2010 Château Brane-Cantenac, Margaux, Bordeaux

When tasted at 15 years, complexity remains. Ample florality brightens the aromas of black fruits, earth and faint hints of wood smoke. The palate shows density of dark fruits, black brambles and polished notes of plum. Sweet spices envelope the finish. A lovely wine from this esteemed estate.

The smoky nose of tobacco, ash and wood. High energy and lovely juicy fruit on the palate. Clean and straight, the tannins are beautifully textured. Cool raspberries and blueberries, cola and freshness throughout. Refined and elegant, shiny yet structured. Polished, with plenty of acidity and fun. Very drinkable. It's not as plush as some but has classicism and flavour.

Drink 2024 - 2045

A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc; 13.5% alcohol).

Purple-ruby. Highly complex red plum, cassis, violet, graphite, and cedar aromas. Then focused and suave on the palate, with pure blackberry, blueberry pie and flint flavours. Finishes with broad, polished tannins and impressive length. This excellent Brane-Cantenac is a highly nuanced and structured wine with plenty of life ahead. If it gains in sweetness, it may well eventually rate a score at the high end of my range.

Drink 2020 - 2040

62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. 41.1 hl/ha. First vintage where optical sorting was used.

Deep crimson colour. Depth and intensity on the nose. Dark fruit with a stony edge. Definitely more complexity. Palate rich, full and layered but fresh as well. Plentiful tannins but ripe and fully integrated. Long. Plenty of ageing potential.

10,000 cases were made.

This is dark and grippy, with charcoal, roasted bay and chestnut leaf notes fronting a muscular core of steeped black currant, loganberry and black cherry flavors. Taut plum pit and iron hints thread the finish, revealing a lingering charcoal note. Very solid and suited for aging. Best from 2015 through 2028.

Pretty red fruits such as cherries in this wine with chewy tannins and fresh acidity. Toasted oak too. Needs time to come together. Dense and complete for this estate. Better than 2009. Better after 2016.

Powerful carmine-red colour, at the beginning of its drinking window but with decades ahead. Love the grain of the tannins that sets off and deepens the dark berry fruits, cocoa bean, slate, crayon, campfire smoke. Characterful, excellent quality with space to improve further. 41hl/h yield, harvest September 27 to October 14, 70% new French oak, 3.57ph, Eric Boissenot consultant, Henri Lurton owner, Christophe Capdeville technical director.

Ideal with a two-hour carafe.

Delicious, although the 2009 is definitely the one to go for at any time over the next decade. In contrast, the 2010 still feels pretty closed, not yet fully expanding through the mid-palate. Graphite, pencil lead, crayon, cassis, brambled hedgerow fruit, very Left Bank. 70% new oak. Harvest 27 September to 14 October.

Drink 2024 - 2045

The 2010 Château Brane-Cantenac appears to have shut down, yet it still shows incredible potential. Revealing a deep plum hue as well as terrific darker currant, smoked tobacco, licorice, graphite, and subtle floral notes, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, rich, concentrated mouthfeel, beautifully sweet tannins, and a great finish. It has an incredible amount of sweet fruit, plenty of structure, and a great mid-palate; however, it needs another 4-5 years of bottle age to hit prime time. I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it was just about impervious to air and should have another 2+ decades of overall longevity.

Tasted blind

Deep garnet with soft rim. Meaty mature aroma, with black-olive savour. A bit charry. A very firm grip with dry tannins. Dense with fruit still at the core yet the tannin/acid hit on the finish is a tiny bit harsh.

Drink 2020 - 2028

Deep garnet-coloured, the 2010 Brane-Cantenac features bold scents of redcurrant jelly, kirsch and cassis, plus nuances of forest floor, tree bark, fungi and dried herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has bags of bright, energetic fruit with a grainy texture and tons of freshness, finishing long and perfumed.

Drink 2020 - 2040

Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Brane-Cantenac features bold scents of redcurrant jelly, kirsch and cassis plus nuances of forest floor, tree bark, fungi and dried herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has bags of bright, energetic fruit with a grainy texture and tons of freshness, finishing long and perfumed.

A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc, the 2010 Brane-Cantenac is deep garnet colored. It opens with maturing scents of tobacco, new leather, and prunes, giving way to creme de cassis, raisin cake, and cast-iron pan. Medium to full-bodied, it is built like a brick house with super-firm tannins and a racy backbone supporting the dense fruit, finishing long and minerally.

Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château.

The 2010 Brane-Cantenac was picked from September 27 to October 14. Despite vigorous aeration, it remains closed on the nose, although there are shards of light as it reveals gorgeous, stony black fruit and pencil lead aromas, plus a hint of iris. The palate is medium-bodied and incredibly well-focused, displaying razor-sharp tannin and a balletic poise from start to finish that belies the awesome structure of this Margaux. It is almost clinical on the finish, completing a stunning Brane-Cantenac with a long future ahead—a benchmark for Henri Lurton.

Drink 2025 - 2055

The 2010 Brane-Cantenac marked the first year that optical sorting was used and the replanting of a parcel of Petit Verdot. This has long been a favourite vintage, the nose in a class of its own with mineral-driven black fruit, graphite and just a touch of Earl Grey. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. Beautifully balanced with just a slight savoury element beginning to emerge towards the finish, this blossoms in the glass and ultimately has a little more panache and grandeur than the impressive 2009. Outstanding. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château in September 2025.

With a gorgeously evolved, extremely complex bouquet of forest floor, spring flowers, lead pencil shavings and red and black currants, this full-bodied, dense, ruby/plum/purple-coloured wine hits the palate with an opulent, fleshy, full-bodied richness, silky tannins, and a very layered, profoundly concentrated style that is, at the same time, both powerful and sublime. This gorgeous wine from proprietor Henri Lurton will benefit from 3-5 years of cellaring and evolve for 25-30 years.

Drink 2016 - 2046