September 19, 2025
Brane Cantenac 2022 - 98-Point score upgrade from Neal Martin
2022 Brane Cantenac
Brane Cantenac 2022
€69 In Bond per bottle
99 Points | Jeb Dunnuck
An undeniable star in Margaux, the 2022 Château Brane-Cantenac checks in as a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 1% each Cabernet Franc, Carménère, and Petit Verdot. This deep purple-hued beauty offers up a sensational perfume of darker currants and cassis that gives way to more floral, spicy oak and graphite nuances with air. With flawless overall balance, ripe, velvety tannins, terrific purity, and a great finish, this riveting Brane-Cantenac already offers pleasure, yet I wouldn't be surprised to see this firm up with 4-5 years of bottle age, only to reemerge later and drink beautifully for 30+ years. It's one of the truly greats in the appellation, and readers will love to have this beauty in the cellar.
98 Points | Vinous - Neal Martin
The 2022 Brane-Cantenac marked a year when ownership passed to Henri Lurton's four children, although he remains as general manager. More importantly (perhaps), the 2022 is a benchmark for the Margaux estate, its future North Star. This has a stupendous nose with intense Cabernet Sauvignon inflections, its intensity and delineation superior to the 2019 and 2020. An underlying floral scent emerges with time. The palate is medium-bodied with silky and fine tannins that frame the seductive black fruit laced with crushed peppercorns, and a touch of cedar on the crystalline finish. I raved about this 2022 from barrel and in bottle. I see no reason to change my "raving." Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château in September 2025.
98 Points | Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux
Juicy and extremely impressive fruit quality, this harnesses the best of 2022 and is one of the wines of the vintage. You feel the texture and the power of the fruit, streaks of cocoa, liquorice, and rose petals, totally love it. The biggest alcohol of the series, and certainly you get a touch of crème de cassis and ripe fresh fig, carefully delivered with great texture to the tannins. This was the year that Henri Lurton passed the estate over to his four children while remaining as general manager, and also planted Malbec for the first time in the vineyard. Harvest September 7 to October 10, 315hl/h yield, 100% new oak barrels for ageing. Eric Boissenot consultant, Henri Lurton owner, Christophe Capdeville technical director. I have given this wine 98 points consistently every time I have tasted it, and truly it is excellent.
98 Points | Decanter, Georgina Hindle
One of the standouts of the year - a wonderful wine with so much to like. Coffee, tobacco, liquorice, dark chocolate, blackcurrants and floral scents on the nose. Smooth, succulent and velvety, this is amazing, juicy and so bright and vibrant. Pure and so effortless, tannins are filling but fine and delicate and this has excellent clarity and purity of fruit. They really didn't try too hard but have still delivered a powerful wine with concentration and intensity yet brightness and such generosity of fruit and acidity which makes this so joyful. Simply wonderful. Harvest 7 September-10 October. Yield of 31.5hl/ha. 3.61pH. 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Carmenere complete the blend. 42% production. 15.8% press wine. Ageing 18 months, 100% new oak. 3.57pH.
97 Points | Vinous - Antonio Galloni
The 2022 Brane-Cantenac is every bit as impressive as it was en primeur. What a wine. Fresh, brisk and wonderfully vibrant in the glass, the 2022 soars with striking Cabernet Sauvignon aromatics. Graphite, menthol, sage, mint, licorice, dried flowers and a kiss of well-judged oak all meld together in the glass. Great wine is the result of many small decisions taken together, some of which may seem inconsequential on their own. The team led by Technical Director Christophe Capdeville nailed it in 2022. This is a magnificent Margaux that overachieves big time. The 2022 is one of the most finessed wines of the vintage.