2016 Chateau Brane-Cantenac, Margaux, Bottle (750ml)

VM96 "The 2016 Brane-Cantenac has been on a roll of late, under the watchful eye of Henri Lurton. This latest bottled vintage is superb. The divine, pure blackberry and bilberry bouquet develops touches of graphite in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, silky-smooth texture and a superb bead of acidity. This is not a powerful Brane-Cantenac, and it is perhaps less austere than I suspected en primeur, but it should drink beautifully over the next three decades. If you have a penchant for traditional claret, it really doesn’t come better than this." NM for VM Dec 2018

JS96 "So much ripe and sweet tobacco on the nose with currant and blackberry character. Full body, intense tannins with density and beauty. It's a wine with great structure and panache for this estate. Try after 2024." JS Jan 2019

LP95+ "Composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Carmenere, the 2016 Brane-Cantenac is deep garnet-purple colored. It is a little broody, with notes of tar and rubber giving way to a core of creme de cassis, baked plums, and boysenberries, plus hints of violets, espresso, and black olives. Medium-bodied and splendidly concentrated, the palate is a ripe, juicy black berry behemoth, featuring ripe, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and fruity." LPB for TWI May 2022