These are notes from corporate tasting I presented. Interestingly, the Brane Cantenac’s finer style won out over the sturdier, rugby prop forward style of the Leoville Poyferre.
Château Brane-Cantenac (“BC”) – 1975, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998 & 2001
Accorded Second Growth status in the 1855 Medoc Classification, this Margaux estate’s ranking was controversial, said to have been influenced by its well-connected owned, Baron de Branne.
The Lurton family has owned BC since 1920. Very much on the up since Henri Lurton inherited the estate in 1992; he has reduced yields and increased the amount of new oak on elevage. Both measures revealed their hand in the depth of fruit, structure and sweeter oak notes of the later vintages.
1975: developed “pot pourri” nose with some attractive cedar notes; very spicy and cedary with meat pan juices on the palate; a little flat, this is on the way out.
1982: a farmyard character on the nose and palate pointed towards Brettanomyces – unfortunate in such a great year.
1986: classic floral Margaux nose of roses; with well-balanced fruit, tannin and acidity, this is a lovely, elegant wine with blueberries, red fruits, roses and a minerally edge giving a fine finish.
1990: very ripe fruit nose with good spice; ripe, slightly jammy, perfumed blueberry fruit on the palate and relatively low acidity give away the hot vintage.
1998: a much oakier nose well met by powerful black fruits on the palate and well-structured tannins. Its long, persistent finish reveals more delicate minerals and violets in addition to sweet vanilla oak – excellent.
2001: raw cassis with stalky hints on the nose mark its youth; very modern, lushly fruited style with blackcurrants and berries, liquorice. Good acidity balances its creamy texture; firm tannins and a nice lick of new oak give polish and finesse.
Château Léoville-Poyferré (“LP”) – 1975, 1982, 1986, 1989, 1995, 2001
Also accorded Second Growth status in the 1855 Medoc Classification, LP resulted from the division of the Léoville estate in St Julien into Léoville-Barton, Léoville Las Cases and Léoville-Poyferré.
The Cuvelier family has owned it since 1920. Didier Cuvelier inherited the estate in 1979, modernising the cellars and increasing the amount of new oak on elevage. In consequence, its richness and vigor have improved, especially since the nineties.
1975: whilst this shared some of the developed meat pan juices and cedar bouquet and flavours of the Brane Cantenac, its palate was distinctly livelier with lifted violet notes and balanced acidity; the tough as old boots tannins (for which the vintage is notorious) have mellowed.
1982: sweet, ripe fruit on the nose show the pedigree of this vintage, as does the very persistent palate with great depth of cassis fruit, well-balanced acidity and structured, but lithe, tannins. Very good and just starting to open up.
1986: a little dumb on the nose, this was quite raw on the palate with its high levels of tannin – needs time, but query if it has sufficient fruit to last the course. (Leoville Poyferre’s website suggests it is approachable now – !?! – and will last 10 years).
1989: a richly fruited nose leads onto a very classic St Julien palate, dry and firmly structured with good depth of fruit and a burnish of cedary oak. Lots of finesse.
1995: mocha on the nose gives away more new oak as does a chicory note on the finish; plenty of substance and structure wed to good extract of cassis fruit; more approachable than the 86 and 2001, but needs time to open out.
2001: lovely nose of sweet, ripe cassis; a massive seam of cassis and blackberry fruit sheathed by chewy tannins; prominent new oak with vanilla and mocha on the finish. Dense and ageworthy.
Sarah Ahmed
The Wine Detective
February 2005
