2011 Chateau Brane-Cantenac 2eme Cru Classe, Margaux

Vinous 88

The 2011 Brane-Cantenac was the first vintage with a drop of Carménère (in fact, there was a rare standalone bottling that I am not sure was commercially released). There is something a little conservative about the nose, with black fruit laced with used tea leaves and a touch of undergrowth. The palate is medium-bodied with some hardness on the entry, quite marine-driven and sapid but it needs more flesh on its bones on the finish. It is becoming a little raw with age. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château in September 2025. [Neal Martin, 01/09/2025]

Anticipated maturity: 2025-2034

Robert Parker 91

Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château, the 2011 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 37% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 56.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and a pinch of Carmenère. It has a more attractive bouquet than the 2012, demonstrating more complexity and fruit intensity: blackberry and raspberry, a touch of cedar and tobacco thrown into the mix. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, the oak beautifully interwoven into the brambly red berry fruit, gently building with a hint of spice and dry tobacco on the finish. There is just a tad more substance than the 2012, yet it remains elegant, and given the vintage it is sophisticated compared to others this vintage. Tasted April 2015. [Neal Martin, 28/09/2017]

Anticipated maturity: 2019-2032