Time Place Wine Co.
Château Brane-Cantenac
Grand Cru Classé en 1855 Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2005
I have a six-pack of this 05. I thought after 10 years in bottle, it would be interesting to check in on its evolution. While tasty, I’ll wait another 8-10 to open another. Even after 2-3 hours in the decanter, it’s still a very young adolescent. On the nose, slightly sour blackberries & dark cherries, dark currants, baked black plum, haunting blue fruits, anise, whiff of spice, steeped tea, dry stones, dry crushed rocks with dry top soil, caramel, vanilla with fresh & dry red florals. The body is thick & full. Tannins are starting to round out. It’s velvety on the palate. The fruits are; bright, fresh & ripe and really show the greatness of the 05 vintage. Dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, baked black plum, haunting blue fruits, baked strawberries, cherries, raspberries on the long set, dark spice, clay & loamy dry top soil with crushed rocks, dry stones, cigar with ash, graphite, dry stems, slight herbaceous character, mint, used leather, clove, caramel, vanilla, fresh & dry red florals with violets. The round acidity is about perfect. The structure and length are still strong. The balance is in harmony. As for the long finish, it’s lush, ruby, rich and well polished. Photos of; Chateau Brane Cantenac, large wood vats, Henri Lurton and Estate vines. Producer notes and history...Chateau Brane Cantenac began in the early 17th century. At the time, the estate was known as Domaine Guilhem Hosten. Even that far back, wine was produced from the property. In fact, the wine was so highly regarded it was one of the more expensive wines in Bordeaux. It sold for almost as much money as Brane Mouton. This is interesting because of who went on to buy the vineyard in the 1800’s. The Baron of Brane, also known as “Napoleon of the Vineyards”, purchased the Chateau in 1833. At the time of the sale, the estate was called Chateau Gorce-Guy. To get the funds needed to purchase the Margaux vineyard, the Baron sold what is now called Mouton Rothschild, which was at the time of the sale, known as Chateau Brane-Mouton. Not such a good move with hundreds of years in hindsight! In 1838, the Baron renamed property taking his name and the name of the sector where the vineyards were located and called it Chateau Brane Cantenac. The Chateau later passed to the Roy family, who were well-known in the Margaux appellation in those days, as they owned Chateau d’issan. Moving ahead to 1920, the Societe des Grands Crus de France, a group of merchants and growers that owned several chateaux located in the Medoc including; Chateau Margaux, Chateau Giscours, and Chateau Lagrange in St. Julien, purchased Chateau Brane Cantenac. Five years later, M. Recapet and his son-in-law, François Lurton, took over Brane Cantenac along with Chateau Margaux. Lucien Lurton (the son of François Lurton) inherited Brane Cantenac in 1956. Today, the estate is still in the hands of the Lurton family. Brane Cantenac is owned and run by Henri Lurton. After being given the responsibility of managing Brane Cantenac, it was under the direction of Henri Lurton that large portions of the vineyard were replanted. Vine densities were increased, the drainage systems were improved and the plantings were also, slowly changed. The vineyard of Brane Cantenac is planted to 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and .5% Carmenere. Carmenere was used for the first time in the 2011 vintage. The only other Chateau I know that still uses Carmenere is Clerc Milon. The 75 hectare Left Bank vineyard of Brane Cantenac is essentially unchanged since it earned Second Growth status in the 1855 Classification. At least that is the case with the 45 hectares used to produce the Grand Vin of Brane Cantenac. Those 45 hectares are planted surrounding the Chateau. Those vines are located just in front of the Cantenac plateau and are the best terroir that Brane Cantenac owns. They have other parcels, which are further inland and much of those grapes are placed into their second wine, Le Baron de Brane. Those additional hectares can be divided into 3 main sections. Behind the Chateau, they have 15 hectares of vines on gravel and sand, 10 hectares across the road with sand, gravel and iron and a 13 hectare parcel with gravel called Notton, which is used for their second wine. The vineyard is planted to a vine density that ranges from 6,666 vines per hectare on the plateau and up to 8,000 vines per hectare for the vines located behind chateau, in their sandier soils. The higher levels of vine density are always found in the newer plantings. The terroir of Brane Cantenac consists of deep gravel, sand and clay soil. Experiments in the vineyards are currently looking at becoming more organic in their vineyard management. Today, more than 25% of Brane Cantenac is farmed using organic farming techniques. It is expected that over time, the amount of hectares farmed with organic methods will be increased. Brane Cantenac has gone through 2 relatively recent modernization’s in 1999, when they added began adding the first of their smaller vats to allow for parcel by parcel vinification and then again in 2015 when they completed a much more complete renovation of their cellars and vat rooms. While Brane Cantenac is a traditional producer, they are no stranger to technology as they were one of the first estates to embrace optical grape sorting machines. In very wet vintages, they can also use reverse osmosis. To produce the wine of Chateau Brane Cantenac, the wine is vinified in a combination of temperature controlled, traditional, 22 oak vats, 18 concrete tanks and 20 stainless steel vats that vary in size from 40 hectoliters all the way up to 200 hectoliters, which allows for parcel by parcel vinification. 40% of the fermentation takes place in the oak vats. The oldest vines are vinified in vats that are selected to allow for separate parcel by parcel vinification. The younger vines are vinified more often together in the same vats. However, the Carmenere is entirely micro-vinified, meaning that those grapes were completely vinified in barrel, using micro-vinification techniques. This can also happen because the amount of grapes produced is so small. Some vats can be co-inoculated, meaning they go through alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation simultaneously. At Chateau Brane Cantenac, malolactic fermentation takes place in a combination of French oak tanks and barrels. The wine of Brane Cantenac is aged in an average of 60% new, French oak barrels for 18 months before bottling. The initial 2 months of aging is done with the wine on its lees, which adds more depth to the wine. There second wine is Le Baron de Brane. Le Baron de Brane is not new. In fact, previously, the second wine went under the name of Chateau Notton, which took its name from one of the main parcels where the grapes were planted. During the late 1950’s and into the 1960’s, having a second wine was important as the estate declassified 3 vintages, due to extremely poor, weather conditions in 1956, 1960 and 1963. Production of Chateau Brane Cantenac is about 11,000 cases per year. — 8 years ago
Château Lynch-Bages
Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1995
Sweet black & red currants, black cherry cola, strawberry licorice, steeped black tea, a whiff of soft spice, candied black earth and an amazing long round elegant finish that lingers a long time on your palate. It's in a very good place. — 10 years ago
Enfield Wine Co.
Heron Lake Vineyard Chardonnay 2013
First time trying skin fermented Chard. Interesting but wish it had more acid. — 11 years ago
Uehara Shuzou Co. Ltd. / Echigo Beer Pub
Koshihikari Echigo Beer
If I knew where to buy this id drink it all the time. — 12 years ago
Château Léoville-Las Cases
Grand Vin de Leoville du Marquis de las Cases Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1966
Right place, right time. — 13 years ago
Enfield Wine Co.
Pretty Horses California Tempranillo Graciano 2014
I tasted this bottle 1 and 2 years ago and can say this has evolved nicely with life ahead. It is fuller and more palette-coating than I recall. This time I drank it over 1.5 hours open and it kept positively evolving and blossoming. At the end: Large aromas of succulent red fruit, graphite, and a trace of cracked black pepper. Palette is very tannin forward with med acidity and notes of red fruits, mineral, and a little something green. — 8 years ago
Cruse Wine Co.
Charles Heintz Vineyard Syrah 2015
The 2015 Syrah Charles Heintz Vineyard is an outrageously beautiful, vivid wine. A rush of blue and purplish fruit, lavender, licorice and dark spice make a strong opening statement. Today, the tannins are a bit overpowering, but time in bottle will do the trick. The 2015 was fermented in concrete, with 10% whole clusters, and aged in a combination of concrete and oak. Readers who can find the wine should not hesitate. Heintz is one of the top vineyards in California. Getting a glimpse of the site through the lens of Syrah it makes for a deeply fascinating experience. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Mar 2017) — 9 years ago
Produttori del Barbaresco
Barbaresco Nebbiolo
Not the best bottle that we've had of this vintage but still excellent. Tar/asaphalt, dried roses, funk & minerals. Very much of its time and place. — 9 years ago
Asahi-Shuzo Sake Brewing Co.
Kubota Manju Junmai Daiginjo
Very elegant, complex aroma, light umaminess(savoryness) with clean body.
Imagine to intaking the pleasant natural water from deep clean place of rainforest.
The pioneer of fragrant Sake, Kubota is highly recognized in Japan and USA for the top premium Artisanal Craft Sake Brewery from Niigata, Japan.
Two different sake rice called "Yamada Nishiki" and "Gohakumangoku" are being used to make this sake. That creates unique pleasant complex taste. — 9 years ago
Cedar Knoll Vineyard Co (Palmaz)
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Drink it every time we dine at Bastille Kitchen, Boston. Fab cab. — 9 years ago
Domaine Jamet
Côte-Rôtie Syrah 2007
If there were ever an archetypical Syrah, Jamet's Cote-Rotie would be a strong candidate. To me this is a pure expression of a classic Northern Rhone Syrah. It is not a single site, but a blend of terroirs, encompassing over 20 sites mostly from hard rock schist bedrock with little to no topsoil. There is NO Viognier in this wine like one might expect from most Cote-Rotie that might have 1-5% co-fermented.
Importantly, there is also a lot less of the oak character that can dominate and overwhelm many Northern Rhone wines. The oak maturation, while not short at 22 months, only uses 15% new oak with no trace of it on the palate as it is perfectly integrated. Grape bunches are whole cluster fermented and macerated for up to 3 weeks.
The 2007 we have here was drinking superbly for a young wine, showing lively and racy layers of peppercorn spice, roast beef, and warm blackberry and currant fruit from the hot 2007 vintage. While from a warm vintage, not a hair is out of place. Density and purity exude from the nose and hint at what a brilliant future this wine has. Perfect acidity and fleshy ripe tannin provide the backbone structure for father time to peel back the layers of this beauty. I will be chceking back in 5 years at the earliest. — 9 years ago
La Jota Vineyard Co.
Howell Mountain Cabernet Franc 1995
Very tight and youthful for a 20 year old wine. Needs 3 to 4 hours of air time to start to open. With sufficient air, this is a lovely wine, though I believe it will be more complex and nicely evolved in 10 to 15 years. Good balance on the palate. — 11 years ago
Vinhos Barbeito
The Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Boston Madeira Special Reserve Bual
Sherry, in a it's glorious forms, is the hipster wine of the moment, but Madeira deserves its place. — 12 years ago
Stone Brewing Co.
Ruination IPA
Stone Ruination IPA, one of all time favorite IPA, perfect balance, brilliant! — 13 years ago
La Jota Vineyard Co.
Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Drinking well today. The remaining 5 bottles should be gone in no time. — 13 years ago
Cruse Wine Co.
Rancho Chimiles Vineyard Valdiguié 2016
Enjoyed this. First time i had it. Great nose. Very palatable no back end. Nice summer red — 8 years ago
Enfield Wine Co.
Fort Ross-Seaview Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Mid weight, fairly tight but pretty aromatics emerge after some air. Lots of minerality, cherries and black currants, cedar, graphite, tobacco. Classically styled, big time potential. Plan to pick up a few more and check in again in 5-10 years. — 9 years ago
Three (3) Floyds Brewing Co.
Zombie Dust Undead Pale Ale
Best surprise in a long time, had a bottle sent to me from my college roommate half a country away. Very floral, well hopped balanced with a good malt backbone. A balanced beer more IPA than traditional pale ale. Only 10 days old. Would definitely buy if they ever distributed to CO. — 9 years ago
Bedrock Wine Co.
The Bedrock Heritage Sonoma Valley Red Blend 2013
Bedrock Wine Co.
Pagani Ranch Heritage Sonoma Valley Red Blend 2011
Needs time. Second day is so much better. — 12 years ago
Stone Brewing Co.
IPA
One the all time best IPA's — 13 years ago
Scott Petrus
Probably the most dynamic Syrah I’ve had to date. Approachable and tannic at the same time. Uncharacteristic blue fruit shown through. True grace and balance in a wine. — 8 years ago