The 2018 Brane-Cantenac, a Bordeaux blend from the renowned region of Margaux, France, is a red wine that promises a journey into the heart of French wine tradition. This graceful blend is a tapestry of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, elegantly sealed with a cork closure.
Aesthetically, the wine possesses a medium to deep garnet-purple hue, which is a prelude to the vibrant notes of kirsch, black raspberries, and warm cassis that take center stage. Complementing these bold fruit flavors are suggestions of roses, forest floor, and cinnamon stick with a waft of cedar chest. The alcohol content is a modest 13.5%, making it a pleasantly balanced and refreshing wine.
The 2018 Brane-Cantenac has been lauded by experts for its structure, elegance, and the interplay of red and black fruits. It is regarded as a serious wine, with a densely textured body and a vibrantly fruity palate. The wine's character reveals itself best in its full body, firm, creamy tannins, and long, perfumed finish. It is a wine of presence, with an impressive depth of flavor that lingers on the palate.
The tasting notes of mushroom, meat, bark, and iodine add a unique complexity to the wine, while the undertones of smoke, flowers, wet earth, herbs, spice box, and tobacco leaf lend it a nuanced sophistication. This is a wine that rewards patience, with the promise of unfolding its full charm and potential over time.
As per the experts' recommendation, this wine is best appreciated when allowed to mature. Begin savoring this wine after 2025, and for the best experience, let it age until at least 2027. The 2018 Brane-Cantenac, with its intriguing blend of flavors, is a testament to the art of winemaking at Brane-Cantenac. It is a wine that promises an immersive experience into the heart of Margaux, Bordeaux.