Château Brane-Cantenac 2emé Cru Classé, Margaux, 2019, 75cl

Derived exclusively from the château's holdings on the deep gravel soils of the plateau of Brane, the 2019 Brane-Cantenac has turned out brilliantly and merits a special effort to seek out. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild berries, pencil shavings, violets, sweet loamy soil and cardamon, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with lively acids, ripe tannins and a beautifully seamless, perfumed profile. Retaining all the estate's signature elegance but with an extra dimension of depth and intensity, it's the finest Brane-Cantenac of the modern era and one of the great successes of the 2019 vintage.- William Kelley, Wine Advocate

High spice notes, cumin, sandalwood, cedar, white pepper. confident, slow unroll, cassis and blackberry, brambled hedgerow, espresso and cocoa bean. Field-grafting increased Cabernet Sauvignon to over 70% on the plateau at this point, with the 1st wine entirely sourced from the 30ha of Terrace 4. Harvest September 18 to October 9, 50.3hl/h yield, 100% new French oak for the first time. Eric Boissenot consultant, Henri Lurton owner, Christophe Capdeville technical director.

This shows lots of currant, chocolate, tobacco and herbal aromas and flavors. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and a juicy finish. Refined and complex. Needs at least four or five years to come together. Better after 2025.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Delicate aromas of blackberry and liquorice, fresh orange zest, a hint of tobacco, nuances of vanilla in the background. Juicy, lively, appears light-footed, ripe red fruit nuances, fine, silky tannins, freshly structured, delicate nougat, a somewhat leaner food wine at the moment with a sweet finish and good certain ageing potential.