Château Brane Cantenac, 2ème Cru Classé, Margaux, 2019

Name: Château Brane Cantenac, 2ème Cru Classé, Margaux
Brand: Château Brane-Cantenac
Price: 376.33 GBP

Available Vintages

all 2012 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

justerini & brooks tasting note

Brane Cantenac is on tremendous form but doesn’t always receive the plaudits it deserves. It is arguably the best value Second Growth in the market, often rivalling their more venerated neighbours, Palmer and Rauzan Segla in blind tastings. Anyway, we are big fans of Henri Lurton’s home chateau; there’s a class and generosity to the wines, which makes them engaging even in their youth, although make no mistake, these wines mature with grace and charm. Initially a little reserved, then after some coaxing there’s that tell-tale Margaux florality interspersed with pure bilberry and subtle aromas of spice and cedar. The palate is seamless, waves of gloriously silky fruit coat the palate, yet there’s no perceptible weight, it’s totally effortless, just pure, fragrant crème de mûre fruit, sleek and seductive, framed by perfectly measured tannins. This is a wine that keeps growing in stature in the glass; engrained with classical reserve, but with enough sweet, silky textured fruit to make it really alluring. Fabulous! 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carmenère, 1% Petit Verdot

critic reviews

95/100Neal Martin,Vinous

The 2019 Brane-Cantenac marked the introduction of the R'Pulse system to enhance extraction and obviate the use of pumping-over. By then, the wine was mostly sourced from 30 hectares at the heart of the estate on Terrace IV gravels, with 100% new oak used during élevage. Vivacious blackberry, blueberry and hints of shucked oyster shells make for a far superior nose to the 2018 with more delineation, freshness and mineralité. The palate is medium-bodied with a notably sapid entry, verging on briny in style with plenty of black olives (perhaps due to the focus on the gravelly terroir?). Cohesive with impressive grip on the finish, this is a long-term prospect that will flourish with bottle age. Superb. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château in September 2025.

DRINKING WINDOW 2028 - 2052

date of review 09/2025

96/100Jane Anson,Inside Bordeaux

High spice notes, cumin, sandalwood, cedar, white pepper. confident, slow unroll, cassis and blackberry, brambled hedgerow, espresso and cocoa bean. Field-grafting increased Cabernet Sauvignon to over 70% on the plateau at this point, with the 1st wine entirely sourced from the 30ha of Terrace 4. Harvest September 18 to October 9, 50.3hl/h yield, 100% new French oak for the first time. Eric Boissenot consultant, Henri Lurton owner, Christophe Capdeville technical director.

DRINKING WINDOW 2025 - 2046

date of review 09/2025

95/100Lisa Perrotti-Brown,The Wine Independent

The 2019 Brane-Cantenac has a deep garnet-purple color. It is a tad closed to start, offering subtle notes of dried herbs, warm plums, and tobacco leaf, with wafts of aniseed, fresh blackcurrants, and black olives. The full-bodied palate is firm and grainy, with lively acidity supporting the muscular fruit and a savory finish.

DRINKING WINDOW 2025 - 2048

date of review 05/2023

97/100William Kelley,Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Derived exclusively from the chateau's holdings on the deep gravel soils of the plateau of Brane, the 2019 Brane-Cantenac has turned out brilliantly and merits a special effort to seek out. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild berries, pencil shavings, violets, sweet loamy soil and cardamon, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with lively acids, ripe tannins and a beautifully seamless, perfumed profile. Retaining all the estate's signature elegance but with an extra dimension of depth and intensity, it's the finest Brane-Cantenac of the modern era and one of the great successes of the 2019 vintage.

DRINKING WINDOW 2029 - 2065

date of review 04/2022