Christine

9.3

2013. Vintage. Love it from the 1st sip till bottomless — 7 years ago

FabFreshandFly

9.5

To say that this pinot is the best I've ever had is truly an understatement. It is sultry red with a healthy balance of fruit and spice. The taste is smooth, complex, and it leaves you craving more. Like a jam session from your favorite band. I was truly sad when I finished the bottle. I look forward to having it again. — 9 years ago

Norman

9.9

'82s were on fire. I'm saying the Mouton took WOTN but these all went quick and a second taste might have made a difference. I went and got the end of the Mouton during which time this one was finished. That good. — 9 years ago

with Jason, Gunja and 3 others

Mike Levin

9.5

Double Mag beauty. Real sassy B — 10 years ago

Robert Cunningham

Wine Educator DeVinimus, Wine Workshop

8.9

Tight; closed; a bit rough. Short sweet finish. More depth than 94 Mouton — 10 years ago

Nate Miles

9.0

Bright. Pure. Salty thirst quenching bucket of yes please — 10 years ago

Graham Hall

9.2

My new favourite Sandbanks wine, and maybe my new favourite Ontario wine period. — 11 years ago

Niki Sella

10

My favorite wine — 11 years ago

with Greg

Philipp Uehlinger

8.9

Very good glou glou — 11 years ago

R. S. Douglass

9.0

Excellent. Will be going back to buy more, especially at $9.99 😊 — 12 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.7

The 91 Dominus is the greatest Dominus produced and I have had every vintage since it's inception in 83. The group all thought it was a 1st Growth guessing 82 a Mouton. One of the best Cali's ever made. — 13 years ago

Michael Solis

9.1

Soft, fruit forward, opens up to a lightly spice finish. — 14 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have a six-pack of this 05. I thought after 10 years in bottle, it would be interesting to check in on its evolution. While tasty, I’ll wait another 8-10 to open another. Even after 2-3 hours in the decanter, it’s still a very young adolescent. On the nose, slightly sour blackberries & dark cherries, dark currants, baked black plum, haunting blue fruits, anise, whiff of spice, steeped tea, dry stones, dry crushed rocks with dry top soil, caramel, vanilla with fresh & dry red florals. The body is thick & full. Tannins are starting to round out. It’s velvety on the palate. The fruits are; bright, fresh & ripe and really show the greatness of the 05 vintage. Dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, baked black plum, haunting blue fruits, baked strawberries, cherries, raspberries on the long set, dark spice, clay & loamy dry top soil with crushed rocks, dry stones, cigar with ash, graphite, dry stems, slight herbaceous character, mint, used leather, clove, caramel, vanilla, fresh & dry red florals with violets. The round acidity is about perfect. The structure and length are still strong. The balance is in harmony. As for the long finish, it’s lush, ruby, rich and well polished. Photos of; Chateau Brane Cantenac, large wood vats, Henri Lurton and Estate vines. Producer notes and history...Chateau Brane Cantenac began in the early 17th century. At the time, the estate was known as Domaine Guilhem Hosten. Even that far back, wine was produced from the property. In fact, the wine was so highly regarded it was one of the more expensive wines in Bordeaux. It sold for almost as much money as Brane Mouton. This is interesting because of who went on to buy the vineyard in the 1800’s. The Baron of Brane, also known as “Napoleon of the Vineyards”, purchased the Chateau in 1833. At the time of the sale, the estate was called Chateau Gorce-Guy. To get the funds needed to purchase the Margaux vineyard, the Baron sold what is now called Mouton Rothschild, which was at the time of the sale, known as Chateau Brane-Mouton. Not such a good move with hundreds of years in hindsight! In 1838, the Baron renamed property taking his name and the name of the sector where the vineyards were located and called it Chateau Brane Cantenac. The Chateau later passed to the Roy family, who were well-known in the Margaux appellation in those days, as they owned Chateau d’issan. Moving ahead to 1920, the Societe des Grands Crus de France, a group of merchants and growers that owned several chateaux located in the Medoc including; Chateau Margaux, Chateau Giscours, and Chateau Lagrange in St. Julien, purchased Chateau Brane Cantenac. Five years later, M. Recapet and his son-in-law, François Lurton, took over Brane Cantenac along with Chateau Margaux. Lucien Lurton (the son of François Lurton) inherited Brane Cantenac in 1956. Today, the estate is still in the hands of the Lurton family. Brane Cantenac is owned and run by Henri Lurton. After being given the responsibility of managing Brane Cantenac, it was under the direction of Henri Lurton that large portions of the vineyard were replanted. Vine densities were increased, the drainage systems were improved and the plantings were also, slowly changed. The vineyard of Brane Cantenac is planted to 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and .5% Carmenere. Carmenere was used for the first time in the 2011 vintage. The only other Chateau I know that still uses Carmenere is Clerc Milon. The 75 hectare Left Bank vineyard of Brane Cantenac is essentially unchanged since it earned Second Growth status in the 1855 Classification. At least that is the case with the 45 hectares used to produce the Grand Vin of Brane Cantenac. Those 45 hectares are planted surrounding the Chateau. Those vines are located just in front of the Cantenac plateau and are the best terroir that Brane Cantenac owns. They have other parcels, which are further inland and much of those grapes are placed into their second wine, Le Baron de Brane. Those additional hectares can be divided into 3 main sections. Behind the Chateau, they have 15 hectares of vines on gravel and sand, 10 hectares across the road with sand, gravel and iron and a 13 hectare parcel with gravel called Notton, which is used for their second wine. The vineyard is planted to a vine density that ranges from 6,666 vines per hectare on the plateau and up to 8,000 vines per hectare for the vines located behind chateau, in their sandier soils. The higher levels of vine density are always found in the newer plantings. The terroir of Brane Cantenac consists of deep gravel, sand and clay soil. Experiments in the vineyards are currently looking at becoming more organic in their vineyard management. Today, more than 25% of Brane Cantenac is farmed using organic farming techniques. It is expected that over time, the amount of hectares farmed with organic methods will be increased. Brane Cantenac has gone through 2 relatively recent modernization’s in 1999, when they added began adding the first of their smaller vats to allow for parcel by parcel vinification and then again in 2015 when they completed a much more complete renovation of their cellars and vat rooms. While Brane Cantenac is a traditional producer, they are no stranger to technology as they were one of the first estates to embrace optical grape sorting machines. In very wet vintages, they can also use reverse osmosis. To produce the wine of Chateau Brane Cantenac, the wine is vinified in a combination of temperature controlled, traditional, 22 oak vats, 18 concrete tanks and 20 stainless steel vats that vary in size from 40 hectoliters all the way up to 200 hectoliters, which allows for parcel by parcel vinification. 40% of the fermentation takes place in the oak vats. The oldest vines are vinified in vats that are selected to allow for separate parcel by parcel vinification. The younger vines are vinified more often together in the same vats. However, the Carmenere is entirely micro-vinified, meaning that those grapes were completely vinified in barrel, using micro-vinification techniques. This can also happen because the amount of grapes produced is so small. Some vats can be co-inoculated, meaning they go through alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation simultaneously. At Chateau Brane Cantenac, malolactic fermentation takes place in a combination of French oak tanks and barrels. The wine of Brane Cantenac is aged in an average of 60% new, French oak barrels for 18 months before bottling. The initial 2 months of aging is done with the wine on its lees, which adds more depth to the wine. There second wine is Le Baron de Brane. Le Baron de Brane is not new. In fact, previously, the second wine went under the name of Chateau Notton, which took its name from one of the main parcels where the grapes were planted. During the late 1950’s and into the 1960’s, having a second wine was important as the estate declassified 3 vintages, due to extremely poor, weather conditions in 1956, 1960 and 1963. Production of Chateau Brane Cantenac is about 11,000 cases per year. — 9 years ago

Anton Katz

9.0

Edda have this one to me — 11 years ago

Erik Longabardi

9.3

A deeply satisfying Muscadet from the Loire. Crisp, bright and mildly sweet; this is a great bottle of wine on a hot summer day! — 11 years ago

Kaitlin Riegler

9.5

This Pinot Noir has a great deep flavor! Definitely worth trying for a unique Pinot. — 11 years ago

John Ridge

9.5

First time drinking a Bordeaux and was very pleased with this one. — 12 years ago

Matt Kern

9.3

Peaches. Millions of peaches, peaches for me. A perfect match for the chocolate and pear dessert. Add some age and this wine will be unforgettable. Pretty close already. — 12 years ago

with Maggie

Thomas Gayno

9.6

Xmas wine.
Very well done for an average year and reasonable price. This vineyard is right by Chateau Mouton Rothschild. Excellent cru. — 9 years ago

Raistland Odell

9.5

Absolute phenomenal wine. Very well balanced. Everything I can hope from a Bourgogne, I mean, Oregogne, Chard. — 9 years ago

Keshia Kuhn

9.1

Notes of strawberry and butter. Can't go wrong with a rosé! — 9 years ago

Ryan Guy

9.3

Blind tasting: light ruby color, crushed gravel, cranberry, floral. Soft mouth feel, tannins are still strong. Persistent length. — 10 years ago

Annette Humes

9.2

Very very nice, easy and light! Definite repeat — 10 years ago

Mark Calkin

9.0

#humblegrape — 10 years ago

with Claudine

Eli Benfield

9.1

Let open for about 20 minutes. Tasty 07 — 10 years ago

with Maxwell

Nico Baars

9.0

Quality wine! Nice scent, long taste. — 11 years ago

Lundmark Kvarnstrom

10

It's decanted and ready for you @Bill Bender, the only question is: Where are you? — 11 years ago

Phil Hamzik

9.0

Light Chardonnay with very smooth acidity. Crisp, fresh fruit that is balanced without being oaky or buttery. Really great. — 12 years ago

Jeffrey Lew

9.4

Dark with a ton if life left. Lead pencil, roses, violets... An awesome wine and a stand out to 86 BDX. Only thing prob better is mouton but this will stand toe to toe with the best. Give it 2hrs and really watch it sing. 95+ pts
— 12 years ago

Peter Monteleone

Sales & Marketing Martine's Wines

8.9

My first taste of the 12. Nils you were right, killer. Can't wait to try the Grand Mouton (from magnum!). — 13 years ago