Red Wines    Bordeaux Red Blends    Margaux    France - Bordeaux   
Wine.com - Buy wines, wine clubs, gift baskets and more
My Rating (circle) :
Date Printed: 1/9/2009
(search item no. 94825)
collectible wine
The Wine Advocate rating: 95 points
Wine Enthusiast rating: 94 points
PRICE ON 1/9/2009: $74.99

ratings pedigree (past vintages):
2004 Wine Enthusiast rating: 92 points
2004 The Wine Advocate rating: 90 points
2004 The Wine News rating: 90 points
2004 International Wine Cellar rating: 89 points
2003 The Wine Advocate rating: 91 points
2003 Wine Spectator rating: 90 points

Winemaker's Notes:

 "A magnificent effort, the 2005 is the greatest Brane-Cantenac I have tasted. Even more compelling than it was last year, it admirably demonstrates why this was such a highly regarded property in the middle of the 19th century. Boasting a dense purple color, stunning sweetness, and a glorious perfume of spring flowers, lead pencil shavings, black cherry jam, and blackberries, it is an elegantly styled wine with gorgeous concentration, superb harmony, beautifully integrated tannin and acidity, and an expansive, long finish. Yet, the overall impression is one of finesse, elegance, and serious flavor concentration. While it will undoubtedly last 30 years or more, it is hard to know whether it will close down or become more drinkable. I recommend giving it 3-4 years of bottle age and drinking it over the following two and a half decades."
-Wine Advocate 93-95
My Notes:

About Château Brane-Cantenac:

 Established in the 18th century, at which time it was known as "Gorce", this large estate is located on the best gravelly outcrops of Cantenac. A century before the 1855 classification, it was considered one of the best second growths in the Médoc. In 1833, Baron de Brane (called "Napoleon of the Vines") sold his estate in Pauillac, Brane-Mouton, and bought Gorce, which he renamed "Brane-Cantenac", ten years later.

Lucien Lurton's grandfather acquired the estate in 1925, and was succeeded by his grandson in 1956. Lucien Lurton's son, Henri, currently manages the estate and puts all his efforts into producing a great Margaux in each and every vintage, reflecting Brane-Cantenac's superb vineyard soil.