Bordeaux 2014 En Primeur – Margaux – Château Brane Cantenac

One of the successes in the 2014 vintage for Bordeaux is the quality of cabernet sauvignon in the Médoc. Despite the gray and cold weather that prevailed during the summer months, the dry and sunny climate during the autumn created the perfect conditions for the late-ripening varietal. As Henri Lurton, owner of Margaux's Château Brane-Cantenac confirms, cabernet sauvignon was one of the winners in the 2014 growing season. In fact in 2014 cabernet makes up 75 percent of Brane-Cantenac's final blend.

The late-ripening variety, which normally has a hard time ripening in Bordeaux's moderate maritime climate, took full advantage of the dry and warm weather in the months of September and October. The unexpected and delayed summer created ideal conditions for cabernet to achieve perfect ripeness, giving vintners the opportunity to harvest at the desired level of maturity. 

For Lurton, this became obvious after tasting the press wine, which is the wine extracted from the already crushed grapes. (Press wine is much more tannic than the free-run juice that is obtained from the primary crushing.) What's unique about the pressed wine in 2014 – and it's the case in any ripe year – is that in the context of its aggressive tannins, the wine showed hints of roundness and accessibility. 

–JGA