The 2023 Château Brane-Cantenac has been one of the standout wines of the 2023 Bordeaux en primeur campaign, earning consistently high praise from major critics for its elegance, floral character, and exceptionally refined tannins.
| Critic |
Rating |
Key comments |
| Jane Anson |
96/100 |
Silky tannins, cassis, bilberry, slate and spice; "an accomplished wine" with excellent depth and precision. |
| Decanter (Georgie Hindle) |
96/100 |
Highly aromatic with roses, violets and red berries; vibrant and structured, with excellent aging potential. |
| Jeb Dunnuck |
95–97 |
Calls it a "hidden gem" of the vintage; cassis, graphite, violets, flawless balance and purity. |
| James Suckling |
95–96 |
Praises the exceptional quality of the ultra-fine tannins and vivid finish. |
| Antonio Galloni (Vinous) |
94–96 |
Sensual, silky, elegant and one of Bordeaux's best relative values. |
| William Kelley (Wine Advocate) |
93–95 |
Rich, fleshy and balanced with dark cherries, cassis and spice; notes creamy new oak in youth. |
| Neal Martin (Vinous) |
93–95 |
Classical Brane-Cantenac with floral aromatics, graphite, silky texture and a long finish. |
| James Lawther MW |
17/20 |
Refined Cabernet expression with cassis, mint and polished tannins. |
| Falstaff |
95/100 (after bottling) |
Elegant and light-footed with cherries, cassis, licorice and a mineral finish. |
Vintage details
- Blend: 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Carménère.
- Harvest: September 4–October 2, 2023.
- Aging: 100% new French oak, with malolactic fermentation in barrel.
- Alcohol: Approximately 13.5%.
Style profile
Across the reviews, there is remarkable consensus:
- Aromatics of violets, roses, cassis and red berries.
- Medium- to full-bodied rather than massively concentrated.
- Exceptionally fine, polished tannins.
- Fresh acidity despite the warm growing season.
- A distinctly elegant, classical Margaux style emphasizing finesse over power.
Drinking window
Most critics recommend beginning to drink it around 2029–2033, with peak maturity expected between 2035 and 2055+. Jeb Dunnuck believes it could begin showing well after about 4–5 years in bottle, while Galloni projects a lifespan extending into the early 2060s.
Overall assessment
The consensus places the 2023 Château Brane-Cantenac among the best wines of Margaux in the vintage. While the monumental 2022 generally scored slightly higher, the 2023 is widely viewed as one of the appellation's best values, combining classic Margaux perfume, precision, and aging potential at a price below many of its peers.
95-97pts Jeb Dunnuck
Readers looking for one of the hidden gems in the vintage should jump on the 2023 Château Brane-Cantenac, an incredibly impressive Margaux that does everything right. Cassis, graphite, violets, lead pencil, and leafy tobacco notes all emerge on the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with classy, integrated oak, flawless balance, and fine tannins. I love its overall purity, as well as its balance, and it should need just 4-5 years of bottle age to show its potential. Tasted twice.
96pts Jane Anson
A great aromatic hit on the opening beats, giving way to silky tannins, spiced plum, rhubarb and slate, cassis and bilberry fruit, all showing depth and intensity. Such an accomplished wine, once again showing how it's done. 100% new oak for malolactic and ageing, 8 coopers, 28 different toasts. 45.7hl/h yields, which is generous for this vintage in the Margaux appellation. Harvest September 14 to October 2. 3.59ph.
95-96pts James Suckling
This shows very pretty fruit and ultra-fine tannins that have an almost al-dente sense to them. It has a medium to full body, fine tannins and a fresh, vivid finish. The tannin quality is exceptional.
94-96pts The Wine Independent
The 2023 Brane-Cantenac is deep garnet-purple in color. Scents of blackcurrant jelly, boysenberries, and black raspberries slowly emerge from the glass, giving way to notions of charcoal, pencil lead, and a waft of tree bark. The medium-bodied palate has a solid structure of racy acidity and firm, ripe, grainy tannins supporting the tightly wound black and red fruit flavors, finishing on a lingering mineral note. The blend is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, with pH 3.59.
94-96pts Vinous
The 2023 Brane-Cantenac is a sensual, silky wine. There's plenty of depth and structure behind that, but the first impression is most definitely one of elegance. Crushed flowers, spice and dried herbs meld into a core of super-expressive, dark, red-toned fruit. The new 100% new oak is impeccably balanced within the wine's frame. Brane-Cantenac remains one of the best relative values in Bordeaux, or anywhere, for that matter. This is a fine effort from proprietor Henri Lurton and his team.
- Antonio Galloni
93-95pts Wine Advocate
The 2023 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot (which saw some saignée), 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carmenère and 1% Petit Verdot, and it completed its malolactic fermentation in barrels as has been the rule at this estate since the 1990s. Offering up aromas of dark cherries, cassis and spices framed by creamy new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a creamy core of fruit and a long, gently lactic finish.
93-95pts Vinous
The 2023 Brane-Cantenac was picked from September 4th to October 2nd at 45.7hL/ha with the highest IPT (Indice de Polyphénols Totaux, a measurement of tannin) ever with respect to the Merlot, which underwent some saignée in tank. Matured entirely in new oak, it has wonderful delineation on the nose, quite floral with pressed violets infusing the lifted black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with a silky-smooth entry and a silver bead of acidity. Pure black fruit infused with graphite lends this Pauillac-like attributes, sustained on the finish, as usual. This is a very classical Brane-Cantenac- a worthy follow up to 2022.
- Neal Martin
