Château Brane-Cantenac
2ᵉ Grand Cru Classé de Margaux
The Estate's Three Wines
Brane-Cantenac the estate’s Grand Vin, is produced from the 35 hectares of the renowned Terrasse 4, widely regarded as one of the Médoc’s finest gravel terroirs, on the Cantenac plateau. While Henri Lurton’s father made the wine from all 72 hectares of the vineyard, Henri chose to focus production exclusively on this exceptional site. For more than thirty years, this philosophy has been built on meticulous vineyard management and rigorous parcel selection. Today, the Grand Vin accounts for approximately 40% of the estate’s production and is aged exclusively in 100% new French oak barrels.
Henri Lurton: “The positioning of this wine is based first and foremost on its international reputation and on expressing an exceptional terroir. Our philosophy is not to set a high price, but to produce wines whose quality fully reflects the richness of their terroirs. For us, it is essential that the bottles are opened, shared, and enjoyed, rather than kept simply as collectors’ items.”
Baron de Brane is not a second wine, but a parcel selection sourced from its own dedicated vineyard. The fruit comes primarily from Terrasses 3 and 5. The wine is vinified in both wooden and stainless-steel vats before spending twelve months in barrel, with 30% new oak and 70% one-year-old barrels. More structured in style, it is also designed for longer aging.
Henri Lurton: “Within this philosophy, this wine occupies a unique place in our portfolio. Its quality is comparable to that of several Crus Classés from the appellation, giving it a genuine identity of its own.”
Margaux de Brane is produced from the estate’s young vines across all vineyard terraces. It is the estate’s true second wine and represents approximately 20% of total production. First released with the 2014 vintage, it is vinified and aged exclusively in stainless-steel tanks to emphasize fruit purity, freshness, and immediate approachability.
Henri Lurton: “This wine offers a more approachable style while maintaining the estate’s uncompromising quality standards. Generous, fruit-driven, and convivial, it is suited to every occasion and appeals both to seasoned enthusiasts and to those discovering the world of wine. With this cuvée, we hope to spark curiosity and encourage new consumers to deepen their interest in wine.”
Distribution
Wines Tasted
Baron de Brane 2025 :
59% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc. Yield: 32 hl/ha. The old vines on Terrasses 3 and 5 showed no signs of water stress in 2025. The wine is supple, silky, and elegantly structured, supported by vibrant freshness.
Brane-Cantenac 2025 :
80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carmenère. A sublime wine. Aged in 100% new French oak barrels. The 2025 combines elegant power with admirable restraint, qualities that will become even more compelling with bottle age.
Margaux de Brane 2021 :
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot. A charming, unpretentious wine that nevertheless remains true to the classic Margaux style.
Baron de Brane 2013 :
58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. Medium-bodied yet well balanced, with smoky nuances and crunchy red fruit.
Baron de Brane 2011 :
46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. A highly successful wine with remarkable harmony, light yet well-defined tannins, and above all, exceptional drinkability. Crisp finish.
Brane-Cantenac 2018 :
74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. A warm, sun-filled vintage and part of the outstanding 2018-2019-2020 trilogy. A great Brane in a richer, more opulent expression—true to the vintage—yet never losing the estate’s defining DNA of elegance, complexity, and broad, refined structure.
Brane-Cantenac 2020 :
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carmenère, 1% Petit Verdot. A wine of extraordinary density and exceptional tannic framework. It is profoundly moving, possessing virtually every attribute one could hope for and coming remarkably close to perfection.
Meet the Team: Marie Reboul
” This is exactly the kind of wine I would open to share with friends or family. To me, it strikes the perfect balance between elegance and approachability. It’s a wine made to be enjoyed around a good table with good company. What I also love is its lack of pretension. The estate, the wines, and the people behind them all have a genuine sense of authenticity.
Having grown up in the South of France and lived in Scotland, if I had to pair this wine with a song, I would choose Angels by Robbie Williams. My roots naturally take me back to family meals by a canal, beneath the shade of a plane tree, with the sound of cicadas in the background. The wine’s light, delicate, and almost timeless character reminds me of that song.”
In Summary :
- 2025: Celebration of the Lurton family’s 100th anniversary at Brane-Cantenac, marked by a special commemorative label.
- Brane-Cantenac: Produced from the estate’s 35 hectares on Terrasse 4 directly opposite the château. Every vintage is aged in 100% new French oak barrels, a practice Henri Lurton remains committed to despite the current trend—Bordeaux included—toward reducing the use of new oak.
- Baron de Brane: A parcel selection from Terraces 3 and 5, aged in oak barrels.
- Margaux de Brane: The true second wine of Brane-Cantenac.
