2025, Château Brane-Cantenac, MARGAUX, 2ème Grand Cru Classé

Recent vintages have been outstanding and this property is now producing the best wines in Margaux behind the superstars of Châteaux Margaux, Palmer and Rauzan Ségla. Grand Vin quality. Henri Lurton, the proprietor here, has been working to improve quality in the vineyard with regrafting of Merlot to high quality Cabernet Sauvignon as they look to keep freshness and structure in the wines. The 2025 special label commemorates 100 vintages.

2025 is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Carmenère. 

The 2025 Brane-Cantenac has impressive purity on the nose, an aspect of the Grand Vin that Henri Lurton and his team have improved immensely over the last decade. Black cherries, bilberry, violet and crushed stone unfold in the glass, classical in style, which is Brane-Cantenac's signature. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, finely sculpted tannins allied with disarming sapidity and brightness. Window 2032 - 2060 95-97 Neal Martin, Vinous.

This is luscious and full of wonderfully bright fruits, great concentration, cushion of air underneath, high Cabernet and it comes through in the floral aromatics, clearly a plentiful tannic structure but luscious and layered damson and black cherry. Yes, yes, yes. Tasted twice. 100 years of the Lurtons at Brane. 2036-2055. 97 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux.

Ripe and juicy blackcurrant aromas, really pure and expressive, fruit forward with iris notes as well. Juicy and friendly with such a lifted, bright and energetic core but grippy too, really wide and filling with the structure and concentration matching the acidity step for step. Firm and streamlined, but there’s purity and I do love the slightly more muscular aspect to this. Clarity is exceptional. Lovely and long. 97 Georgina Hindle, Decanter