Margaux de Brane 2022

Critic scores

• Jeb Dunnuck99
• Vinous98
• Decanter98
• James Suckling97
• Wine Enthusiast96
• Wine Advocate94

The 2022 vintage in Margaux

Vintage benchmark: 98/100 (appellation benchmark, not a score for this wine)

Vintage character: Three heatwaves and extreme drought gave, against all odds, wines of exceptional concentration without harshness — the great sun-drenched year.

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

Beautiful deep and clear garnet color. On the nose, this wine reveals great freshness with notes of black fruits and red fruits. The nose is delicious with a slightly vanilla note. The attack is frank, generous. The tannins are supple, silky, of very high quality. On the palate, we find a beautiful density and concentration where the aromas of black fruits, spices and red fruits mingle for a very nice balance.

Figures from the 2022 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 in wooden vats and amphorae

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.