2015 Chateau Brane-Cantenac - 2eme Cru Classe Margaux

04/16: *Brillante allonge, volume profond, grande noblesse. Nez noble de cèdre, corps parfait, texture
complète, tannin racé, sans doute (en échantillon primeur) le vin le plus abouti jamais produit par cette
propriété et un des sommets du millésime. Outre la finesse native du terroir, il s’ajoute un toucher de bouche
crémeux qui n’est propre qu’aux très grands millésimes.* (96-97/100)

Decanter.com – 96 pts – JA: *Right from the attack this has beautiful intensity and focus, with tannins covered by a layer of silk. A dash of violet and white pepper comes in from the Carmenère and Cabernet Franc two-step (from now on you can expect this partnership to appear more regularly). This is frankly delicious, the generous berry fruits reverberating with some wonderful notes of coffee bean and charcoal smoke, outlined by a mouthwatering minerality. A step up in poise and texture from the 2014. 39% of production.* - 11/2020

Falstaff Magazin - (92-94)pts - PM: *Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung, süße schwarze Beerenfrucht, reifes Cassis, Kirschen, kandierte Orangenzesten, ein Hauch von Nougat. Saftig, gute Komplexität, reife schwarze Beerenfrucht, integrierte Tannine, bleibt gut haften, mineralischer Nachhall, gute Balance, sicheres Reifepotenzial.* - 05/2016

04/16: *Enorme aromatische Qualität (Noten von Kräutern, Gewürzen, ein Hauch Tabak), herrliches
mundfüllendes, lückenlos dichtes, enges, volles, reifes, saftiges Tannin, grosse Tiefe und enorme Länge,
garantiert der beste Brane aller Zeiten, abgefüllt 20 Punkte wert!* (19,5/20)

Weinwisser - 19/20pts - RG: *Dunkles Purpur. Tiefes Bouquet, feine Rauchnoten, Trüffel, Lakritze, Darjeeling, dunkles Leder, dann Brombeerennoten. Das Nasenbild ist aber (noch) wenig kommunikativ. Im Gaumen samtig, dicht, einen intensiven, aber nicht überextrahiert wirkenden Extrakt aufweisend, er schöpft unglaublich viel aus der Tiefe. Trotz seiner enormen Konzentration wird er sich in Richtung Finesse entwickeln. Für mich ist das der beste Brane-Cantenac und somit der erste, der 19/20 verdient und diese Einschätzung, wenn auch relativ spät, beweisen wird. Damit ist er auf der Stufe von Margaux, Palmer und du Tertre, was die Klassement-Achterbahn dieses Jahrganges deutlich beweist.*

04/16: *This has a mix of enticing dark plum and blueberry fruit woven with a solid graphite note and carrying
through an alder-edged finish. Has the vintage’s velvety feel, but a little extra cut.—J.M.* (90-93/100)

JancisRobinson.com - 18/20pts - JR: *Tasted blind. Shiny deep crimson. Pretty smart and intense on the nose. Rather subtle and glorious. Very difficult to spit because it’s so suave and layered. Good freshness and so active under the aroma. Meaty but not at all reduced. Complete.* - 01/2019

04/16: *Ma meilleure note donnée à ce cru en primeur. A mon sens, Henri Lurton tient aujourd'hui dans son chai le plus grand Brane jamais fait ! Goûté 4 fois à ce niveau, je ne m'en lasse pas. Couleur sombre, intense, belle et pourpre. Nez fin, pur, noble, un brin discret, mais tellement fruité. D'une grande délicatesse tactile, le vin fond au palais tout en « plombant » délicatement sur la langue : le paradoxe des plus grands. Jamais aussi plein, jamais aussi suave, jamais aussi parfumé, il se mêle à la salive et s'étire très longtemps gracieux et complexe. Bravo à toute l'équipe ! Assemblage : 70 % cabernet sauvignon (pourcentage élevé pour le cru), 26 % merlot, 3 % cabernet franc, 1 % carmenère. Degré d'alcool : 13,6° - pH : 3,78. Sélection : 42 % du volume.* (97/100)

JamesSuckling.com - (93-94)pts - JS: *This is very big and rich wine with dense and rich tannins, lots of ripe fruit. Blackberry, blueberry flavors. Muscular yet polished.* - 04/2016

Vinous.com – 96 pts – AG: *The 2015 Brane-Cantenac is powerful, structured and explosive in feel. A deep, resonant wine, the 2015 boasts off the charts ripeness allied to formidable structure and tannic heft. I imagine the 2015 is going to need a number of years to become approachable and more than that to be at its best. The dark stone fruit, smoke, tobacco, spice and leather flavors pack a huge punch, but it is the wine's balance that places it among the elite on the Left Bank in 2015. Brane-Cantenac is a total pleasure bomb. I can't wait to taste it with a little bottle age.* - 12/2017

Vinous.com – 94 pts – NM: *The 2015 Brane-Cantenac offers an exquisite array of fruit on the compelling nose: boysenberry, raspberry confit and crushed strawberry, all laced with pressed violets and an underlying chalky/mineral vein. The fresh, linear, medium-bodied palate presents supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity and just a vein of greenness on the finish that I can abide here (I’m sure it will be subsumed with bottle age and impart another facet). Superb. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.* - 01/2019

Thewinecellarinsider.com – 97 pts – JL: *Already incredible to drink, the wine is concentrated, rich, sensuous, and packed with layers of fruit that does not quit. Even though it is early days, it is difficult not to be seduced by the complex aromatics and if that does not grab you, the velvet-textured opulence in the finish will. If you prefer exuberant, youthful fruits, with decadent textures, and a finish packed with fruit and glycerin, try a bottle now, If you desire more secondary notes, wait a few more years. Either way, this is a superb wine and a clear candidate for the best vintage of Brane Cantenac ever produced! Drink from 2024-2055 .* - 07/2022