Chateau Brane Cantenac 2020

James Suckling: "Blackberries, plums, currants, tobacco and violets on the nose. Bitter chocolate and mocha, too. It’s refined and focused, with a medium to full body and firm, tightly-knit tannins. Very long, laser-focused and polished. Very classy. Best of the trilogy. Try after 2027."

Weinwisser: "Royales Bouquet, Palisander gepaart mit edler Cassiswürze, dahinter getrocknete Rosenblätter und Holundergelee. Am vibrierenden Gaumen, seidige Textur, tänzerische Rasse, engmaschiges Tanningerüst und athletischer Körper. Im konzentrierten Finale explodiert der Margaux und endet in einem langanhaltenden Finale, schwarzbeerige Konturen, tiefschürfende dunkle Mineralik und erhabene Adstringenz. Legt im Vergleich zu den Primeurs deutlich zu und erhält zu Recht die höhere Wertung. Ein echter Aufsteiger der vergangenen Jahren bei uns im WEINWISSER."

Decanter: "Heady and expressive on the nose, seductive tones of ripe fruit and perfumed flowers. Gorgeous intensity on the palate, rich, round and ripe - gently chewy - but cool and refreshing too. This has a dynamic undercurrent with tannins that are fine but firm giving a slightly narrow frame. It’s a bit more serious than some, brooding, but clearly well made with definition. There’s a confidence here, vibrant and detailed fruit with an excellent lingering impression of the terroir in the slightly salty, chalky, graphite touch. Layered and well built with supreme classicism. A top buy. I'd like to own this one!"

Jeb Dunnuck: "This estate has been on a roll, and their 2020 Château Brane-Cantenac is another brilliant wine that readers will love. Largely in the mold of the 2019, it has a deep purple hue as well as an incredible bouquet of blackcurrants, black cherries, freshly sharpened pencils, tobacco, and flowers. This medium to full-bodied, richly textured, concentrated, yet remarkably elegant 2020 has the vintage's fresher, focused, elegant profile but still brings plenty of flesh and opulence. Beautifully done, it’s going to evolve for a solid 30 years in cold cellars and offer incredible pleasure all its life."

The Wine Cellar Insider: "With pungent notes of flowers, tobacco leaf, blackberry liqueur, creme de cassis, smoke, and wet earthy nuances, the perfume is in full force. The fruits on the palate offer purity, elegance, lift, and silky tannins, which is a good thing, because you want as much of these gorgeous, sweet, pure, red fruits as possible. The velvet and silk finish is a treat to taste and experience. This is another stellar vintage for Brane Cantenac, an estate that has been on a non-stop roll. This is a wow wine that fans of the estate should run, not walk, and buy as for now, prices are still more than reasonable. Drink from 2025-2055."

The Wine Advocate: "The 2020 Brane-Cantenac has turned out nicely, offering up aromas of blackberries and crème de cassis mingled with notions of licorice, pencil shavings, violets and subtle hints of smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a lavish core of fruit, ripe acids and sweet tannins that assert themselves on the savory finish, it can't quite match the purity and sensuality of the 2019, but it's a strong effort."

Falstaff: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, tiefer Kern, zarte Randaufhellung. Reife Zwetschken und Lakritze, dunkle Beeren, ein Hauch von Edelholz, kandierte Veilchen im Hintergrund. Mittlerer Körper, ein Anflug von Brettanomyces, straffe Tannine, mineralisch und leicht trocken im Abgang, angenehme Süße im Nachhall, zarte Rustikalität."

Jancis Robinson: "Dark crimson. Intensely aromatic, dark-fruited and spicy. Utterly inviting. Refined texture, deliciously dry and refined tannins. Not a blockbuster but so elegant and subtle on the palate."