Winemaker Notes
A beautiful, deep garnet color. A nose full of red fruits, mixed with spices and toast. A forward elegance which evolves in the mouth making room for a very round tannic structure. A powerful finale with beautiful tannins and aromatic touches of cherry and vanilla.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is a unique Brane-Cantenac marked by spicy, peppery character. Aromas of graphite, spices and currants. Juicy, medium- to full-bodied and nicely fluid, with a long, bright finish. Fine, supple tannins. Balanced and harmonious. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 36% merlot and 4% cabernet franc. Delicious now, but will keep well over the next ten years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I can’t say enough about how beautifully classic, racy, and gracious the wines of Brane Cantenac have become over the last decade. The stunningly elegant 2006 exhibits a sweet, subtle smoke note intermixed with creme de cassis in its medium-bodied style with superb nobility, concentration, and sweet tannin. Possessing a complex, luscious personality with strikingly beautiful, velvety tannins, it should be at its finest between 2012-2025+.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Currants, tobacco, graphite, and crushed stone all define the 2006 Château Brane-Cantenac, a wine that has a certain austerity and more Cabernet-driven style. Based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc and aged 18 months in 70% new French oak, it's concentrated, has medium-bodied richness, a focused, firm mouthfeel, and solid mid-palate depth. Claret lovers will appreciate this ultra-classic Margaux, and it's going to shine on the dinner table. Drink
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Vinous
The 2006 Brane-Cantenac was fermented at lower temperatures in order to avoid over-extraction. This is borne out on the nose which shows freshly rolled tobacco and sandalwood like before, more refined and focused than some of its peers and slightly blacker in fruit profile than the 2005. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. Naturally, it does not possess the density and backbone of the previous vintage, but it feels balanced with a pleasant sapidity on the finish.
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Wine Spectator
Displays plum jam and currant bush on the nose. Full-bodied, with sweet, ripe fruit, soft, round tannins and a long finish. Slightly loose knit at the moment, but will come together with bottle age. Builds on your palate. Needs time. Best after 2013. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.
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.