A tight, focused center palate to this red with blackberries, dark chocolate, hazelnuts and smoke. Medium to full body, polished tannins and a juicy, lightly chewy mouthfeel. A blend of 74% cabernet sauvignon, 21% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Brane-Cantenac starts off a tad restrained and reluctant to show, opening out to notes of baked blackberries, plum preserves and crème de cassis with hints of cigar box and tar. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is wearing a lot of muscular fruit with firm, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing with great length. Needs time!

The 2017 Brane-Cantenac has a typical Pauillac inspired bouquet with scents of clove and undergrowth infusing the black fruit. It is not the most powerful bouquet in recent years but it feels fresh and typical of the property. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, well judged acidity, pretty with tart red berry fruit, judicious sprinkling of spice with a sappy, classically styled finish. It will be an easier drinking Brane-Cantenac that could be broached after four or five years. www.vinous.com

The 2017 Château Brane-Cantenac should be a terrific wine and offers a medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, silky, elegant style. Loads of black raspberries, cedar pencil, and dried flower notes as well as sweet fruit, ripe tannin, and a complex, layered texture make for a classic Margaux that’s going to drink nicely for two decades.

A light singed alder hint leads the way here, along with light bay leaf and savory notes, while the core of gently steeped black cherry and plum fruit fills in slowly. Shows modest intensity through the finish but the flavors knit nicely. - James Molesworth, winespectator.com, April 2018

The 2017 Brane-Cantenac opens with a good burst of fruit, but then loses some intensity in its mid-palate and finish as the tannins clamp down on the fruit. In this tasting, the 2017 comes across as a bit slender. Some of that may be attributable to the relatively high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (74%) in the blend. Two thousand seventeen is also the first vintage to include Petit Verdot. All those details aside, the 2017 is an attractive Brane-Cantenac built on persistence.

Tasted blind. Deep ruby colour. Smoky but enticing nose of sandalwood, dark cherry and dried violets. Hedgerow fruits abound. Very polished on the palate, there is ambition and refinement here. For now the tannins are very pithy and firm, particularly on the finish, but there is enough fruit intensity to match. A wine for laying down. (TP)

Deep crimson. Complex aroma that pulls together black olive as well as sweet spice and cassis leaf and fruit. Creamy texture, nicely balanced, lightish and elegant with a juicy finish. (JH)

74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. 31.3 hl/ha. Crimson with a lighter rim. Berry-fruit nose. Medium-bodied, lively and fresh. Less power but tannins fully integrated. Good medium-term drinking. (JL)

Deep crimson. Complex aroma that pulls together black olive as well as sweet spice and cassis leaf and fruit. Creamy texture, nicely balanced, lightish and elegant with a juicy finish. - Julia Harding, jancisrobinson.com, April 2018