Brane Cantenac 2025 (1.5L)

95-97 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous: "The 2025 Brane-Cantenac is incredibly polished right out of the gate. Floral overtones lead into a core of blue/purplish fruit, spice, new leather, tobacco, lavender and a kiss of French oak. Silky tannins lend shape and finesse. The aromatics alone are so compelling, but everything about the 2025 speaks to balance. It’s a magnificent effort from proprietor Henri Lurton and his team. One of the highlights of the vintage." 04/26

96-98 Points, Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com: "Cassis, graphite, liquid violets, and tobacco all define the 2025 Château Brane-Cantenac, a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 1% each Cabernet Franc, Carménère, and Petit Verdot that's being raised in 100% new French oak. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a focused, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful concentration and depth, integrated acidity, and a great finish. Hitting 13.5% alcohol, it's a brilliant success in the vintage and should be snatched up by readers." 05/26

97 Points, Georgina Hindle, Decanter: "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. Maybe less charming than previous vintages but more sophisticated. Clarity is exceptional. Lovely and long. 1% Carménère completes the blend. 3.62pH. 12.1% press wine." 03/26

96-97 Points, James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com: "A medium-bodied and solid red with blackberry, chocolate, meat and walnut character. It shows juicy tannins and a long finish. Persistent and classy. Such length and balance." 04/26

95-97 Points, Neal Martin, Vinous: "The 2025 Brane-Cantenac was picked from September 2 to 29, finishing with that 1% of late-ripening Carménère, cropped at 32.2 hl/ha. It 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. Not powerful like the 2022, yet pixelated with a mineral, tensile, complex finish. Another feather in the cap for Lurton and, moreover, this is often one of the best values on release." 05/26

93-96 Points, William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Carmenère (the latter harvested by the winery team after everything else has been picked), the 2025 Brane-Cantenac offers up a rich bouquet of crème de cassis, plums and spices, framed by a deft touch of new oak. Medium- to full-bodied, layered and lively, with powdery tannins that contribute youthful grip on the finish, it checks in at a very classical 13.3% alcohol and pH of 3.62." 04/26

97 Points, Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux: "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. 12.10% press wine. 3.62 pH. Tasted twice. 100 years of the Lurtons at Brane." 04/26