1995 - Brane-Cantenac, Margaux

Vivid ruby colour, softening tawny around the edges with welcoming depth of plum fruit on the opening moments. This is totally charming, with fresh acidities that keep things motoring along through the palate, sense of momentum and cheer, well balanced, cherry pit, orange peel, cranberry, pomegranate, mint leaf. The best vintage since 1990, although could have done with a few days longer of sunshine for full ripeness, and it's in a sweet spot. Harvest September 18 to 29, 45.9hl/h, 3.76ph. Henri Lurton owner, Jacques Boissenot consultant.

Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château, the 1995 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. It has retained that lovely bouquet of raspberry coulis, strawberry, leather and a touch of iodine - clearly the best aromatics of the nineties. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannin, though not as grippy as previous bottles, the tannins having melted in recent years. There is something almost Asian about the finish - hints of hoisin lining the finish plus a tingle of Shezhuan pepper on the aftertaste. Probably at its peak, I would aver that this was Henri Lurton's first bonafide success at Brane-Cantenac after taking over at the beginning of the decade. Tasted March 2016.

The contrast between preceding vintages and the 1995 Brane-Cantenac has always been stark, as if a completely different château had entered the fray. Finally, here is tangible brambly red berry fruit laced with cedar and just a modicum of wild mind. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with finely spun tannins, bright red fruit (cranberry and white-tipped strawberry) and a structured, lightly grippy finish that after three decades is still going strong. Henri Lurton est arrivé! Tasted at the Brane-Cantenac vertical at the château in September 2025.