1989 Brane Cantenac
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Tasting notes
The 1989 Brane-Cantenac has long been the standout from this period. Picked from September 12 to October 15, it has a seductive bouquet of red berry fruit, black tea, bay leaf and just a hint of game and allspice. This is much fresher than the vintages that ensued. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin and crisp acidity. The 1989 is very well balanced, presenting a classic, Pauillac-like, graphite-tinged second half that feels long but not necessarily powerful. This is not actually the best bottle I have encountered, but it is still a lovely mature Margaux. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château .
Critic scores
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Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château, the 1989 Brane-Cantenac has for many years been one of my favorite vintages in recent years. "We began the picking for one day and then stopped for two weeks in 1989," proprietor Henri Lurton told me. "The tannins were just not there." That decision to wait paid off. Noticeably deeper in color, more youthful than the 1990, it has a really quite enthralling, beautifully defined bouquet with ample red berries, cold tea, sous-bois, tobacco and mint - perhaps more energy here than the next decade combined! The palate is medium-bodied with rounded tannin, a fine seam of acidity, grainy in texture but complex with thyme and wild fennel on the finish. This is probably at its peak now, but it has the substance to last another 15-20 years. This is the Brane-Cantenac to go for - a great wine. Tasted March 2016.
A big, brutish wine with lots of everything. Rich aromas of cooked strawberries, earth and tobacco. Full-bodied and chewy, providing masses of tannins, yet it's smooth with ripe fruit and lots of character on the finish. Give it time.--1989 Bordeaux horizontal. – James Suckling, Wine Spectator 1999
About the producer
Château Brane-Cantenac has been a consistent performer in the Margaux wine appellation since Henri Lurton took over the property, but thanks to replanting and investment in the last decade, quality has seen another sharp upswing.