Chateau Brane-Cantenac 2011

This serious estate has made a fine 2011 wine. While deep and ripe with blackberry flavor and acidity, it also has dense structure. It shows both power and style, with notes of wood aging likely to fade. Drink this fine wine from 2017.

This is a great example of how 2011 is evolving. There's a softness and grace to the fruit that was perhaps not expected in the austere early years - and even during a tasting I did of this wine in late 2017. Today, it's starting to open up, with an emphasis of rose petals and light spices that give the appellation signature but in a less concentrated form than, say, 2010 or 2015. It's enjoyable and good quality, a welcoming bottle that has plenty of complexity to get hold of, and tannins that suggest there's still a long way to go. It speaks of the success of Brane Cantenac in recent years. 0.5% Carmenère completes the blend. 39% of production.

Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château, the 2011 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 37% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 56.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and a pinch of Carmenère. It has a more attractive bouquet than the 2012, demonstrating more complexity and fruit intensity: blackberry and raspberry, a touch of cedar and tobacco thrown into the mix. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, the oak beautifully interwoven into the brambly red berry fruit, gently building with a hint of spice and dry tobacco on the finish. There is just a tad more substance than the 2012, yet it remains elegant, and given the vintage it is sophisticated compared to others this vintage. Tasted April 2015.

Offers a pretty, dusty edge, with lightly mulled cherry and plum notes, stitched with floral hints and a touch of singed sandalwood. Shows good flesh through the finish, with a pebbly backdrop. Best from 2016 through 2026. 8,330 cases made.