Brane Cantenac is on fire lately! Vintage after vintage, they have really been on top of their game and 2019 continues their hot-streak! I do not know what is better, the silky, supple, sensuous, and sexy textures on the palate, or the complex set of aromas with all of its roses, lilacs, violets, cherries, plums, tobacco-leaf, earth and herbs. The wine has texture, length and purity along with the ability to age and evolve for up to 3 decades. This is a beautiful wine from Brane Cantenac. Drink from 2027-2060.

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. - William Kelley

High spice notes, cumin, sandalwood, cedar, white pepper. confident, slow unroll, cassis and blackberry, brambled hedgerow, espresso and cocoa bean. Field-grafting increased Cabernet Sauvignon to over 70% on the plateau at this point, with the 1st wine entirely sourced from the 30ha of Terrace 4. Harvest September 18 to October 9, 50.3hl/h yield, 100% new French oak for the first time. Eric Boissenot consultant, Henri Lurton owner, Christophe Capdeville technical director.

One of the standout Margaux, the 2019 Château Brane-Cantenac shows more elegance and finesse in its tannins and structure than most. Giving up a beautifully complex nose of cassis and black raspberry fruits as well as cedary spice and spring flowers, it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, has a seamless mouthfeel, beautiful purity and precision, and a great finish. This is certainly the finest vintage I’ve tasted from this Chateau, surpassing even the 2018, although comparing these two vintages side by side over the coming years will be a true treat. Drink this beauty any time over the coming 20-25 years.

One of Margaux's standouts, 2019 Brane was released at a price 20% down on the 2018. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Merlot, the balance is made up with Cabernet Franc and a splash of Perit Verdot and Carmenere, perhaps contributing to the slight leaness on the palate. Dark currant fruit combines with leafy, cool, characters and spicy aftertaste. A very elegant Margaux which is certainly not a blockbuster, but has precision and finesse. A classy wine which will age very well, gaining extra smoothness over time.

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.

The 2019 Brane-Cantenac has a deep garnet-purple color. It is a tad closed to start, offering subtle notes of dried herbs, warm plums, and tobacco leaf, with wafts of aniseed, fresh blackcurrants, and black olives. The full-bodied palate is firm and grainy, with lively acidity supporting the muscular fruit and a savory finish.

The 2019 Brane-Cantenac marked the introduction of the R'Pulse system to enhance extraction and obviate the use of pumping-over. By then, the wine was mostly sourced from 30 hectares at the heart of the estate on Terrace IV gravels, with 100% new oak used during élevage. Vivacious blackberry, blueberry and hints of shucked oyster shells make for a far superior nose to the 2018 with more delineation, freshness and mineralité. The palate is medium-bodied with a notably sapid entry, verging on briny in style with plenty of black olives (perhaps due to the focus on the gravelly terroir?). Cohesive with impressive grip on the finish, this is a long-term prospect that will flourish with bottle age. Superb. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château in September 2025. -- Neal Martin