Château BRANE-CANTENAC
2ème grand cru classé
- 2016
- Margaux
Under the direction of Henri Lurton, Brane-Cantenac has gained in recent years in fullness and density and has become one of the leading growths of the appellation along with Palmer and Rauzan-Ségla and even the most authentically Margalese of them all. Let there be no mistake, behind a typically Margalaise elegance and delicacy that encourages tasting it too young, Brane-Cantenac needs time to blossom and reveal itself.
The 2016 vintage in the press:
J-M Quarin (September 2023): 96/100 “Dark color, medium intensity and slightly evolved. Very aromatic, fruity and creamy on the nose. Soft on the palate, tasty in the middle, with class in the touch, the wine melts on the palate, deep, delicate, taut and tender at the same time. Great aromatic persistence, with a fine grain. Superb!"
Vinous (N. Martin - December 2018): 96/100 "The 2016 Brane-Cantenac has been on a roll of late, under the watchful eye of Henri Lurton. This latest bottled vintage is superb. The divine, pure blackberry and bilberry bouquet develops touches of graphite in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, silky-smooth texture and a superb bead of acidity. This is not a powerful Brane-Cantenac, and it is perhaps less austere than I suspected en primeur, but it should drink beautifully over the next three decades. If you have a penchant for traditional claret, it really doesn't come better than this."
- To keep or to drink :
- Wait 1 to 2 years
- Apogée :
- 2026-2042
- Potential alcohol :
- 13.5%
From the same producer
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Second wine of Brane-Cantenac, Baron de Brane demonstrates even more than his big brother the progress made in this château over the last 15 years. With a silky smooth 2016, deliciously crisp and juicy on the finish, Baron de Brane is now more than a second wine, it is a brand in its own right!
The 2022 vintage in the press:
Vinous (A. Galloni - January 2025): 92/100 "The 2022 Baron de Brane is gorgeous second wine. Merlot drives the blend, and that comes through in the wine's plush contours and forward, succulent fruit. Black cherry, plum, licorice and menthol all meld together in an effortless wine that is all charm. This is beautifully done."
J.M Quarin (February 2025): 92/100 "Dark, intense colour. Very aromatic nose, subtle for the first time. Smooth on the palate, savoury in the middle, with a melting body, the wine builds gently before shining through with its aromatic brilliance on the finish. Normal length. Delicious overall."
More- To keep or to drink:
- Wait 1 to 2 years
- Apogée:
- 2021-2028
-
Second wine of Brane-Cantenac, Baron de Brane demonstrates even more than his big brother the progress made in this château over the last 15 years. With a silky smooth 2016, deliciously crisp and juicy on the finish, Baron de Brane is now more than a second wine, it is a brand in its own right!
The 2019 vintage in the press:
Vinous (A. Galloni - January 2022): 92/100 "The 2019 Baron de Brane is a gorgeous second wine. Succulent black cherry, plum, spice and leather are front and center. This racy Margaux offers a compelling interplay of bright red-toned fruit and silky contours."
More- To keep or to drink:
- Ready to drink
- Apogée:
- 2021-2028
-
Under the direction of Henri Lurton, Brane-Cantenac has gained in recent years in fullness and density and has become one of the leading growths of the appellation along with Palmer and Rauzan-Ségla and even the most authentically Margalese of them all. Let there be no mistake, behind a typically Margalaise elegance and delicacy that encourages tasting it too young, Brane-Cantenac needs time to blossom and reveal itself.
The 2019 vintage in the press:
J-M Quarin (September 2023): 97/100 “Dark, crimson color, intense and beautiful. Very aromatic nose, with ripe, subtle fruit. Complex. Minutious on the entry, very, very aromatic in the middle, with class in the touch and a lot of taste, the wine evolves juicy, long, tasty, on a melting body. It's superb and, above all, impossible to spit out.”
Vinous (A. Galloni-February 2019): 97/100 “The 2019 Brane-Cantenac is wild and exotic from the very first taste. The aromatics alone are dazzling. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, spice, tobacco, new leather, menthol and cinnamon are all kicked up in this flamboyant Margaux. The 2019 is radiant and generous, yet also retains a very classic sense of structure. The precision here is just unreal. In 2019, Brane-Cantenac is an absolute head-turner. It is a sort of wine wine that abounds in Bordeaux, a wine that offers tremendous quality and relative value.”
More- To keep or to drink:
- Ready to drink
- Apogée:
- 2026-2042
-
Under the direction of Henri Lurton, Brane-Cantenac has gained in recent years in fullness and density and has become one of the leading growths of the appellation along with Palmer and Rauzan-Ségla and even the most authentically Margalese of them all. Let there be no mistake, behind a typically Margalaise elegance and delicacy that encourages tasting it too young, Brane-Cantenac needs time to blossom and reveal itself.
The 2015 vintage in the press:
J-M Quarin (September 2023): 97/100 “Dark, intense, slightly evolved color. Very aromatic nose, with pure, ripe, suave fruit. Ample on the attack, mellow in the mid-palate, with class in the touch and a very fine ascent between the middle and the finish, the wine evolves long, liquorice and deep. It's superb and the right expression of this vintage compared to the previous one.”
Vinous (A. Galloni - February 2018): 96/100 “The 2015 Brane-Cantenac is powerful, structured and explosive in feel. A deep, resonant wine, the 2015 boasts off the charts ripeness allied to formidable structure and tannic heft. I imagine the 2015 is going to need a number of years yo become approchable and more than that to be at its best. The dark stone fruit, smoke, tobacco, spice and leather flavors pack a huge punch, but it is the wine's balance that places it among the elite on the Left Bank in 2015. Brane-Cantenac is a total pleasure bomb. I can't wait to taste it with a little bottle age."
More- To keep or to drink:
- Ready to drink
- Apogée:
- 2026-2042
- Potential alcohol:
- 13.5%
-
Under the direction of Henri Lurton, Brane-Cantenac has gained in recent years in fullness and density and has become one of the leading growths of the appellation along with Palmer and Rauzan-Ségla and even the most authentically Margalese of them all. Let there be no mistake, behind a typically Margalaise elegance and delicacy that encourages tasting it too young, Brane-Cantenac needs time to blossom and reveal itself.
The 2014 vintage in the press:
Vinous (N. Martin - February 2024): 94/100 “The 2014 Brane-Cantenac has a frank, opulent bouquet of bright black fruits, with hints of meat juice, mint and potpourri. This is one of the most complex aromas in the Margaux cuvée. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, slightly spicy with a hint of black pepper. It develops on the palate, culminating in a structured, impressive finish. This wine should age well in bottle, it's splendid and one of the best values of this vintage.”
More- To keep or to drink:
- Ready to drink
- Apogée:
- 2020-2034
- Potential alcohol:
- 13%
-
Under the direction of Henri Lurton, Brane-Cantenac has gained in recent years in fullness and density and has become one of the leading growths of the appellation along with Palmer and Rauzan-Ségla and even the most authentically Margalese of them all. Let there be no mistake, behind a typically Margalaise elegance and delicacy that encourages tasting it too young, Brane-Cantenac needs time to blossom and reveal itself.
Re-tasted 10 years later by the Revue du Vin de France and rated 18/20 "very seductive, with an intense palate, still marked by fresh fruit flavours".
The 2010 vintage in the press:
Vinous (N. Martin - February 2020): 93/100 "The 2010 Brane-Cantenac is consistent with previous notes, although I observed an accentuated bell pepper scent on the nose. The palate is very well balanced, typically "classic" in style with quite rigid tannins indicating that this needs a few more years in bottle."
J-M Quarin (September 2023): 95/100 “Dark, intense, purple color, beautiful and slightly evolved. Nose very aromatic, fine, with pure, ripe fruit, evolving complex and noble with shaking of the glass. A touch of toast. Full-bodied on the palate, particularly aromatic in the middle, with a classy touch, the wine grows on the finish, fine, long, tender and tasty. Nevertheless, it retains a slightly lively touch (Cabernet franc?) ”
More- To keep or to drink:
- Ready to drink
- Apogée:
- 2022-2036
-
Under the direction of Henri Lurton, Brane-Cantenac has gained in recent years in fullness and density and has become one of the leading growths of the appellation along with Palmer and Rauzan-Ségla and even the most authentically Margalese of them all. Let there be no mistake, behind a typically Margalaise elegance and delicacy that encourages tasting it too young, Brane-Cantenac needs time to blossom and reveal itself.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Ready to drink
- Apogée:
- 2016-2026
- Potential alcohol:
- 13%