Château Brane-Cantenac:
A Margaux That Keeps Its Promises.

HISTORIC TERROIR

Château Brane-Cantenac has built its legend on a vineyard spread over several parcels. One of them, the largest, is located in front of the château and rests on the most beautiful gravelly hillside in the appellation.

In 1833 Joseph-Hector de Brane, nicknamed the "Napoleon of the vines", sold his Mouton cru to acquire a vast estate in the Margaux. He had detected the exceptional potential of this terroir, which had already been developed by the Hostens in the 17th century and the Gorces in the 18th century. In 1838, he gave it his name, Gorce thus became "Brane-Cantenac", before being promoted to Second Growth in the 1855 classification.

The Brane-Cantenac house was sold to the Roy family in 1866, then to an association of winegrowers and merchants in 1920. Léonce Récapet and his son-in-law François Lurton then took over all the shares, as well as those of Château Margaux in 1925. The vineyard remained in the Lurton family through the generations, who acquired as many châteaux as there were children: Durfort, Viviens, Desmirail, Climens, Bouscaut... In 1922, Henri, an oenologist, inherited the château. His scientific training enabled him to innovate with the introduction of technical processes at the cutting edge of research, but this did not change his philosophy, which remained respect for the grapes and the enhancement of the terroir. He optimises each plot to obtain the best possible maturity.

Taking over the property from his father Lucien in 1992, Henri Lurton has put into practice the fruit of his extensive training and experience in the vineyards of the world. A renewal that preserves the quality of the estate's historic terroir. The family bond, which has been through generous and more modest years, favourable and difficult economic conditions, has remained faithful to a well-defined style that has never been subject to the various fashions.

THE SYMBOL OF GREAT WINE

Henri Lurton has put the emphasis back on working the soil with ploughing to eliminate the superficial roots, which allows the vine to plunge into the heart of the terroir. At Brane, the grapes are harvested by hand, following the maturity of the plots. After two successive sortings, the grapes are de-stemmed and then re-sorted on a vibrating table in order to eliminate all the vegetal elements. They are then crushed and poured into wooden vats for the best parcels, and stainless steel or concrete for the others.

The strength of this Margaux lies in its permeating aromatic length. Its high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon is the hallmark of this wine. A perfect balance between freshness and maturity, suppleness and elegance. It is distinguished by its smoky and woody notes, proving that the grapes have potential and a mineral vibrancy that reveal all the richness of this terroir.

The wines of the Château are marked by their own identity and a quality that surprises even in the worst years. Fine, racy wines, with a lively bouquet and ripe tannins, Château Brane-Cantenac is a reference in the field. Without a doubt, it fully deserves its Second Growth rating!

Let yourself be charmed by these fruity Bordeaux wines!

THE CLASSIFIED GROWTHS

The classified growths of the appellation Margaux according to the official 1855 Classification.

First Growth : Château Margaux

Second Growth : Château Brane-Cantenac, Château Durfort-Vivens, Château Lascombes, Château Rauzan-Ségla, Château Rauzan-Gassies

Third Growth : Château Boyd-Cantenac, Château Cantenac-Brown, Château Desmirail, Château Ferrière, Château Giscours, Château d'Issan, Château Kirwan, Château Malescot-Saint-Exupéry, Château Marquis d'Alesme-Becker, Château Palmer

Fourth Growth : Château Marquis de Terme, Château Pouget, Château Prieuré-Lichine

Fifth Growth : Château Dauzac, Château du Tertre