Winemaker Notes
Blend: 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carmenère, 1% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Wild pink flowers on the nose, with blackcurrant and cherry fruit, fragrant, almost sweet and sour, super inviting. Cool but concentrated fruit on the palate, supple, agile, ripe full and direct. It has a gorgeous weight on the palate, not plush - it's in keeping with the vintage for sure, but such a finessed, elegance to the frame. Lovely licks of minerality that don't overhwelm the wine and the flavours carry to a long finish. A great sense of fun, joy and delicate beauty. Pretty and super charming, a delicate take from Brane but so much to like with its subtle charm.
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James Suckling
This wine stands out for vibrancy, balance, juiciness and crunch. Medium- to full-bodied, which is impressive for this lighter year with higher acidity. I love the balance and prettiness of the wine. Fine-grained tannins. 74% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, 2% cabernet franc, 1% carmenere and 1% petit verdot.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Brane-Cantenac offers up aromas of sweet dark berries mingled with mint, vanilla pod and spices. It shows its élevage and malolactic fermentation in new oak more prominently than it did en primeur. Medium to full-bodied, with good depth and concentration, it's bright and velvety, with plenty of structuring barrel tannin and a vanillin-inflected finish. The quality of Brane's terroirs and a strict selection shows through, so if it can digest its oak more completely, this will prove exceptional.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carménère, and 1% Petit Verdot aged 18 months in 100% new French oak, the 2021 Château Brane-Cantenac comes from a vintage marked by frost, spring rains, and a gloomy summer before late-season drought. Red and black fruits intermixed with spice and leafy herbs define the bouquet, and it's medium-bodied, round, and supple on the palate, loaded with charm, terrific purity, soft tannins, and a great finish. From a challenging vintage, this is nevertheless a balanced, pleasurable Margaux I'd happily drink a bottle of today. It will keep for two decades.
Lucien Lurton's grandfather acquired the estate in 1925, and was succeeded by his grandson in 1956. Lucien Lurton's son, Henri, currently manages the estate and puts all his efforts into producing a great Margaux in each and every vintage, reflecting Brane-Cantenac's superb vineyard soil.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Silky, seductive and polished are the words that characterize the best wines from Margaux, the most inland appellation of the Médoc on the Left Bank of Bordeaux.
Margaux’s gravel soils are the thinnest of the Médoc, making them most penetrable by vine roots—some reaching down over 23 feet for water. The best sites are said to be on gentle outcrops, or croupes, where more gravel facilitates good drainage.
The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification but it is nonetheless important in regards to history of the area. In 1855 the finest chateaux were deemed on the basis of reputation and trading price—at that time. In 1855, Chateau Margaux achieved first growth status, yet it has been Chateau Palmer (officially third growth from the 1855 classification) that has consistently outperformed others throughout the 20th century.
Chateau Margaux in top vintages is capable of producing red Cabernet Sauvignon based wines described as pure, intense, spell-binding, refined and profound with flavors and aromas of black currant, violets, roses, orange peel, black tea and incense.
Other top producers worthy of noting include Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, Lascombes, Brane-Cantenac, and d’Issan, among others.
The best wines of Margaux combine a deep ruby color with a polished structure, concentration and an unrivaled elegance.