Château Brane-Cantenac 2009

Ripe and fleshy, with an enticing mix of linzer torte, currant confiture and crushed plum fruit offset by hints of briar and bay leaf. The long finish lets roasted apple wood, singed iron and tobacco leaf notes fill in, while staying plush in feel. Combines the ripeness of the vintage with a nice old-school feel. Best from 2013 through 2025. 12,500 cases made.

Plenty of Margaux balance and effortless elegance here, showcasing a concentrated blackcurrant and blackberry fruit character. Soft smoky oak comes in on the finish, with fine tannins and gentle floral aromatics. Only 37% of the production make it into the 1st wine, aged in 70% new oak. The vineyard here lies across a gravel outcrop, with certain sections that are sandy-gravel, with the 1st wine invariably Cabernet Sauvignon dominant.

Plenty of fresh plum fruit alongside the bitter chocolate on the nose, but on the palate this retains the Margaux lightness and elegant dryness, the finish just slightly warm. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)

53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc. 48.4 hl/ha. Crimson hue. Ripe and rich with just enough acidity. Caressing fruit and texture, but the tannins are firm and present on the finish. Decent length, but not the dimension of 2010. (JL)

The 2009 Brane-Cantenac has a wonderful bouquet, the best since 2005. With copious brambly red berry fruit, cedar and mint—yes, very similar to previous bottles—there is simply more energy and focus from the benevolent growing season. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and perfectly judged acidity, a little spicier than I recall, with harmony and grip toward the finish. Time is just beginning to mellow the finish and shave the edges of this superb Brane-Cantenac that continues to deliver so much pleasure. Delicious! Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château in September 2025.

Wow, this has really blossomed with time in the bottle. With just a bit of lightness to the color starting to show, there is a richness and silkiness in the fruit that makes it impossible not to want another sip. Rich and seductive, the wine is elegant, supple, long, and fresh. There is a refreshing minty note on the palate that accompanies the sweet fruit, adding complexity and pleasure. You can start drinking this now, or age it for a few more years and enjoy it for at least two decades or more after that. Drink from 2025–2045.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Light herbal savouriness, tobacco nuances, black berries and dark cherry, fresh orange zest. Juicy, fine berry fruit, ripe, silky tannins, good freshness, a fine lemony-salty touch on the finish, elegant and persistent, a great food companion with further ageing potential. Already gluggable, but better to wait.

Showing beautifully, the 2009 Château Brane-Cantenac is loaded with classic Margaux notes of sandalwood, dried flowers, spice, truffle, and blackcurrants. Based on 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc brought up in 70% new French oak, it's medium to full-bodied and has a beautifully textured, elegant mouthfeel, terrific mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It's a quintessential, elegant yet textured, concentrated Margaux to enjoy over the coming 10-15 years.

Deep purple-garnet. Elegant, finely expansive bouquet, ripe blackberries and cooked black plums, showing only a discreet sweetness. On the palate, noble and elevated, with plenty of velvety-structured tannins, black currant on the finish. Among the best Brane-Cantenac vintages.

Deep purple-garnet, dense at the core, with violet hues at the rim. Elegant, finely expansive bouquet, ripe blackberries and stewed black plums, showing only a subtle sweetness. On the palate, noble and stately, with plenty of velvety-structured tannins, black currant on the finish. Belongs among the best Brane-Cantenac vintages.

Sweet, medium-bodied, peppery bouquet with strawberries, Cabernet spice and wood. Aromatic, slightly green palate with good tannin, light fruit and a light, sweet aromatic profile. Medium finish. Can improve further. 17/20 2015 - 2028

Exceptional weather, and this is showcasing all the charms of the vintage. Firm and vibrant dark ruby in colour, so much depth to the berry fruit, intact, juicy, laced with tobacco, cocoa bean, fragrant rose petal. A total standout, easy to love, one to track down, confirms its success in my recent 2009/2010 retrospective. Harvest September 22 to October 9, 48.4hm/h yield, 70% new French oak barrels, 3.72ph. Eric Boissenot consultant, Henri Lurton owner, Christophe Capdeville technical director.

The 2009 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet colored, it barrels out of the glass with bold notions of baked blackberries, warm cassis, and stewed plums, plus hints of chocolate box, licorice, and fertile loam with a waft of dried roses. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with spicy black fruit preserves and a plush texture, finishing long with a refreshing lift.

A classic grand wine of the appellation, continually gaining in power and complexity since bottling: it needs good prior aeration but can already be understood and appreciated.

An admirable success that becomes ever more enjoyable to drink and develops wonderfully as it gains density. Aristocratic in style, with very refined tannins and a well-balanced palate, it lingers at length.

Supple and elegant, very fine tannins, medium-bodied, good length, a bit dry.

The 2009 beckons with indulgent notes of candied black berries and licorice sticks. The attack highlights above all the wine’s density, endowed with smooth, silky tannins. A delicious Brane-Cantenac, ready to be enjoyed, yet supported by a structure that promises the journey will continue!

The nose is elegant and delicate, offering a subtle restraint to its power. It reveals notes of fairly ripe wild strawberry, redcurrant and, more subtly, violet, combined with fine touches of blackcurrant, a hint of camphor, juicy/ripe blue fruits, as well as discreet hints of lily, cubeb pepper, blond tobacco and an imperceptible touch of clove. The palate is fruity and offers juiciness, freshness, minerality, good definition, juiciness and a fresh backbone. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/fleshy blackberry and raspberry, and, more subtly, fleshy cherry, combined with touches of violet and fresh cornflower, as well as hints of racy/gravelly minerality, fine hints of salinity and chocolate, a discreet touch of clove, toasted notes, and blond/smoky tobacco. The tannins are supple, fresh and elegant.

Logo on the cork: an inverted T (Trescases) Dark, intense colour, slightly evolved. Very aromatic nose, fruity with a slightly lactic note. Would have benefited from decanting. Delicate on entry, very aromatic on the mid-palate, with a classy texture; the wine melts on the palate, with a fine, fragrant grain. Long, delicate overall, almost fragile. A pity about the nose.

92-94 Barrel sample. A richly structured wine, smoothed with wood, but based mainly on solid black berries and a firm fruit skin texture. It is big and very fruity.

A spectacular effort from this estate rivaling their 2005, but more flashy/flamboyant, this dark ruby/purple wine has a strikingly intense nose of licorice, flowers, plums and dark berries. Medium to full-bodied, very approachable and silky, this suave, very sexy wine can be drunk early on as well as aged for 20+ years.