1988 Château Brane-Cantenac
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Tasting notes
The 1988 Brane-Cantenac shows very well when Henri Lurton serves it blind over lunch. This is superior to the one included in the vertical four years earlier. Displaying more fruit than before, it has a lovely bouquet with red plummy fruit, leather, graphite and an underlying herbaceousness that indicates the cooler growing season. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly rigid tannins, yet it has the transparency that the best 1988s evoke, with hints of pepper towards the finish. Drinking perfectly now.
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The 1988 Brane-Cantenac was picked from September 30 to October 5 after a dry September. Of several bottles tasted, this actually sports the best aromatics, the red berry fruit, leather, pine and graphite showing more cohesion than I anticipated. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth, slightly rounded opening and moderate depth, and it feels quite transparent and classic in style. A touch of white pepper adorns a finish that fans out gently. This is very commendable considering this was a more difficult vintage than 1989 or 1990. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château .
The 1988 Brane-Cantenac, a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, has the same dusty, very earthy bouquet with singed leather notes, almost identical to the bottle at the vertical tasting in 2016. The palate is medium-bodied with light tannin, leathery red fruit, a little mean compared to its peers such as Rauzan-Segla with an attenuated finish. Of course, bottles vary and I think this might not be the best example, but still, Henri Lurton is producing far superior wines these days. Tasted at the château.
Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château, the 1988 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. It has an austere bouquet, a little dusty perhaps, with damp earth and singed leather aromas, a hint of sandalwood developing with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, but there is more substance than I was expecting and it gently closes with a lightly spiced finish. It has lasted the course over almost three decades, a decent if rather staid 1988 that is unlikely to improve. Tasted March 2016.
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.