Wild pink flowers on the nose, with blackcurrant and cherry fruit, fragrant, almost sweet and sour, super inviting. Cool but concentrated fruit on the palate, supple, agile, ripe full and direct. It has a gorgeous weight on the palate, not plush - it's in keeping with the vintage for sure, but such a finessed, elegance to the frame. Lovely licks of minerality that don't overhwelm the wine and the flavours carry to a long finish. A great sense of fun, joy and delicate beauty. Pretty and super charming, a delicate take from Brane but so much to like with its subtle charm.

This wine stands out for vibrancy, balance, juiciness and crunch. Medium- to full-bodied, which is impressive for this lighter year with higher acidity. I love the balance and prettiness of the wine. Fine-grained tannins. 74% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, 2% cabernet franc, 1% carmenere and 1% petit verdot. Drink or hold. From a vertical tasting at the winery.

The 2021 Brane-Cantenac is a classy, elegant wine. The aromatics alone are so enticing. Crushed flowers, sweet pipe tobacco, mint, rose petal and cedar open first. The 74% Cabernet Sauvignon is a bit higher than in most years, which comes through in the wine's aromatic and structural profile. The 2021 is quiet and understated. Elevage was 18 months in 100% new French oak, but the wood is not at all evident- an important and positive sign regarding the wine's overall balance. Even so, the 2021 is a subdued Brane-Cantenac, one that needs time in bottle to shine at its brightest.

The 2021 Brane-Cantenac offers up aromas of sweet dark berries mingled with mint, vanilla pod and spices. It shows its elevage and malolactic fermentation in new oak more prominently than it did en primeur. Medium to full-bodied, with good depth and concentration, it's bright and velvety, with plenty of structuring barrel tannin and a vanillin-inflected finish. The quality of Brane's terroirs and a strict selection shows through, so if it can digest its oak more completely, this will prove exceptional.