97

Antonio Galloni

Vinous

The 2019 Brane-Cantenac is wild and exotic from the very first taste. The aromatics alone are dazzling. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, spice, tobacco, new leather, menthol and cinnamon are all kicked up in this flamboyant Margaux. The 2019 is radiant and generous, yet also retains a very classic sense of structure. The precision here is just unreal. In 2019, Brane-Cantenac is an absolute head-turner. It is the sort of wine that abounds in Bordeaux, a wine that offers tremendous quality and relative value. 01/2022

95

Neal Martin

Vinous

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. 09/2025

97

William Kelley

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate

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, rip 04/2022e 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. 04/2022

96

Jeb Dunnuck

Jeb Dunnuck

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. 04/2022

97

Jean-Marc Quarin

Jean-Marc Quarin

Couleur sombre, pourpre, intense et belle. Nez très aromatique, au fruité mûr et subtil. Ensemble complexe. Minutieux en entrée de bouche, très, très aromatique au milieu, avec de la classe dans le toucher et beaucoup de goût, le vin évolue juteux, long, savoureux, sur un corps fondant. C'est superbe et surtout impossible à cracher. 09/2023

95

James Suckling

James Suckling

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 02/2022