Margaux de Brane 2016

The 2016 vintage in Margaux

Vintage benchmark: 97/100 (appellation benchmark, not a score for this wine)

Vintage character: A very wet winter followed by a sun-drenched summer produced a rare balance, combining the depth of great years with genuine freshness.

Overall reading of the year’s season across Margaux. An estate can depart from it sharply, in frost or hail years, where two neighbours did not make the same vintage. What this particular wine actually gave is on its technical sheet and in the scores above.

Tasting

Ruby color. The nose explodes with aromas of red fruits, notably raspberry, mixed with notes of vanilla and undergrowth. On the palate, the attack is supple accompanied by a beautiful liveliness. Beautiful roundness of fruit and good balance, with a woody return on the finish. A delicious wine full of freshness.

Blend of the 2016 vintage

Figures from the 2016 sheet

• 15 yrsVine age

Winemaking

Plot selection, cold pre-fermentation maceration, alcoholic fermentation in concrete and stainless steel vats and malolactic fermentation in wooden, concrete and stainless steel vats.

Ageing

Aged in cellars for 12 months.

Terroir

Historically recognised as one of the greatest in the Médoc, the terroir of Brane long earned the property the description of first of the seconds. The heart of the property is a 45-hectare block, unchanged for three centuries. The very deep gravel (12 m) has a high clay content. It ensures a sufficient water reserve throughout the year while its compactness limits the amount of water the plant takes up. The water table is very deep here (5 to 6 m), allowing the roots to develop deep down. The upper layers of the soil, sandier, tend to saturate quickly during heavy rain. Much of the water then runs off, thanks to the topography.