Château Brane-Cantenac 2023 is a Margaux red from Bordeaux, a Deuxième Grand Cru Classé built on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the perfumed, finely drawn style the commune is known for. Rather than sheer power, it trades in fragrance, polish and a long, quietly insistent line of tannin.

Cassis and dark plum lead the aromatics, with violets, cedar and a hint of graphite sitting behind. Air brings out something savoury — crushed dried herbs, pencil shavings, a little tobacco leaf.

The palate is medium to full, with fruit that stays taut rather than plush. Tannins are fine-grained and persistent, carrying the wine through a finish that shifts from blackcurrant to earth and cool stone. Acidity keeps the whole thing lifted, and at 13.5% alcohol there is no heaviness to it.

Roast lamb with rosemary and garlic is the natural match, though it does just as well with eye fillet, duck breast, or a plate of hard washed-rind cheeses. Decant it for an hour if you are opening it young — the aromatics reward the patience.

Drink from 2028 through to 2045, with the middle of that range likely to show the wine at its most complete.