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Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
Henri Lurton believes that a great wine should combine structure with elegance and possess great aromatic purity. Château Brane Cantenac’s aromatic qualities have been acknowledged for a great many years. Its bouquet develops over time. The more the wine ages, the greater power it develops.
Brane’s greatest asset is the amazing quality of its historic terroir, because at the end of the day wine is made in the vineyard. This is why Henri Lurton attaches such great importance to vine canopy work, very strict selection and moderate yields (an average yield of 45hl/ha). Contrary to what may have been written about the estate, Brane produces a very limited quantity of First Wine. Scarcely a third of the production carries the famous gold and black label!
Wine Information
Once again Mother Nature had the last word and we had to adapt…A difficult spring and ugly summer, a
superb Indian summer and… September made the must –contrary to the popular saying which
congratulates August! A vintage which was marked by cool and damp weather conditions in the spring,
numerous thunderstorms in May, a hail storm on May 28, a slow growing season (which fortunately
managed to catch up a bit later) and a very heavy mildew threat on some more fragile parcels. We had to
be very alert and cautious so as to always act within the lines of reasonable and sustainable development
yet making sure we had the vineyard under control. Beginning of June, beginning of the flowering process,
thus a bit later than usual and to top it off, some ‘coulure’ (shatter) which did not help.
The grape colorchange occurred during the first two weeks in August and only ended a month later for the laziest
bunches. Unfortunately, September had a few more bad surprises in stock for us…For the first two
weeks, the weather turned out really chaotic bringing back fears that the grapes would not reach full
ripeness. Thank God, the weather conditions improved drastically on September 15 and remained glorious
practically until the end of the harvest. We began collecting the Merlots on Sept 29 and finished harvesting
on October 17 to make sure we would obtain optimal maturation of all our Cabernets Sauvignons. The
degrees were high and the musts very colored and aromatic, just like in 2004. Throughout we had to
ensure a very strict and thorough sorting of the berries to make sure we would completely eliminate
vegetation debris and unripe grapes. All in all, despite the worries and sleepless nights, the wines seem to
show very well and confirm the general impression of good quality. They express great potential, firmness
and finesse, and some even dare compare them to the 1986s…
A fine nose, with hints of black fruits and liquorice and floral touches with a tad new leather.
A frank, elegant bite with a nice volume and roundness. In the mouth, roundness and well
integrated tannins can be found.
A long, aromatic finish with back hints of toast
The wine is well made, powerful and has a great potential for longevity
TECHNICAL DATA
Yield: 45 hl/ha
Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon
28% Merlot
2% Cabernet Franc
Barrel ageing: 18 months in 60 % new French oak
Great wine vs. second label: 34 %
THE TEAM
Owner: Henri Lurton
Director of operations: Christophe Capdeville
Director of marketing and communication: Corinne Conroy
Vineyard manager: Charles de Ravinel
Consulting oenologist: Jacques Boissenot