The 2019 Brane-Cantenac is a refined and complex wine, with a blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 55% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Its bouquet is captivating, with aromas of black truffle, gravel, and red berry fruits. The medium-bodied palate is marked by a saline entry, offering impressive length and complexity with notes of black truffle, cedar, and tobacco. Although not a powerhouse, it showcases elegance and depth, with a finish that lingers. This vintage has the potential to age beautifully for 30 to 40 years, pairing wonderfully with dishes like fillet of beef with morel mushroom sauce.

The Wine Advocate | RP 97
Published: Apr 7, 2022
Drink Date: 2029-2065

Derived exclusively from the château's holdings on the deep gravel soils of the plateau of Brane, the 2019 Brane-Cantenac has turned out brilliantly and merits a special effort to seek out. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild berries, pencil shavings, violets, sweet loamy soil and cardamon, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with lively acids, ripe tannins and a beautifully seamless, perfumed profile. Retaining all the estate's signature elegance but with an extra dimension of depth and intensity, it's the finest Brane-Cantenac of the modern era and one of the great successes of the 2019 vintage.

With the 2019 vintage, Brane-Cantenac has produced its finest wine of the modern era. After grafting over Merlot vines to Cabernet Sauvignon, Henri Lurton and his team were finally able to craft a balanced blend derived solely from the plateau of Brane, the estate's finest terroir. And the result is a wine with all Brane-Cantenac's signature elegance, but supplemental mid-palate depth and texture, not to mention the remarkable textural sensuality and vivid, expressive aromas that are such a signature of this vintage. One of the true bargains of the 2019 en primeur campaign, it continues to represent incredible value for a wine of this quality. It's a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, and it was matured in entirely new barrels.

Decanter | D 96
Published: Jan 5, 2022
Drink: 2027-2035

Creamy black fruit and dark chocolate alongside hints of coffee on the nose. Lovely sumptuous texture here, chewy with bite and grip. This has high acidity on the palate with tannins that are plush but focussed. This is glossy and quite glamorous, yet still refined with flavours shining brightly out the glass. Good persistence and a menthol, charcoal-edged finish that lingers satisfyingly.
Closure: Cork
Body: Full
Oak: Oaked
Grapes: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon 26% Merlot 1% Carmanère

Jamessuckling.com | JS 95
Published: Dec 6, 2021

This shows lots of currant, chocolate, tobacco and herbal aromas and flavors. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and a juicy finish. Refined and complex. Needs at least four or five years to come together. Better after 2025.

Brane-cantenac.com

2019 Wine Style:
The nose is bursting with black fruits, spices, floral and oaky scents. It is charming and of great complexity. It expresses the perfect maturity of the 2019 vintage. In the mouth, the wine is generous, savoury. It is very powerful while silky and velvety. Great tannins richness with the necessary acidity to be beautifully balanced. The finish is impressively long. Undoubtedly a very great and long ageing Brane-Cantenac.

Serving conditions
Decant 1h30 to 2h before - Serve at 18°C

Ageing potential
30 to 40 years

Wine pairing
Cockerel stuffed with morel mushrooms, potato mousseline with coconut milk

Weather conditions
2019 was a year for great terroirs, it was a very warm year. Mild winter temperatures led to an early bud-break. Flowering took place in early June in cool, damp conditions. Then came two heatwaves in the summer, resulting in a severe water deficit that halted vegetative growth and ripening of the grapes. Thanks to cool summer nights and mild conditions in September, the grapes were in perfect health. Our terrace 4’s clay-gravel sub-soil enabled extraordinary ripening. The grand vin comes from the most beautiful plots on that terrace.

Harvest dates: 18/09 to 9/10/2019
Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carmenère, 1% Petit Verdot
VINIFICATION: In oak casks
Ageing: 18 months in French oak barrels, with 100% new