2020 Brane Cantenac
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Tasting notes
This is singing in 2020. Aromas of cocoa and ripe, dark berry fruit are complemented by a fresh herbaceous note. On the palate there’s a creamy richness to the wine, with ripe fruit but a sour-cherry freshness, a lovely crunch of redcurrant fruit that offsets the riper dark plum and bramble layers. The tannins provide a velveteen frame, supple yet supportive, draping the lush fruit, building to the sweet-spice scented finish.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carmenère and 1% Petit Verdot. 30.8 hl/ha. Deep, purple-black hue. More power and intensity than 2019 but less flamboyant. Big structure, the tannins firm but polished and long. Great persistence. Clearly for the long haul. (JL)
The 2020 Brane-Cantenac is cut from a similar cloth to the 2019 rather than the 2018. Quite strict at first, it opens with blackberry, cedar and tobacco notes, veering strongly towards Pauillac as Brane-Cantenac is wont to do. The nose has wonderful delineation but is certainly less expressive than the 2019 at the moment. The palate is very well balanced with silky-smooth tannins and perfectly judged acidity. Sapid and focused with plenty of grip on the finish, this supremely gifted wine will require patience, but it will be worth it. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château in September 2025.
Slate tannins, a ton of character, this is a great wine, epitome of classified Médoc, stately, powerful, juicy, mouthwatering, serious. Cocoa bean, crayon, liquorice, pencil lead, mint, cassis. Ticks all the boxes. Harvest September 14 to 30, ph 3.71, 100% new oak for ageing, 30.8hl/h yield, Eric Boissenot consultant, Henri Lurton owner, Christophe Capdeville technical director.
About the producer
Château Brane-Cantenac has been a consistent performer in the Margaux wine appellation since Henri Lurton took over the property, but thanks to replanting and investment in the last decade, quality has seen another sharp upswing.