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96 Vinous
Neal Martin: 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.
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Château Brane Cantenac
One of the most respected châteaux in the Margaux appellation, Château Brane Cantenac was established in the early 18th century and was bought by the Baron de Brane, a nobleman known as “Napoléon of the Vineyards” in 1833 following the sale of his other château, Mouton Rothschild. He renamed the château after himself (including Cantenac, a sub-section within the Margaux appellation), but it was eventually bought by other families throughout the years. In the 1920s, a branch of the Lurton family took it over with Château Margaux and while they do not retain Margaux, they still own and manage Brane Cantenac. It is planted to 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Carménère, the latter only being introduced in the 2011 vintage as a way of balancing out higher alcohol due to climate change. Their Grand Vin is aged in 60% new oak barrels for 18 months.