Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carmenere
99 Points Jane Anson
Rich, deep, powerful, still just at the start of its life. This is a stunning wine, the standout in the vertical. Luscious black fruits, with a careful climb of freshness and acidity through the palate, carefully placed and so delicious, waves of subtle cumin, cocoa and liquorice spice, cassis, cedar, mint leaf, smoked tea, oyster shell, slate tannins. Can easily hold for another few decades, but honestly it is tasting so good right now, you might want to at least open one bottle so you can begin to follow its progress.
98 Points Jeb Dunnuck
A brilliant, reference point level wine from this château, the 2016 Château Brane-Cantenac sports a deep purple hue as well as sensational notes of cassis, currants, iron, lead pencil, sappy tobacco, and leafy herbs. Based on 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Carmenère and aged 18 months in 70% new French oak, it's medium to full-bodied, with a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, integrated tannins, and just about flawless balance. It checks in at 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.57. Don't miss this stunning 2016. I'd be happy with cases in the cellar. Hide bottles for another 3-5 years and it will see its 50th birthday in fine form.
96-98 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Carmenere picked from 22 September until 17 October (the tiny parcel of Carmenere picked three days later). The yields came in at 51 hectoliters per hectare and it is matured in 75% new oak and 25% one-year-old barrels, the final alcohol level 13.3%. It has a beautifully defined, very detailed bouquet with mineral-rich black fruit laced with cedar and graphite notes, living up to its nom de plume as the "Pauillac of Margaux." The palate is simply the best that I have ever tasted at the estate, without question. This has presence, but also weightlessness, filigree tannin and perfectly pitched acidity, with real intensity and drive. The tension here is outstanding and the persistence is incredibly long. It is not the showiest of all the 2016s by a long stretch, and yet it is everything you could possibly want from a Margaux.
97 Points James Suckling
The nose is herbal and refined. The tannins are superb and close-knit, with a black olive note. Medium- to full-bodied with flavors that are evenly packed and extremely long. 70% cabernet sauvignon, 27% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 1% carmenere. Drinkable now, but better from 2027 and will age gracefully for years. From a vertical tasting at the winery.
96 Points Decanter
Racy aromatic nobility, with cassis, white flower, graphite and blackberry. A second growth for a rather friendly price (in context), this wine displays subtle density, power, freshness and elegance. It has the tannic structure for the long haul, but is already silky in its elegance. Best to wait just a few more years however for a more optimal drinking window.
96 Points Vinous
The 2016 Brane-Cantenac has the most extravagant bouquet by far, with vivacious black and blue fruit, bunches of violet, potpourri and heather. Beautiful definition. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation, quite sapid in style, not as luxuriant as the nose, and the finish seems to have clammed up at the moment. But just give this time. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.
