Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Château Brane-Cantenac 2023 – Margaux, Grand Cru Classé, BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
A highly aromatic and deeply concentrated Margaux showing impressive layering, polished texture, and outstanding fruit density, with oak integration still prominent in its youth. Built for complexity and long-term evolution.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackberry compote, wild blueberry, cassis, black cherry liqueur, violet petal, sweet cedar, cocoa powder, graphite, subtle vanilla and toasted spice from new oak.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus to full-bodied with silky, refined tannins, dense mid-palate concentration, seamless flow across the palate, and a long, plush finish. Oak remains slightly forward at this stage but clearly destined to integrate.

Food Pairings
Dry-aged ribeye, rosemary lamb, duck confit, porcini risotto, aged Gruyère or Comté.

Verdict
A seductive, high-concentration Margaux with real depth and aromatic brilliance. Oak currently rides slightly high, but the underlying fruit density and texture suggest excellent aging potential and future harmony.

🍷 Personal Pick
The perfume is intoxicating and the fruit core is massive, this just needs time for the oak to melt into the frame. Big upside once the pieces lock together. — 5 months ago

Paul J

9.2

Merry Christmas!!

375ml. Translucent dark gold color with subtle orange hues. Beeswax, honeysuckle, and butterscotch on the nose. Past prime but I like it and maybe this is how it’s supposed to be. Gets better with air. Nice depth and a long finish. — 6 months ago

with Brooke

Kerri

9.2

One of my favorites from Provence, mineral but a juicy note with peach and strawberry, crisp and light — 10 months ago

Carter White

9.2

Racy with some grip, good fruit/mineral combo — a year ago

David Shaw

8.9

67/33 blend of Syrah and Mourvèdre. Good acid, bone dry, mineral finish — a year ago

Jan A

9.6

Barnyard galore ❤️ — a year ago

Ashley Revay

10

Lovely complex Pinot while celebrating bean’s birthday! — 5 months ago

Andrew McIntyre

9.2

Impressive showing...maybe needs 1-2 years for a more rounded enjoyment but this was already very pleasant. — 6 months ago

Jorge Pazos

9.2

Hungrybros en Maitea — 8 months ago

JKT

9.0

Balance and soft textures thirty years! Say ten years after acquiring from JR whose email says matriarch passing freed up this library holding back then. — 8 months ago

Edwin Lu

8.9

price is right, taste is right, great wine for a summer day — 10 months ago

Willem Jan Withagen

9.2

Got stuck in a corner of my cellar. But fresh and ripe apples, sone critic and orange tones. Very well ripened in 10 years. — a year ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Just a great btl, good energy, fresh showing rich lemon, citrus, pear fruit with saline, floral, wet stone & white flower — a year ago

Jason Gelman

9.2

paired this with a skirt steak salad. 👌👌 — 6 months ago

Jon Ebsworth

9.5

Tertiary flavours, cherry and cedar wood notes. Really opened up after a long decant. With lamb shoulder. Yum! — 6 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have enjoyed this producers vineyard over many vintage and this might be the best.

The 22 vintage is stunning and as good as it is, 23 might be better based on a somewhat limited exposure at this point.

The entry is glorious…such balance and wire to wire it doesn’t change much.

Green apple, perfect lemon & lime pulp into subtle candy, grapefruit, white stone fruit, kiwi, tropical melons, pineapple, cream reduction, saline, perfect sea fossils, fine powdery taut chalkiness, crisp volcanics, white spice, grey volcanic minerals, limestone marl, mix of fresh & dry stubble herbs, honeysuckle, light caramel, warm lightly done toast, yellow florals, spring flowers with greens, grand waterfall acidity, beautiful structure-tension, incredible balance with an elegant finish that lasts two-minutes and long sets on volcanic minerals and spice.

Decanted 1 hour.

When I first started buying this bottling, it was $50-$60, now $150. Might be my last bought. My white spend has a more limited range than my red. Don’t think I’m alone.

A property Sofia & I have visited in 2015. — 7 months ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.3

Ypo mexico — 10 months ago

Joe Weinberger

9.1

Fresh and pure Syrah. Great with a chill. — a year ago

Aura Novembre

9.7

Sunday burger grilling with Mimi — a year ago

Mark S.

9.0

Quite special natural wine aged. Aging nuance. Complexity. Earthy. Still fresh. Highly Balanced Domaine Ganebat Cote du Jura 13 @, La P, 250426 — a year ago