Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Ripe currants, cranberries, plums and a touch of savoriness on the nose. Firm on the medium-bodied palate, traditional and classy, with good succulence. Merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.
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Vinous
The 2001 Brane-Cantenac is one of the vintages that contains less Cabernet Sauvignon, here representing 35% of the blend. It also marked a changing of personnel in the vineyard as a number of long-standing members took retirement. This has always possessed an endearing, fragrant bouquet with lifted red berry fruit, freshly picked mint and a hint of aniseed. Completely charming. The palate is medium-bodied with a supple, smooth opening. Quite polished in style compared to the millennial vintage, this is lightly spiced with gentle grip, decent vigour for a 2001 and a satisfying, sustained finish. Delightful as always.
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Wine Enthusiast
A great, rich wine from what owner Henri Lurton calls a classic year. There are huge, sweet tannins, solid black fruit flavors and ripeness, without losing sight of balance between richness, dryness and acidity. This is a wine that will age over many years.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Juicy red fruits, spring flowers, underbrush, and mint all emerge from the 2001 Château Brane-Cantenac, a pretty, complex Margaux from a vintage that favored Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Based on 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc and aged 18 months in 70% new French oak, it borders on green yet shows beautiful sweetness of fruit. It's medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, with a fine, elegant mouthfeel, integrated acidity, and a great finish.
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Wine Spectator
Loads of blackberry and tobacco on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long finish. Serious concentration for the vintage, yet outstanding finesse.
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.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Silky, seductive and polished are the words that characterize the best wines from Margaux, the most inland appellation of the Médoc on the Left Bank of Bordeaux.
Margaux’s gravel soils are the thinnest of the Médoc, making them most penetrable by vine roots—some reaching down over 23 feet for water. The best sites are said to be on gentle outcrops, or croupes, where more gravel facilitates good drainage.
The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification but it is nonetheless important in regards to history of the area. In 1855 the finest chateaux were deemed on the basis of reputation and trading price—at that time. In 1855, Chateau Margaux achieved first growth status, yet it has been Chateau Palmer (officially third growth from the 1855 classification) that has consistently outperformed others throughout the 20th century.
Chateau Margaux in top vintages is capable of producing red Cabernet Sauvignon based wines described as pure, intense, spell-binding, refined and profound with flavors and aromas of black currant, violets, roses, orange peel, black tea and incense.
Other top producers worthy of noting include Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, Lascombes, Brane-Cantenac, and d’Issan, among others.
The best wines of Margaux combine a deep ruby color with a polished structure, concentration and an unrivaled elegance.