Chateau Brane Cantenac Margaux Bordeaux Wine

Chateau Brane Cantenac Margaux Second Growth, Bordeaux wine producer profile, with wine tasting notes, wine ratings, a history of the property, information on wine making and terroir, along with wine tasting reviews. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Brane Cantenac started out in the early 18th century. The Baron of Brane, also known as “Napoléon of the Vineyards”, purchased the Bordeaux wine chateau in 1833. This was after the baron sold what is now called Mouton Rothschild. At the time of the sale, the wine and estate was called Brane-Mouton.

In 1838, the baron renamed the Bordeaux wine property, Brane Cantenac. The chateau passed to the Roy family who were well-known in the Margaux appellation as they owned Château d’Issan as well.

Jumping into the next century. In 1920, the Société des Grands Crus de France, a group of merchants and growers, that owned several other chateaux located in the Medoc including; Château Margaux, Château Giscours, and Château Lagrange, purchased Brane Cantenac. Five years later, M. Récapet and his son-in-law François Lurton, took over Brane Cantenac along with Château Margaux. Lucien Lurton (the son of François) inherited Brane Cantenac in 1956. Today, the estate is still in the families hands. It’s managed by Henri Lurton.

The 75 hectare Margaux vineyard of Brane Cantenac is planted to a vine density that ranges from 6,666 vines per hectare on the plateau up to 8,000 vines per hectare for the vines located behind the grounds. The terroir of Brane Cantenac is typical of that section of the Medoc. It consists of deep gravel, sand and a small amount of clay. The Left Bank vineyard is planted to 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and .5% Carmenere. Carmenere was used for the first time in the 2011 vintage. Ploughing, alternating between traditional working of the soil and top soil ploughing, canopy management, which helps to keep yields low, the bunches well ventilated and exposed to sunshine, de-budding and removal of double buds, removing of non-fruit bearing lateral shoots in some plots, de-leafing at setting and three weeks before the harvest, removal of unripe second generation fruit, as well as crop thinning are part of what takes in the vineyard management of Brane Cantenac.

Starting with the 2010 vintage, Brane Cantenac embraced new technology in their wine making with the use of optical sorting and the estate began employing the Air Tec Wine system with the goal of which is to prevent crushing. The system is based on the use of small low-floor bins equipped with an automatic compressed-air suspension system to prevent crushing of the grapes which could cause premature oxidation of the fruit.

It’s an interesting technology. What happens is, when the just harvested berries arrive at the grape reception center. the berries are weighed. This provides specific data about the yields and the volume going into vat. After a second sorting on a table the grapes are de-stemmed. The berries are then sorted by Viniclean and placed on a vibrating sorting table. This process eliminates any dry skins, grapes affected by millerandage, seeds and unwanted vegetal debris. A system of rotating brushes captures any pieces of leaf, stems or leaf stalks. An additional manual sorting takes place to ensure that no vegetal elements remain. The estate is now using the Vistalys optical sorting machine in an effort to obtain only the best fruit.

To produce the wine of Chateau Brane Cantenac, the wine is vinified in temperature controlled, traditional, oak vats. However, the Carmenere is vinified in barrel, because the amount produced is so small. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel. The wine is aged in an average of 60% new, French oak barrels for 18 months. Three weeks before the bottling, which takes place in July, a final blending takes place. There is a second wine, Le Baron de Brane. Production of Chateau Brane Cantenac is about 11,000 cases per year.

Chateau Brane Cantenac is an elegant Margaux that is on the lighter, fresher, side of the style range. It’s produced in a traditional style and shows a little more in the aromatics than the body. However, the property has been showing improvements in their wine. The 2010 represents the finest wine I’ve tasted from Brane Cantenac.

http://www.brane-cantenac.com/