2005 Château Brane-Cantenac, Margaux, Bordeaux

The 2005 Brane-Cantenac is fabulous. Effusive and explosive to the core, the 2005 possesses tons of energy and pedigree to burn. Crushed flowers, mint, gravel, red/purplish fruit, sage and mocha abound. In 2005 Brane-Cantenac is remarkably deep and vivid. It also comes across as needing a bit more time to soften. Readers will find one of the most distinguished wines of the Left Bank. I especially admire its drive and mid-weight classicism. Hints of cedar and sweet pipe tobacco linger.

With its classic Left Bank profile, this blend of 51% Cabernet and 43% Merlot along with 8% Cabernet Franc aged in 70% new casks opened with a bit of tomato and some slightly herbal notes initially but gradually developed aromas of redcurrant, bright cherries, and spice. The texture on the palate was dense and tannic, pointing to a promise of future development—surprisingly good value.

Drink 2021 - 2040

With its classic Left Bank profile, this blend of 51% Cabernet and 43% Merlot along with 8% Cabernet Franc aged in 70% new casks opened with a bit of tomato and some slightly herbal notes initially but gradually developed aromas of redcurrant, bright cherries, and spice. The texture on the palate was dense and tannic, pointing to a promise of future development—surprisingly good value.

51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. 38.5 hl/ha.

Deep garnet hue. Greater depth on the nose than the 2004, the ripeness there. Dark fruit and graphite notes. Layered fruit on the palate. Tannins firm but integrated. Holding up well.

Balanced, elegant, understated, old school but resolutely full of grace. I wonder how many people today get excited by the quiet charm of this wine, but it certainly works for me. Will hang in there, and keep impressing over the years, like a 1970s Napa. Roses and raspberries, touch of campfire, broth, crushed mint, crayon, blackberry, understated and charming,with Margaux floral aromatics on the finish. It's not a bodybuilder, and yet there is a wiry frame and a mouthwatering finish. Harvest September 17 to October 10, 38.5hl/h yield, 3.64ph, 70% new French oak for ageing. Jacques Boissenot consultant, Henri Lurton owner and estate director, Christophe Capdeville technical director.

I have loved this wine on many occasions, and I love it here again. This is not a wine that is hiding its age - there are already some tertiary notes developing - and you'll find younger-looking 2005s, but it has a generosity of spirit, a succulence to its fruit, and a hauntingly fresh menthol edge to the finish that is really beautiful. Mouthwatering brilliance. 45% of production.

Drink 2018 - 2030

Made from 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc, the 2005 Brane-Cantenac is deep garnet in color with a touch of brick. It bursts from the glass with maturing notes of plum pudding, raisin cake, and redcurrant jelly, plus hints of tree bark, unsmoked cigars, truffles, and tapenade with a waft of spice box. Medium-bodied, firm, and grainy with amazing tension, it coats the mouth with evolved black and red berry flavors, finishing long and mineral-laced.

Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château, the 2005 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. It has a focused, conservative (for the vintage) nose with gravel-tinged red berry fruit intermingling with cedar, graphite and pine needle scents. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm structure and unlike the bottle tasted in January, which I declined to score, there is no green streak on the finish. It is very backward and some might describe it as curmudgeonly. Personally I would not touch it for another five years, even though apparently it is beginning to open according to Henri Lurton. No, I would afford it another two or three years in bottle and let's see where we are then. Tasted April 2015.

The 2005 Brane-Cantenac, which was picked from September 17 to October 10, has a suave, elegant bouquet of blackberry, cedar, gravel and tobacco scents, certainly showing more intensity and energy than any of the last five vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with fine and surprisingly supple tannins that are finally beginning to soften. I love the freshness here, and the wine is less of a curmudgeon than I rudely asserted in the past. It is beginning to loosen its tie, and as such, it’s a vintage to keep an eye on. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château.

Drink 2020 - 2045

The 2005 Brane-Cantenac is a renowned vintage. When Henri Lurton asked his father if he had witnessed a similar one, he replied "1928"…when he was just two years old! Brane-Cantenac stepped up a level with this vintage, dialling up fruit intensity a little without compromising delineation and focus. With blackberry, tobacco and touches of cedar in the background, this is very classy. The palate is medium-bodied and very well balanced with gentle grip, more density and backbone than previous vintages and a precise finish that Lurton was able to build upon in future vintages. Long and tender for the vintage, this is a marvellous Brane-Cantenac that will give 15 to 20 years of drinking pleasure. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château in September 2025.

A sexy style of wine from the Lurtons at Brane-Cantenac, this wine a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc) has a stunning nose of forest floor, liquorice, blackcurrants, plums and spring flowers. Soft tannin, full-bodied opulence and beautifully textured, lush richness make for a brilliant wine from this large, 180-acre vineyard. In spite of the wine’s stunning forward fragrance and lushness, the colour still looks as if it is 3-4 years old rather than a decade. This is a big-time winner in 2005, and should drink well for at least another 25+ years.

Drink 2015 - 2040

Good bright red-ruby. Subdued but pure aromas of currant, dark chocolate and sexy oak. Moderately sweet, medium-bodied and vinous, with ripe acidity and a floral element providing mid-palate lift. It is still a bit medicinal and unevolved, but it has the serious structure to develop slowly and well in bottle. Finishes long and firm.