Château Brane-Cantenac is located in the Cantenac district of the municipality of Margaux and is therefore part of the world-famous local appellation of the same name on the Médoc peninsula. The château was classified as a Deuxième Cru Classé in 1855. Wine has been produced here for 250 years. The Lurton family has owned the estate for four generations. Henri Lurton has been at the helm for around 30 years, utilising modern technology but still wanting to preserve the tradition of his predecessors.
With a total area of 90 hectares, around 75 hectares are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (55 %), Merlot (40 %), Cabernet Franc (4.5 %) and Carmenère (0.5 %).
"Brane is famous for its deep, gravelly and mineral-rich soils and has some of the best plots in Margaux. The château is located on a famous plateau whose topography provides excellent natural drainage and whose stony soils force the roots of the vines to dig deep into the earth."
As always, the aim is to harvest at the perfect time. The grapes are tasted daily, but a thorough scientific analysis also helps with the decision. After the harvest, a strict sorting process takes place "whereby state-of-the-art optical scanning devices enable unprecedented precision and quality control."
After pressing, fermentation, maceration and bottling, the wine is matured in barrels. The proportion of new wood (up to 70%) and the duration of ageing (18 months on average) are determined anew for each vintage.
photos: Château Brane-Cantenac
