1994 Brane Cantenac

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. 35.2 hl/ha. Orange-brick hue. A semblance of brambly fruit but diffuse and green-edged. Some sweetness and substance on the palate but a drying finish. Rustic and raw. (JL)

The 1994 Brane-Cantenac is marginally better on the nose than the previous two vintages, with just a touch more fruit…but there is still a conspicuous shortfall with damp earth and red brick aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with light tannins, sour cherry and white pepper, a touch of VA nagging away at the back of the throat. There is just a bit more depth on the finish than the 1993, but this is still not a vintage that I would cellar much longer. Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château in September 2025.

The colour is holding well, a soft but vivid tawny rose, gentle waves of campfire and tobacco leaf on the aromatics, underpinned by peony. On the palate, this falls a little soft on the finish, with cumin and cardamom spices dominant rather than fruit, although there is still balance and finesse. The third in the trio of challenging vintages (after a frost-impacted 1991), here with a great summer followed by a rainy September. Harvest September 15 to 29, 35hl/h yield, 3.81ph. In the vineyard this year, there were serious drainage works going on, with ploughing reintroduced on the Brane plateau, and trellising raised across the estate. Henri Lurton owner, Jacques Boissenot consultant.