2005 Château Brane-Cantenac, Margaux, Bordeaux

Good bright red-ruby. Subdued but pure aromas of currant, dark chocolate and sexy oak. Moderately sweet, medium-bodied and Vinous.com, with ripe acidity and a floral element providing mid-palate lift. It is still a bit medicinal and unevolved, but it has the serious structure to develop slowly and well in bottle. Finishes long and firm.Stephen Tanzer, Vinous.com.com (May 2008)

The 2005 Brane-Cantenac is fabulous. Effusive and explosive to the core, the 2005 possesses tons of energy and pedigree to burn. Crushed flowers, mint, gravel, red/purplish fruit, sage and mocha abound. In 2005, Brane-Cantenac is remarkably deep and vivid. It also comes across as needing a bit more time to soften. Readers will find one of the most distinguished wines of the Left Bank. I especially admire its drive and mid-weight classicism. Hints of cedar and sweet pipe tobacco linger.Drink 2025 - 2045antonio_galloni, Vinous.com.com (April 2021)

I have loved this wine on many occasions, and I love it here again. This is not a wine that is hiding its age - there are already some tertiary notes developing - and you'll find younger-looking 2005s, but it has a generosity of spirit, a succulence to its fruit, and a hauntingly fresh menthol edge to the finish that is really beautiful. Mouthwatering brilliance. 45% of production.Drink 2018 - 2030jane_anson_mw, Decanter.com (November 2017)

The 2005 Brane-Cantenac, which was picked from September 17 to October 10, has a suave, elegant bouquet of blackberry, cedar, gravel and tobacco scents, certainly showing more intensity and energy than any of the last five vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with fine and surprisingly supple tannins that are finally beginning to soften. I love the freshness here, and the wine is less of a curmudgeon than I rudely asserted in the past. It is beginning to loosen its tie, and as such, it’s a vintage to keep an eye on. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château.Drink 2020 - 2045Neil Martin, Vinous.com.com (January 2019)

Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the chteau, the 2005 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. It has a focused, conservative (for the vintage) nose with gravel-tinged red berry fruit intermingling with cedar, graphite and pine needle scents. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm structure and unlike the bottle tasted in January, which I declined to score, there is no green streak on the finish. It is very backward and some might describe it as curmudgeonly. Personally I would not touch it for another five years, even though apparently it is beginning to open according to Henri Lurton. No, I would afford it another two or three years in bottle and let's see where we are then. Tasted April 2015.Neil Martin - 28/12/2016

With its classic Left Bank profile, this blend of 51% Cabernet and 43% Merlot along with 8% Cabernet Franc aged in 70% new casks opened with a bit of tomato and some slightly herbal notes initially but gradually developed aromas of redcurrant, bright cherries, and spice. The texture on the palate was dense and tannic, pointing to a promise of future development—surprisingly good value.Drink 2021 - 2040Charles Curtis, Decanter.com (June 2021)

A sexy style of wine from the Lurtons at Brane-Cantenac, this wine (a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc) has a stunning nose of forest floor, liquorice, blackcurrants, plums and spring flowers. Soft tannin, full-bodied opulence and beautifully textured, lush richness make for a brilliant wine from this large, 180-acre vineyard. In spite of the wine’s stunning forward fragrance and lushness, the colour still looks as if it is 3-4 years old rather than a decade. This is a big-time winner in 2005, and should drink well for at least another 25+ years.Drink 2015 - 2040Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate (June 2015)