Chateau Brane Cantenac   Chateau Brane Cantenac

2013 Chateau Brane-Cantenac

By Chateau Brane-Cantenac

2013 Chateau Brane-Cantenac from Chateau Brane-Cantenac, Margaux, Bordeaux

The 2013 vintage in Bordeaux offered an array of challenges, and yet, the 2013 Chateau Brane-Cantenac stands as a testament to the adept craftsmanship at Chateau Brane-Cantenac. An estate renowned for its consistent quality across fluctuating years, the Margaux terroir once again proved its mettle under straining climatic conditions.

 

Masterful Adaptation to Demanding Conditions

The year was characterized by unpredictable weather, with a late flowering followed by uneven ripening. This required meticulous vineyard management and selective harvesting to ensure only the best fruit was used. The result in your glass is an elegant rendition that undeniably echoes the hallmark finesse expected from Margaux.

 

A Nexus of Sophistication and Resilience

In this vintage, the varietal blend leans heavily on the estate's storied Cabernet Sauvignon, ensuring the structure and longevity that investors and connoisseurs cherish. The 2013 Chateau Brane-Cantenac from Chateau Brane-Cantenac encapsulates a core of ripe blackberry and cassis, laced with subtle floral notes indicative of Margaux's esteemed bouquet.

Tannins, finely hewn, suggest a grace under duress; they have matured into companions rather than combatants. This reflects the necessity of a patient curation—an advisement for those intending to cellar these bottles as part of their wine investment portfolio.

The palate offers complexity with its layered dark fruits and hints of graphite and earth—a narrative of the slight struggle of the season, which now translates into a story of triumph within each tasting experience.

To encapsulate, the 2013 Chateau Brane-Cantenac is a commendable offering that outshines expectations of a challenging season. Its poise and enduring elegance position it as one to watch in an investment context. A dazzling exhibit of Margaux finesse under adversity, it reiterates the estate's capability to produce fine wine even when nature imposes its capricious desires.

Market price (HKD)

HK$3,810.00

12x75cl

Highest score

88

POP score

50

Scores and tasting notes

88

The 2013 Brane-Cantenac has come on nicely since I last tasted it in barrel, even if it does fall short of recent vintages from Henri Lurton and his team. Certainly it has developed more fruit concentration on the nose: fresh strawberries and redcurrant laced with tobacco. The palate is nicely balanced with fine tannin and well-judged acidity, just a touch of piquancy coming through on the finish. It has developed more heft during barrel ageing and given 3 or 4 years in bottle, should develop into a satisfying mid-term Margaux.

Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate, 28 October 2016

Vintage performance