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If there was one word to describe Château Brane-Cantenac, it would be “meticulous.”nbsp; This Second Growth Château in the Margaux appellation firmly believes in slow, methodical, and continuous experimentation in the vat room.nbsp; In a 2018 Decanter article, wine journalist Jane Anson describes a rigorous experiment at Château Brane-Cantenac where the estate was comparing different toasts of French and Russian Oak from the Caucasus forests with different lengths of seasoning from 24 to 36 months.nbsp; The aim of the study was to discover which type of oak was better for their cooperage and whether the oak should be kept inside a drying park or have exposure to the natural elements such as rainfall.nbsp; This is considered a normal experiment at Château Brane-Cantenac. One can clearly see at this estate, complacency is not an option.
Château Brane-Cantenac originates back to the early 17th Century, where it was known as Domaine Guilhem Hosten.nbsp; It was one of the most expensive vineyards in Bordeaux and was highly respected long before it was ranked as a Second Growth during the 1855 Classification.nbsp; The estate received its namesake when it was purchased by Baron de Brane, a highly respected viticulturalist who was nicknamed, “Napoleon of the Vines.”nbsp; The Baron was the owner of the estate Brane-Mouton, another producer that would later become known as the famous First Growth Estate, Château Mouton Rothschild. The Baron sold his holdings of Brane-Mouton to acquire Château Brane-Cantenac.nbsp; The estate changed hands in the 1920s to a négociant Château Grand Crus de France that also owned Château Margaux. Eventually Château Brane-Cantenac was acquired by one of the most famous winemaking families in Bordeaux, the Lurton family.nbsp;
After several generations, the estate is currently helmed by the ambitious and personable Henri Lurton.nbsp; Lurton is not afraid of thinking outside of the box and owns another winery in Baja California called Bodegas Henri Lurton.nbsp; With master’s degrees in Biology, Oenology, and Ampelography, he brings his scientific knowledge and love of experimentation to the vineyards at Château Brane-Cantenac. The viticultural team oversees the 75-hectare left bank vineyard with its numerous plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Carmenere. Under his leadership, 20% of the vineyard is organically farmed and 4 hectares are biodynamically farmed.nbsp; Château Brane-Cantenac has its own weather station linked up to the European Demeter Network and for more than ten years has used a website run by Meteo France to show daily weather reports, rain radar, satellite pictures, and long-range forecasts.nbsp;nbsp;
Though not the most outwardly showy wines in Margaux, the wines of Brane-Cantenac are adored because of their highly complex and layered nuances that unfold with time.nbsp; They are gorgeously textured, and the fruits shine through with confidence as they age.nbsp; They are softer and more accessible than some of the bolder wines of Pauillac and other Margaux Second Growths.nbsp; Because of their accessibility and strength, these wines are tremendously versatile.nbsp; They can be consumed on the younger side or laid down and enjoyed years later.