2023 Chateau Brane-Cantenac, Margaux, France 750ml

Arriving Fall of 2026

The 2023 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot (which saw some saignée), 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carmenère and 1% Petit Verdot, and it completed its malolactic fermentation in barrels as has been the rule at this estate since the 1990s. Offering up aromas of dark cherries, cassis and spices framed by creamy new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a creamy core of fruit and a long, gently lactic finish.

Having grafted over Merlot vines to Cabernet Sauvignon, Henri Lurton and his team are now able to craft a balanced blend derived solely from the plateau of Brane, the estate's finest terroir, and that has brought more mid-palate depth and volume to the wines. The 2023 vintage delivered an abundant fruit set, so the team conducted extensive crop-thinning to balance the vines. The resulting wines are quite serious, with analytically high levels of tannin, though the estate's use of 100% new oak, with malolactic in barrique, for the grand vin has contributed some youthful creaminess out of the gates, even if I sometimes think that comes at the expense of a little precision. (WK)