The 2012 Château Brane-Cantenac is a refined Margaux with a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Merlot. It features a classic nose of red fruits, tobacco, and graphite, complemented by a saline, medium-bodied palate with fine tannins and a peppery finish. The wine is fresh, with a pleasant fleshiness, and shows good aging potential, ideal for drinking through 2029.

Decanter | D 93
Published: Mar 3, 2022
Drink: 2022-2026

Beautifully fragrant and finely judged claret with 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Merlot. A refined and charming, gentle expression of the appellation. A property that has grown in quality each year but remains fairly priced.

Jamessuckling.com | JS 92
Published: Feb 8, 2015

A red with mineral, oyster-shell and currant character. Full body, chewy tannins and a long and muscular finish. Needs two or three years to soften. A racy 2012. 

The Wine Advocate | RP 90
Published: Dec 31, 2016
Drink Date: 2017-2029

Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the Chateau, the 2012 Brane-Cantenac, now in bottle, has developed a satisfying bouquet of blackberry, tar and tobacco, keeping within the Brane-Cantenac style, but perhaps delivering a little more fruit intensity than it showed out of barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and well-judged acidity. There is a pleasant fleshiness here with a salinity on the finish that urges another sip. This is commendable for the vintage, although I would suggest it will offer more pleasure in its youth, rather than something that I would insist upon cellaring. Tasted January 2016. 

Brane-cantenac.com

Wine Style:
Very dense and deep purple color. The nose is classic, straight, featuring red fruits, tobacco and graphite aromas that display great vivacity. The velvety attack gives way to a medium-bodied palate, saline, delivering fine tannin and a nice freshness, with a tang of white pepper and fennel lingering on the finish. Very surprising wine.

Serving conditions
Decant 1h30 to 2h before - Serve at 18°C

Ageing potential
25 to 30 years

Wine pairing
Medallions of pork filet mignon served with mashed potatoes and pan-fried mushrooms.

Weather conditions
Spring was challenging, with very rainy weather in April as vines began shooting, but excellent summer weather made up for it, with the hottest August since 2003. Getting the harvesting date right was crucial in order to obtain fully ripe grapes, without endangering their health by allowing the rain at the end of September and in October to take its toll. Brane’s great success in this vintage is down to the terroir, which leads grapes to ripen early. The fact that we included 68% of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend of Brane-Cantenac bears witness to its beautiful maturity, and to the excellent work that was done in the vineyard.

Harvest dates: 27/09 to 16/10/2012
Blend: 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot
VINIFICATION: In oak casks
Ageing: 18 months in French oak barrels, with 70% new