Château Brane Cantenac, 2ème Cru Classé, Margaux, 2022
This is Henri Lurton's 30th vintage at Brane Cantenac and he describes it as "legendary, like 1945 and 1961". It is a homage to Lucien Lurton (Henri's father) who passed away earlier this year. Henri believes this is "his greatest vintage" to date, and fittingly, the 60-year-old Cabernet vines that his father planted after the frosts of 1956 form the backbone of this wine. Vinified at lower temperatures than normal, which has preserved a freshness and redness to the fruit, this is a beautifully nuanced and juicy example. Opening with a terrific bouquet of fresh plums, bright hedgerow fruits and rose petals, it leads to a detailed and well delineated palate of perfumed cranberries, griotte and creme de mûre. Texturally, this is wonderful – the core possesses vigour and refinement and an almost creamy character. Henri explained that they have used a record amount of press wine 15.8%. This all came from Cabernet Sauvignon and added "another dimension" to the wine. There's loads of nervy tension here to counter the sumptuous fruit, finishing with brightness and sapidity. 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carmenère and 1% Petit Verdot.
critic reviews
The 2022 Brane-Cantenac (a second bottle poured in a different flight of the same tasting) is much higher-toned on the nose than the Latour, with lavish black cherries and blueberry fruit, cedar and cassis, quite Mouton-like in style. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannins, sweet and ripe, plush and luxuriant, velvety smooth, with a gorgeous, sensual, sorbet-fresh finish that is very sustained. Voluptuous yet sophisticated. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.
Juicy and extremely impressive fruit quality, this harnesses the best of 2022 and is one of the wines of the vintage. You feel the texture and the power of the fruit, streaks of cocoa, liquorice, and rose petals, totally love it. The biggest alcohol of the series, and certainly you get a touch of crème de cassis and ripe fresh fig, carefully delivered with great texture to the tannins. This was the year that Henri Lurton passed the estate over to his four children while remaining as general manager, and also planted Malbec for the first time in the vineyard. Harvest September 7 to October 10, 315hl/h yield, 100% new oak barrels for ageing. Eric Boissenot consultant, Henri Lurton owner, Christophe Capdeville technical director. I have given this wine 98 points consistently every time I have tasted it, and truly it is excellent.
The 2022 from Henri Lurton is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 1% each Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère. I just adore the nose here, dark yet perfumed and fresh, with smoked blackberry fruit laced with sandalwood, incense, white peach and a touch of mint, as well as a gentle touch of peppery energy. The palate is no less beautiful than the nose suggests, with great harmony and polish, a very correct stance, the dark fruit underpinned by a spindle of dark and deliciously well-knit tannins. This is wonderfully coherent, all spiced and peppery in the finish, before a length which comes infused with peppery tannins. A brilliantly fashioned Margaux with a rich tannic structure that will carry this forward for decades. A great example of Brane-Cantenac and the appellation as a whole. Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 14%.
Easily one of the best wines of the appellation. Red rose petal fragrance, damp earth, rosemary, baking spice, sandalwood, incense, graphite and slate. Exceptional balance, deep chocolate and mint character, with lush damson and cassis fruits. Crushed violet flowers and salted cracker salinity, extremely impressive. Owner Henri Lurton has experience of making wine overseas, in Baja California, which may have given insights into viticultural techniques n the heat, but the real key here is the old vine Cabernet Sauvignon planted in the 1950s and 1960s by his late father Lucien Lurton. 100% new oak, from 8 coopers, and the meticulous approach to oak ageing care of technical director Christophe Capdeville is also important. 42% of production in the 1st wine. All the young vines, even when co-planted in the same rows were picked separately also this year.