The 74% Cabernet Sauvignon is a bit higher than in most years, which comes through in the wine's aromatic and structural profile. The 2021 is quiet and understated. Élevage was 18 months in 100% new French oak, but the wood is not at all evident—an important and positive sign regarding the wine's overall balance. Even so, the 2021 is a subdued Brane-Cantenac, one that needs time in bottle to shine at its brightest.

The 2021 Brane-Cantenac offers up aromas of sweet dark berries mingled with mint, vanilla pod and spices. It shows its élevage and malolactic fermentation in new oak more prominently than it did en primeur. Medium to full-bodied, with good depth and concentration, it's bright and velvety, with plenty of structuring barrel tannin and a vanillin-inflected finish. The quality of Brane's terroirs and a strict selection shows through, so if it can digest its oak more completely, this will prove exceptional.