Château Brane-Cantenac 2006

I can’t say enough about how beautifully classic, racy, and gracious the wines of Brane Cantenac have become over the last decade. The stunningly elegant 2006 exhibits a sweet, subtle smoke note intermixed with creme de cassis in its medium-bodied style with superb nobility, concentration, and sweet tannin. Possessing a complex, luscious personality with strikingly beautiful, velvety tannins, it should be at its finest between 2012-2025+.

Displays plum jam and currant bush on the nose. Full-bodied, with sweet, ripe fruit, soft, round tannins and a long finish. Slightly loose knit at the moment, but will come together with bottle age. Builds on your palate. Needs time. Best after 2013. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 10,830 cases made.

This has a really promising attack, although things are not fully in balance across the palate. Lovely structure and gentle floral aromas on the finish. The tannins are not aggressive, but the fruit is a little underwhelming.

Fresh and clean with pretty berry and currant character. It’s full-to-medium-bodied, with firm tannins and a clean, caressing finish. Drink now.

The 2006 Brane-Cantenac was fermented at lower temperatures in order to avoid over-extraction. This is borne out on the nose which shows freshly rolled tobacco and sandalwood as before, more refined and focused than some of its peers and slightly darker in fruit profile than the 2005. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. Naturally, it does not possess the density and backbone of the previous vintage, but it feels balanced with a pleasant sapidity on the finish. Drink this over the next decade. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château in September 2025.

Medium-bodied, showing some age in the color, the wine is sweet, soft, fresh, and open, displaying none of the hard tannins found at many Left Bank estates in this vintage. The elegant, cherry- and spice-filled finish shows nice freshness in its character. You can enjoy this now, or age it for at least another decade.

Medium ruby-purple, fine rim on the outside. Noble, creamy blackberry bouquet, clear chocolate notes, ripe plums, exuding great warmth. Elegant, full-bodied flow, silky tannins, wonderful balance, gliding over the tongue like a great, highly refined Chambertin, pure finesse.

Medium ruby-purple, with a fine rim on the edge. Noble, creamy blackberry bouquet, clear chocolate notes and ripe plums, radiating great warmth. Elegant, full-bodied flow, silky tannins, beautiful balance, glides over the tongue like a great, highly refined Chambertin, pure finesse!

Refined, with a very pleasant tactile grain of tannin, but the wine lacks the intensity one expects from a fine Second.

Fine, ripe nose with roasted notes and aromatic herbs; a well-structured palate with still-pronounced tannins, and a lovely spicy finish, long and very aromatic.

Logo on the cork: A in a circle (Amorim) The wine did not show as expected, with a somewhat simple, truffled nose and a juicy, tasty palate, but slightly marked by tannin on the finish, which is not typical of the cru. Another bottle that seemed a bit muted.

91—93 Barrel sample. A firm, but generous wine with well balanced fruit and tannins. It has a solid core, surrounded by ripe, sweet fruit, freshened by acidity.