Region
France > Bordeaux > Margaux
Producer
Chateau Brane-Cantenac
Grape
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Carmenere
Classification
2eme Cru Classe
WO score
WO score is the average of all critic scores for this wine
Tasting notes
Vinous
Tasted: 01/09/2025
Drink: 2030-2055
Author: Neal Martin
The 2020 Brane-Cantenac is cut from a similar cloth to the 2019 rather than the 2018. Quite strict at first, it opens with blackberry, cedar and tobacco notes, veering strongly towards Pauillac as Brane-Cantenac is wont to do. The nose has wonderful delineation but is certainly less expressive than the 2019 at the moment. The palate is very well balanced with silky-smooth... read more/less
...tannins and perfectly judged acidity. Sapid and focused with plenty of grip on the finish, this supremely gifted wine will require patience, but it will be worth it. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château in September 2025.
Vinous
Tasted: 01/11/2024
Drink: 2030-2058
Author: Neal Martin
The 2020 Brane-Cantenac shows a little wood influence on the nose at the moment, presently obscuring some of the terroir. Savory elements emerge with time and improve with each swirl of the glass. The palate is medium-bodied, quite saline and spicy, with a marine-infused entry, though is needs more refinement toward the finish. Quite structured and serious, this Margaux... read more/less
...requires time in bottle, yet there is pedigree from start to finish. Though this is not a 2020 I would touch for a few years, it will eventually reach its high potential. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
Vinous
Tasted: 23/02/2023
Drink: 2026-2040
Author: Antonio Galloni
The 2020 Brane-Cantenac screams with Cabernet Sauvignon character, concentrated by the natural richness of the year. Super-ripe dark blue/black fruit, blueberry jam, crème de cassis, lavender, sage and menthol meld together, giving the Brane-Cantenac an exotic quality that is impossible to miss. The oak imprint remains quite present, but at the same time, it is well balanced... read more/less
...Time in the glass brings out a whole range of floral and savory notes that add character and a feeling of updated classicism. Yields were 31 hectoliters per hectare as opposed to the more typical 40 or so.
Vinous
Tasted: 23/02/2023
Drink: 2023-2030
Author: Antonio Galloni
The 2020 Margaux de Brane is a plush, succulent Margaux to drink now and over the next handful of years. It's a gorgeous wine at this level. Spice, blood orange and mint give this mid-weight, open-knit 2020 tons of energy to play off its ripe, racy fruit.
Vinous
Tasted: 08/02/2023
Drink: 2024-2031
Author: Neal Martin
The 2020 Margaux de Brane, which comes from the estate's youngest vines, has a generous kirsch and mulberry scented bouquet. The palate is medium-bodied with notes of espresso and dark chocolate infusing the dark berry fruit. Fine acidity, slightly grainy in texture, for a third wine it has respectable weight and concentration on the off-dry finish. Worth seeking out.
Vinous
Tasted: 01/06/2021
Drink: 2028-2050
Author: Antonio Galloni
The 2020 Brane-Cantenac is deep, fleshy and savory. Strong Cabernet accents open first, leading to a core of inky dark fruit, lavender, spice, mint and chocolate. There is some new oak that needs to integrate, but time should take care of that. I especially admire the sense of classicism and energy here. This is a superb showing from Brane-Cantenac and the team led by Henri Lurton.
Vinous
Tasted: 26/05/2021
Drink: 2027-2057
Author: Neal Martin
The 2020 Brane-Cantenac was picked September 14–28 and includes 13% vin de presse. It has exactly the same blend as last year since Henri Lurton and his team did not limit the Grand Vin to the 30-hectare plateau, a similar approach to Pichon-Baron when they reorganized their own vineyard. I allowed my sample an hour to open (during which I was discussing the wine with Lurton... read more/less
...over Zoom). It has a beautifully defined bouquet of blackberry, wild hedgerow, fresh mint and light bay leaf scents. I have sometimes found a little greenness on the nose, but there is none in 2020. The palate is very well balanced with finely chiseled, precise tannins and beautifully judged acidity. Harmonious and poised, this is an absolutely fantastic Brane-Cantenac, in my mind superior to the previous two vintages, exuding wonderful mineralité on the finish. A must-buy.
The 2020 Brane-Cantenac is composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carmenere and 1% Petit Verdot. It weighs in with 13.7% alcohol and a pH of 3.71. Deep purple-black colored, it has a beautifully expressive nose of fresh redcurrants, blackcurrant jelly, kirsch and rose oil, plus hints of tobacco leaf, wild sage and crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled with a plush texture and plenty of freshness supporting the red berry and earthy flavors, finishing fragrant.
Contact details
Name
Chateau Brane Cantenac
Address
Chateau Brane-Cantenac, Cantenac, Gironde, France
Chateau Brane-Cantenac, Cantenac, Gironde, France