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CONTENTS
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- BRANE-CANTENAC FACTS AND FIGURES - WHAT’S NEW THIS YEAR |
- Surface area under vine: 75 hectares (185 acres)
- Soil: deep gravel from the quaternary era 1
- Grape varieties: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40 % Merlot and 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Carmenère
- Average age of the vines: 35 years
- Density of plantation: 6,666 to 8,000 plants per hectare
- Average yield over last ten years: 45 hectolitres per hectare
- Vats: 1/3 oak, 1/3 concrete, 1/3 stainless steel
- 35 permanent staff, 100 pickers for the harvest
1: According to some authors, the 3rd and 4th terraces go back to the Günz era and the 5th terrace to the Mindel era
beginning of this month of October, the 2011 vintage appears to have been extremely atypical, both in terms of its climatic conditions and in the events that have occurred in the vineyard throughout the 2011 vine cycle. Vine-growing continues to be largely dependent on the vagaries of the weather, which dictates the type of work needed to be done in the vineyard and the quality of the wines we produce.
Weather conditions and phenology:
Bud-break in the vines occurred on close to normal dates at the end of March. However, dry, hot weather during April brought about a sudden acceleration in vine shooting. Weather data for that month show a water deficit stress of 90% and temperatures 5°C higher than the average of the last 30 years. Rainfall was only 7mm (just over a quarter of an inch) in April, compared with over 70mm (2.75 inches) in a normal year. The amount of sunshine was comparable with that of a month of July. Then, May had the same hot and dry weather conditions.
The flowering process had already begun by May 10, as opposed to the beginning of June in a normal year. Vine canopy tasks were stepped up to keep pace with vegetation growth, which was amazingly quick. De-suckering work was carried out at great speed.
By the time June arrived, the vines were easily three weeks ahead of schedule. Severe drought conditions then started to slow down vine vegetation growth. The anticyclonic conditions continued prolonging the spell of hot and dry weather. Scorching temperatures of around 40°C (104°F) caused sunburn on vines where the canopies were sparse and where rows were well exposed. It now looked certain that the 2011 vintage would be a very early one, with forecasts for a red grape harvest beginning at the end of August. Clearly, vigilance would be needed in the vines, particularly with regard to canopy cover, so as to limit the amount of sun coming into direct contact with the fruit.
And yet we can never predict anything with certainty. True enough, the early part of the vine cycle may have advanced quickly because of high temperatures, but sudden cool temperatures arrived in July, followed by rainy weather in August, and the ripening process slowed down.
Severe thunderstorms occurred in Gironde throughout the season. On June 4, some parts of the Margaux vineyard were hit badly by hail. Luckily, our vines were largely spared from this setback: a few plots on the edge of the estate had minor damage. On September 1, the Saint Estèphe appellation and vineyards in Entre Deux Mers suffered significant losses to their crops for the same reasons. Over 1,000 hectares have reportedly been hit by hail in Gironde over the 2011 growing season.
Vine-growing methods:
Brane-Cantenac’s vine-growing methods follow the principles of environmentally-friendly integrated crop management; and for the last two years, 20% of the vineyard surface area is grown organically. The vine-growing methods as a whole conform to the objectives of good management and preservation of the environment.
The threat of vine pests was extremely low this year. Downy mildew and powdery mildew posed no problem. The usual vine pests were present but were easily kept at bay. Only an attack of vine weevils during bud-break caused damage, which on some vines was significant, but only over a very limited surface area. This pest is the larva of a moth which lives in the soil and comes out at nightfall to devour the buds that are breaking open. When present, it can cause serious damage to crops, such as vines, cereals and farm vegetables and is a real scourge for farmers. The coinciding of hot April weather with early vine bud-break was the reason for the ravages of this pest, which until this year we had never experienced in our vineyard.
Specific jobs carried out in the vines help control yields and create a micro-climate around the bunches beneficial to the ripening process. In 2011, the work done in the vines was adapted and performed on a case-by-case basis. Priority was given to green harvesting the young vines (so that they didn’t suffer from the drought), de-compacting vines with heavy crop loads, and de-leafing and green harvesting the most vigorous plots. Some parcels, which had been affected by sunburn or which had sparse foliage were not de-leafed. The watchword in the vineyard is observation, so that a particular job can be planned and done as and when necessary; and 2011 was really a good case in point…
Grape ripeness:
As the harvest approached, ripeness checks on grape samples gave encouraging results and promised a high quality vintage. The picking began with the Merlot on September 12, which is an exceptionally early harvesting date. The Cabernet Sauvignon was brought in between 20 and 27 September. Carmenère, which is a late-ripening variety, was picked on October 10.
The Merlot has natural alcoholic degrees of between 12.5 and 14.2° and acidities of 3.5 to 4.0g/litre (in H2SO4). Its phenolic content is high, and its extractability is very good. The wines are powerful and round.
The Cabernet has naturally alcoholic degrees of between 12.0 and over 12.7° and acidities of 4.5 to 5.0g/litre (in H2SO4). Like the Merlot, it has great phenolic richness and has great aromatic potential, promising wines of excellent quality.
It is obvious that the sorting table this year was of capital importance in order to ensure that the crop brought in was of the best possible quality before going into vat for fermentation. There were indeed bunches on which berries had stayed green (due to poor veraison linked to the summer’s climatic variations), had been sunburnt, or were shrivelling, and which had to be discarded imperatively. The optical sorting line that was introduced at Brane-Cantenac in 2010 was therefore the perfect tool to have at our disposal to carry out this sorting operation efficiently.
Conclusion:
The 2011 vintage, of which the last grapes are now being brought in, promises to be very good quality, thanks to its very high phenolic and aromatic potential. The vine cycle was marked by great precocity, very hot weather and severe spring drought conditions, followed by a cooler and rainier summer. Rigorous sorting of the crop was essential in order to eliminate grapes which had been adversely affected by the year’s climatic excesses. The vinification revealed the potential of this vintage, which so far appears to be an atypical year and a difficult one to compare with another.
Christophe Capdeville
Cantenac, 7 October 2011.
BRANE AND THE OPTICAL SORTING LINE
In 2007, Henri Lurton, eager to enhance the quality of the sorting system, introduced the Viniclean sorting table at harvest reception. In 2010, he decided to make substantial changes in this area in order to be sure of bringing in grapes of absolutely perfect quality. The grapes were now brought to the cellar using the Air Tec Wine device, which avoids any squashing of the grapes. The device is made up of small, shallow bins equipped with automatically-controlled compressed air pneumatic suspension. These bins are fit with wide low-inflated tyres. The grapes are emptied from the bins at slow speed using a system of vibration. The advantages of using this device are that the berries remain perfectly intact and any oxidation is limited through fast handling of the grapes within half an hour of picking (less handling compared with the crate system).
When they arrive at the cellar the grapes are manually sorted on two parallel tables. Once they have passed through the de-stemmer they come to the newly-installed Vistalys optical sorting line. All of the constituents resulting from the de-stemming are filmed by a camera. A high-speed calculator analyses the pictures. Air jets then specifically eliminate any imperfections. It is therefore possible to sort not only according to colour (fragments of stems, shot berries and so on) but also by berry-shape (withered or rotten grapes and so on). This revolutionary process enables an unprecedented level of sorting quality. It is reliable, fast, consistent and progressive.
RESPECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND PRODUCT QUALITY
There has been no shortage of new plans at Château Brane-Cantenac over the last two years. Having always been aware of the possible environmental impact of vine-growing practices at his estate, Henri Lurton decided in 2010 to convert 10 hectares (25 acres) of his vineyard to organic production. This surface area was extended to 18 hectares (45 acres) in 2011, which is almost a quarter of the total vineyard area. A conversion protocol was drawn up with the help of specialised advisors at the Chambre d’Agriculture. All the viticultural tasks are performed according to the brief for organic vine-growing. The first results are very encouraging, enabling a substantial reduction in the products used. Furthermore, spraying in the rest of the vineyard has mostly been done using certified organic products. The reduction of phytosanitary input has been enhanced, so too has the safety of personnel.
As a living, constantly evolving product, a great wine requires attention, patience and a certain degree of experience. Since 1992, Henri Lurton has made it his aim to produce each year the best wine possible while remaining faithful to the outstanding, historic terroir of Brane. Since 1997, a new, spacious vat cellar, modern wine-making techniques and a new team have enabled him to rise to this challenge.
However, gaining a technological cutting edge is not an end in itself. Even when new ideas have been properly tried and tested, they are only adopted if they can bring about definite improvements. At Brane, wine production is more based on what the soil can offer. Henri Lurton above all seeks to achieve optimal grape quality and perfectly healthy and ripe fruit.
The quality of the tannins in a wine is the key to its ageing potential. Achieving quality tannins however is also dependent on terroir and the age of the vines; and enhancing that quality assumes grapes that have ripened to perfection (neither under-ripe, nor over-ripe). Those tannins then have to be extracted gently from the grapes during the vinification. This is the reason why Henri Lurton for the last twenty years has tasted the grapes himself before every vintage, so as to choose the right date to begin the picking. With his experience and expertise he can predict with precision the potential of each parcel.
Brane’s greatest asset is the amazing quality of its historic terroir, because at the end of the day wine is made in the vineyard. This is why Henri Lurton attaches such great importance to vine canopy work, very strict selection and moderate yields (an average yield of 45hl/ha). Contrary to what may have been written about the estate, Brane produces a very limited quantity of First Wine. Scarcely a third of the production carries the famous gold and black label! The two other thirds are divided between Baron de Brane, the Second Wine, and Château Notton.
Harvesting by hand, transporting of the grapes to the cellar by the Air Tec Wine carrier and sorting using the Vistalys de Bucher optical sorting line process guarantee that the berries that end up in the fermentation vats are of perfect quality.
Henri Lurton believes that a great wine should combine structure with elegance and possess great aromatic purity. Château Brane Cantenac’s aromatic qualities have been acknowledged for a great many years. Its bouquet develops over time. The more the wine ages, the greater power it develops.
The prestigious history of Brane-Cantenac is not linked to a personality or a family but to the estate’s incomparable soil, which has been carefully studied over the years by the top specialists.
Recognised throughout the estate’s history as one of the finest in the Médoc, Brane’s terroir long gave the estate its unofficial ranking as ‘first of the seconds’. The heart of the estate is an unbroken block of 45 hectares, which has remained unchanged for three centuries.
Henri Lurton chose to centre the First Wine of Brane-Cantenac on the original 45 hectare terroir. The expansion of the vineyard during the 19th and 20th centuries, however, was effected especially through purchasing new plots from classed growth neighbours (Margaux, Kirwan, Issan and Cantenac-Brown), which ensured that the whole of the production of Brane’s 1st and 2nd wines would be of very high quality.
Le Plateau de Brane: The famous gravel outcrop of Brane stands in front of the château. At the top of the Margaux-Cantenac plateau (some 22 metres above sea-level!) thirty hectares or so belong to the estate and stretch out over the finest parts of this strip of deep gravel soil dating back to the quaternary1 era (fourth terrace). Thanks to the fine quality of the soil, the degree of water supplied to the vine roots is excellent. The 12 metre deep gravel layer contains large quantities of clay and provides adequate moisture all year round and, through its compact nature, limits any excess water reaching the vines. The water table here is very low (at 5 or 6 metres) allowing the roots to delve down deep. The upper layers of the soil are sandier and tend to saturate quickly after heavy rain. Most of the water then runs off the surface thanks to the topography. The soil drains more quickly over the following days. As rooting near the surface is limited through ploughing, the vines are less affected by heavy downpours than those in other terroirs. In these plots, the vigour of the vines is restrained, vegetation growth stops early –even in wet years- and the vineyard suffers less from summer storms or September rains than in more classic gravel terroirs.
Behind the château grounds: Around fifteen hectares make up (together with the plateau) the original heart of the estate. The gravel strip of the quaternary1 era is more recent. The depth of the vine roots and the degree of water supply are linked to the water table which is higher than on the plateau (between 2.5 and 3 metres). The soils are sandy-gravel, with large pebbles. Replanting of vines over the last years has enabled the best possible match of grape variety and rootstock with the pedological nature of these soils. Although the wines produced in these soils have a different tannic structure from those produced on the plateau, they are of top quality and mostly go into the First Wine.
La Verdotte: Located on the other side of the road linking Margaux to Arsac, this ten hectare vineyard is over 35 years old. It has the same geological profile as the one next to the château grounds. The gravelly-sandy soil has medium depth and the vine roots are sometimes restricted by ferruginous concretions. The plot by plot management at harvest is dictated by the pedological delimitation of the soils. It enables the highest quality zones to be identified and vinified separately (one plot of vines may be divided into three different quality zones). These parcels have been organically-grown in the 2010 growing season. A replanting programme currently underway will renew this vineyard in the years to come.
Notton: A bit further along, the 13 hectare Notton vineyard is situated on a very high quality gravel plateau. This is a terroir of deep, coarse gravel containing very little clay. The degree of water supply to the roots is directly linked to the level of the water table. In 1994, deep draining work brought even greater benefits to this wonderful terroir with the water table being taken down to 4 metres. Completely replanted that year, the vineyard produces wines of great quality. Its Merlot is very powerful and concentrated, and the Cabernet Sauvignon has a very fine tannic structure.
1: According to some authors, the 3rd and 4th terraces go back to the Günz era and the 5th terrace to the Mindel era.
TRACEABILITY, RESEARCH AND SUSTAINABILITY
- All the different processes involved in growing grapes and producing wine follow a strict set of specifications to be carried out according to the rules and regulations of integrated and sustainable viticulture. Hygiene and control of critical matters which can have adverse effects on the product conform to the requirements of a quality control system which has been in place since 1999. Complete traceability has been achieved through laser marking of the bottle making it possible to trace back through the production cycle as far as the original plot of vines.
The new winery facilities built in 1999 conform to strict environmental and energy criteria. Wood and some of its by-products have been used for most of the roof structure, insulation and walls. Natural ventilation of the cellars using Canadian wells enables the inside temperature to be regulated without consuming energy. “Shutter” type wood panels, placed on the south-west façade, limit the warming of the walls of the building and contribute some natural air conditioning. Large bay windows allow sunlight to enter. Other plans are being studied to produce electricity from solar panels and to heat the administrative buildings with the help of biomass produced at the estate, such as crushed and compacted vine prunings.
- In 2012, an environmental management system (SME) will be set up so as to optimise the impact of our activity on the environment.
- The whole of the wine production process conforms to a policy of preservation of natural resources and sustainability :
- Development of organic vine-growing (18 hectares in 2011)
- No use of GMOs
- Treatment of viticultural, phytosanitary and wine production waste, guaranteeing the elimination of polluting particles
- Sorting and recycling of waste depending on its nature: composting of vegetal waste, recycling of cardboard, glass, used oils and plastic; incineration of vegetal biomass (stakes, vine trunks, stems and so on) for the production of electricity (the Enerbiomasse plan is currently being studied)
- Renewal of viticulture equipment with devices that consume less fuel (Tier III norm) and are lighter in weight and limit compacting of the soils
- Reduction of phytosanitary spraying. Choice of products having the lowest human and environmental impact possible
- Respect for non-treated zones alongside water taps and ditches
- Use of biodegradable supplies for the vineyard, such as wicker ties for trellising
- Landscaping of spaces not planted with vines: rabbit warrens, hedges, flowers in fallow land, grass seeding along borders, dry meadows etc.,
- Management of water resource by reducing consumption
- Brane-Cantenac has always been a field for numerous experiments conducted since the 1960s in partnership with the University Faculty of Oenology and the Gironde Chamber of Agriculture. Current research is being conducted in the following areas:
- Vineyard management that is even more closely based on soil composition
- Enhanced barrel cleaning (high pressure, steam…)
- Preventing Brettanomyces development using strict protocols of hygiene and regular microbiological controls. The recent use of negative oxygen enables us to guarantee perfect sanitization of vats and barrels without using chemical products
- The use of the co-inoculation technique (lactic bacteria) in order to reduce the formation of biogenic amines during the malo-lactic fermentation
- Improving production equipment to make conditions at each work station conform to safety and ergonomic requirements (electric seats in the vineyard, personnel training)
- Enhancing of grape sorting at harvest reception with the help of the Vistalys optical sorting line
- Experimenting of devices to enhance extraction during pump-overs: the Ciclon process enables optimisation of extraction during the alcoholic fermentation. This ingenious device enables a homogeneous and efficient soaking of the cap of skins during pump-overs and delestages (rack and return). It is completely autonomous, is easy to work, and its use enhances the extraction of phenolic compounds.
- Enhancing of barrel ageing through numerous trials over the last years on barrel toasts, the origin and the seasoning time of the oak.
The technical crew
- Henri LURTON, owner
- Henri is a worthy successor to his father, Lucien. He is like him -affable and discreet. Just like him too, he has a love of land and vines. His greatest passion is creating an outstanding wine, year after year, from the terroir entrusted to him. Ever thirsty to perfect his knowledge about his soils, so as to bring out the specific character of a plot; resolutely determined to produce a great Margaux with pedigree, character, complexity and balance that reflect Brane’s deep gravel terroir; constantly innovating with more modern viticultural techniques, such as raising the vine canopy at the end of the 1980s, or measuring the water table depths, are just some of Henri Lurton’s many other passions.
- On occasions he is a pioneer; on others he may oppose the latest winemaking fashion. He loves conducting experiments both in the vineyard and in the cellars. He has practised the technique of pigeage (punching down the cap of skins) since the late 1980s and the malo-lactic fermentation in barrel since 1994. Always eager to combine the right varietal with the terroir, he has defined Brane’s varietal mix as a minimum of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon (the king varietal on fine gravel soils) to ensure the best possible match between the soils and the vines.
- After more than 15 years at the helm of Château Brane-Cantenac and having been inspired by a great viticultural heritage and the belief in natural vine-growing techniques, Henri Lurton continues to seek a balance between the quality of the terroir and the perfection of wine.
- Henri Lurton has a Masters in biology, a DEA in œnology/ampelology (research into vineyard soils with Professor Seguin) and an œnology diploma from the University of Bordeaux. To perfect his wine growing skills he worked in South Africa, Australia and Chile before devoting his entire time to the family estate.
- Christophe CAPDEVILLE, estate manager
- After pocketing his œnologist’s degree in 1990, Christophe Capdeville began his career at Brane-Cantenac as cellar master, before becoming technical director in 2001. He is a member of the board of the Association des Œnologues de la Faculté de Bordeaux (1999-2001) and was one of the Trophées Vinitech jury in 2004. He has been commissioned as an expert on wine-growing dossiers and is the co-author with Pierre Jacquet of a book on wine-growing equipment published by the OIV. He loves biology almost as much as wine-growing equipment and techniques! By coincidence, he did his œnology thesis on the sorting of red grapes at harvest and the functioning of a rotating mechanical sorting table while conducting trials at…… Brane-Cantenac.
- At the same time attached to traditional methods and attracted to the evolution of modern techniques and the innovative side of some practices, Christophe Capdeville has found his ideal place alongside Henri Lurton, with whom he shares the same affinities and a sole aim –the enhancement of the vineyard and the wines of Brane-Cantenac. A perfect osmosis exists between them. It was no surprise when, thanks to his great professional skills, he became Henri’s right hand man, and since June 2004, the estate manager. In September 2010, Christophe celebrated his twentieth year at Brane!
- Charles de RAVINEL, vineyard manager
- Charles de Ravinel has been at Brane-Cantenac since November 2004 and now holds the post of vineyard manager, following the departure of Jean-Charles Nabera Sartoulet in January 2007. For two years, Charles was able to acquaint himself with all the wine-making tasks at the estate, from the vinification to the blending, and from quality control to team management, as well as the supervision of all the vineyard tasks and personnel. His experience at Brane as well as at other estates, both in the cellars and in the vineyard, was a key factor influencing Henri Lurton’s decision to hand him the reins of the vineyard and the job of assisting Christophe Capdeville in running the estate.
- “These last two years at Brane have enabled me to discover a fabulous terroir and to realise just how complex and demanding vine growing can be. It was my attachment to this land that made me jump at the chance to manage a vineyard and the opportunity to produce the best possible grapes and wine with all the wine-making team.”
- Charles de Ravinel holds a degree in œnology from the University of Bordeaux 2 and a Business Studies Diploma (BTS) in viticulture/œnology. He worked at Domaine de Chevalier (Pessac-Léognan), Château La Grangère in Saint Emilion and at Château Petit Moulin in Bordeaux. Vines are his passion, but he also has a keen interest in old stones, sailing boat maintenance and he is a monitor for young sea scouts, too. He also remains very attached to his family’s silviculture farm in the Vosges.
- Florent CILLERO, cellarmaster
- His time spent at such prestigious wine estates as Dominus (owned by Christian Moueix in Napa Valley, California), Château Haut-Brion and Château Clarke trained him to work with rigour, care and reflection. He holds a National Œnologist’s Diploma and a Masters in Œnology and Vini-viticultural Environment. Florent is young, has a passion for wine, and is totally committed to his new profession. His determination and ability to adapt have enabled him to quickly learn the ropes of his new job and become an integral member of the team. He has already earned the respect and appreciation of his colleagues.
- Florent holds the National Œnologist’s Diploma (DNO) and a Masters in Œnology and Vini-viticultural Environment. He loves sport and practises it assiduously! He was twice French bench press champion and held the French record for this sport in June 2010.
- Maria Martinez Ojeda, quality control manager and in charge of welcoming visitors to the winery
- Having arrived in France from Mexico at the age of 18 to learn French, Maria ended up staying… After achieving the highest grades in her studies, she opted for a career in wine and trained at the University of Bordeaux, completing a Masters in Viticulture-Œnology, and then at Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, where she spent six months as an internee. She then joined a Bordeaux wine merchant house for a further six months, by which time she had been able to perfect her wine-making skills as well as put into practice all the theory she had learned about the sales and marketing of Bordeaux wines.
- Completely trilingual, Maria holds the post of quality control manager, monitoring the quality of tasks performed in the vineyard and cellar, and looks after the preparation of wine samples. She is also in charge of welcoming visitors, the majority of whom are professionals. Enthusiastic, positive and very dynamic, Maria is a real asset to Brane. She combines the sunshine of Latin America with the efficiency of the North, since she is also very American. Her passion for wine will take her a long way…
Administration and promotion
- Hugues de LESTRANGE, financial director
- An agricultural engineer, having also studied foreign trade and œnology, Hugues de Lestrange joined Brane-Cantenac in September 2006 as financial director. His long experience in administrative and financial management, firstly in the Producta group from 1983 to 1992, then at the Compagnie Fermière des Graves for 12 years, was a major asset for Henri Lurton who was seeking to reinforce his management team to be sure of being able to devote as much time as he needed to the vineyard and cellars, technical innovation, and worldwide promotion of the estate’s wine.
- Hugues de Lestrange also contributed to the re-launching and development of two vineyards, one at Saint Emilion and the other in the Graves.
- “This is an outstanding opportunity for us to be able to take advantage of Hugues’s great experience, his ability to focus on the business as a whole and his great rigour. He is really going to support me in every aspect of the estate’s management and administration”, said Henri Lurton when Hugues joined Brane.
- Corinne CONROY, marketing and communications manager
- On her return to Bordeaux in 2001, after more than fifteen years in the USA at Diageo and Seagram, Corinne Conroy worked at Château Margaux and at Château Lascombes before joining Henri Lurton’s team at the beginning of July 2004.
- With a tri-lingual interpreter’s degree from the University of Angers and the University of Cambridge, and a Master’s degree in American Political Sciences from an Ivy League university, Corinne Conroy began her career in wine at a small English wine merchant house in Libourne (Premier Exports) as export manager to the USA and passed her DUAD at the University of Bordeaux in 1983.
- Her job as International Brand Manager with Champagne Mumm (Seagram group), her many contacts in the media in France and abroad together with her experience at luxury products companies and foreign wineries enable her to make an active contribution to the development of the brand image of Château Brane-Cantenac, both in France and abroad.
- Clémence MOREAU, sales administration manager
- A graduate of the Faculty of Oenology at the University of Bordeaux 2, having previously gained a degree in bio-chemistry, Clémence Moreau began her career in œnology at Brane as an internee during her studies from 1997 to 1999. Having quickly made an impression and being appreciated for her good work, she joined Henri Lurton’s team on a permanent basis in March 2003, after an intermediary spell of four years at Château Cos d’Estournel where she filled several management positions.
- Coming from a varied professional background, Clémence started at Brane as an assistant oenologist before moving up into the management team in charge of public relations. She held the post of quality control manager at Brane-Cantenac for several years before taking on the job of sales administration manager.
- Véronique GARCIA, assistant in the sales department
- Following the departure of Isabelle Mastoumecq, who chose to embark on a new career in the French civil service, Véronique Garcia took up the post of assistant in the sales department and PA to Henri Lurton at the beginning of June 2008. Having arrived in the Bordeaux region in 1989, and then marrying a Médocain whose love of wine soon rubbed off on her, Véronique began her career at Baron Philippe de Rothschild as assistant in the sales team.
- From 1995 to 2003, she worked at the newly-established wine broker firm ‘Les Grands Crus’ and took an active part in its expansion. A job opportunity then arose at Ballande et Méneret which enabled her to rejoin a merchant house until 2005. During the following two years, Véronique worked alongside Yann Jestin at Oenomédia. All her career needed was experience at a wine estate. And now she has it!
In the vineyard:
The highest quality grapes and low yields are the ultimate aim behind every job carried out in the vineyard. Our viticulture also conforms to the requirements set out by integrated and sustainable viticulture.
- 18 hectares have been converted to organic growing in 2011
- After vines are pulled up, the soils are planted with a cover crop of cereals (barley for example) and left to settle for several years
- A soil study is carried out before any planting, so as to make the right decisions as to soil preparation (drainage, deep ploughing etc.), choice of rootstock (Riparia, Gloire de Montpellier and 101-14) and grape variety. Organic manuring is a strict necessity for successful vine-growing without excessive vigour.
- Densities of plantation from 7,000 plants per hectare on the plateau of Brane to over 8,000 plants per hectare behind the grounds and at Notton
- The Médocain pruning system geared to the vigour of each vine. The plants are pruned very low to benefit from the special microclimate created by gravel soil
- Higher trellising of all the vines to enable de-leafing whilst maintaining good canopy cover to favour photosynthesis
- Ploughing of the soil, alternating traditional deeper ploughs and superficial ones, and organic manuring using a vegetal compost (Ecocert certified), are the cornerstones of terroir-friendly viticulture
- Targeted cover crops in the rows of more vigorous parcels
- Canopy management tasks that help control yields, from the ventilation of bunches to exposing the grapes to sunshine. De-budding and removal of any double buds, de-suckering in some plots (removing non-fruit bearing lateral shoots), one de-leafing at fruit setting and another three weeks before the harvest, crop thinning and elimination of second-generation small, unripe bunches. All these tasks ensure that the year’s yield will be moderate and that ripening will be optimal and the health of the grapes maintained.
- Prevention of wood diseases such as Esca and Eutypa dieback by marking diseased vines in the summer and pulling them up in autumn.
- Fighting against grape worm pests by using the sexual confusion technique.
- Every decision concerning spray treatments respects the lines set out by environmentally-friendly, integrated viticulture methods: observation in the field, the taking into account of weather data and forecasts, making use of devices to help decision-making, the using of pest presence thresholds before intervening, reduction of product doses, respecting areas outside the spray zone (sides of ditches and streams). The use of certified organic products for viticulture is favoured. Priority is given to reducing phytosanitary treatment.
- Brane has its own weather station linked up to the DEMETER network and for more than 10 years has used an extranet website run by Météo France (weather reports over 7 days, rain radar, satellite pictures, atmograms, long range forecasts at D+ 9 etc.)
Harvesting and transfer to the vat cellar:
- The grapes are picked solely by hand, varietal by varietal, plot by plot, at ideal ripeness levels to keep in as much fruit flavour as possible. The date of picking is decided after numerous phenolic and technological ripeness tests, but also through a tasting of the berries by Henri Lurton and his team.
- The fruit is transferred to the cellar using the Air Tec Wine system. This is new crop transport technology which combines pneumatic suspension, to keep the bunches perfectly intact, with slow, gradual emptying by vibration to avoid any squashing of the berries.
In the vat cellar:
Harvest reception
On arrival, the grapes are weighed, thus giving specific data about the yields and the volume going into vat. The grapes are checked first on a manual sorting table; then after de-stemming the berries are sorted one by one by the Vistalys optical sorting line, developed by Bucher.
- The Brane vat cellar was designed in such a way as to allow each plot, even each part of a plot, to be vinified separately. The vat materials (oak, concrete and stainless steel), the number of vats and their range of capacities (from 40 to 200hl) are geared to the present layout of the vineyard. However, the pioneering design of the cellar leaves room to evolve and adapt to a changing vineyard or parcel size.
Alcoholic fermentation
- The musts are homogenised and undergo a cold soak (a cold pre-fermentation maceration) which improves the release of anthocyanins and primary flavours.
- Some musts are concentrated using vacuum evaporation methods in order to increase the ratio of skins to juice when wet conditions have caused moisture to penetrate the skins and cause dilution.
- The alcoholic fermentation begins after the must has been yeasted with non GMO selected yeasts which favour the production of polysaccharides that increase the roundness of the wine. It lasts between 7 and 10 days depending on the conditions of the vintage. The co-inoculation technique with lactic bacteria is also used for the first vats of the crop. In order to achieve good colour and tannin extraction, in harmony with the typicity of the growth, long and frequent pump-overs are performed, delestages (racking off the must completely before returning it with the skins) are carried out as well as targeted pigeages (punching down of the cap of skins). Punching down was tested at Brane-Cantenac as far back as 1987 using the Guérin type vat. Since 2000, a completely new system has been used: the Socma turbo pigeur. This is a pump which is sunk into the vat and floods the cap with the fermenting must, thereby causing the cap to break up within a few minutes. This results in a better extraction of the phenolic compounds in a gentle, selective way. The recent use of the Ciclon process further enhances the extraction of phenolic compounds.
- The wine-making process is adapted to each vintage and each vat so as to get the best out of the crop. The wines are fermented at temperatures varying from 28 to 30°C.
- The Carmenère ferments in barrels following the Baron cooperage’s Vinification Integrale process.
Pressing
- Depending on the vintage and the plot, the maceration lasts from 20 to beyond 30 days at a temperature of between 25 and 28°C. The decision to run off the new wine is only taken after tasting the vat.
- The skins are pressed using two Sutter pneumatic presses. The transfer of the skins to the presses is done in small bins so as to keep the skins intact. They are then placed inside the presses from the side to separate, vat by vat, the remainder of the free-run wine from the press wine. The batches of press wine do their malo-lactic fermentation in barrels. Enzymes are added to enable them to clarify quickly.
Malo-lactic fermentation
- The wines from the best plots are run off into new barrels for the malo-lactic fermentation. Since 1993, experiments have been held at Brane, in conjunction with the Gironde Chamber of Agriculture in particular, to analyse the differences between malo-lactic fermentations carried out in vats and those done in barrels.
- The conclusions of these studies prove that this technique is a genuine wine-making technique which brings numerous advantages:
1. Improvement and stabilisation of the colour
2. Softening of the wines
3. Increased roundness and fatness
4. Lessening of hard, oak characters and increased range of aromas in the wines
- Without going into all the technical details, wines which have done their malo- lactic fermentation in new barrels have a bouquet which is more complex and fine. The oak flavours are better integrated and the tannins are rounder and silkier. These differences, which are more obvious at the beginning of the ageing process, disappear however, in time, but nevertheless remain in evidence after the wine is bottled for two years or more. This technique, which has brought a revolution in quality (and not simply a fad to aromatise the wine), has caused lasting changes in the physicochemical composition of the wine. Its process is delicate and costly.
Ageing
An ageing on the lees of around two months follows the malo-lactic fermentation. This technique is seldom practised in the Bordeaux region and so is observed with great interest. It does not modify the colour or the richness of tannin. However, it increases the mannoproteins and polysaccharide concentration, thereby reducing the astringency of the tannins and increasing fatness.
- The tastings for the blending are organised in January with highly-reputed œnologists, such as Jacques and Eric Boissenot. These sessions take place over several days. The blending is then done early at the beginning of February, allowing time for the ageing process to have an equalising effect on the wines. From November to April, the barrels are placed with the bunghole of the barrel positioned at the top (using a glass bung) in a naturally ventilated cellar. Several times a week the barrels are topped up to prevent any oxidation in the wines. This period allows the wine to rid itself of remaining carbon dioxide and at the same time oxygenates the wine.
As from April, the barrels are closed with an air-tight bung and racked every three months during the first year, and every four months during the second year.
- After several years of testing the quality of wine aged in different barrels, seven cooperages were selected for the quality of their casks: Seguin-Moreau, Taransaud, Nadalié, Demptos, Radoux, Boutes and Baron (Vinification Integrale). The barrels are made of fine-grained French oak coming from fully mature trees and with a stave width of 22 mm. Recent trials have enabled us to match better the degree of char, the grain and the origin of the oak. The racking of the wine from one barrel to another enables it to be rotated in barrels from all the different cooperages, providing the wine with an even, overall blend as it ages in its cellar at controlled temperature.
- After twelve months ageing in barrels for Baron de Brane and eighteen for Brane Cantenac, the wine is fined with fresh egg white in oak vats. Two months before the bottling, which takes place in July, a final blending ensures a perfect homogeneity of each of the estate’s wines, from both analytical and tasting points of view.
- The wines are bottled using nitrogen-inerted empty bottles so as to preserve the aromas and reduce the amount of oxygen dissolved in the wine. Laser marking of the glass enables complete traceability.
Founded in the 18th century by the Gorce family, who gave it its original name, this great wine estate was producing one of the most highly-regarded wines of the Médoc well before the 1855 classification. The high price of its wines gave the estate its rank at the top of the second classed growths. It came as no surprise then, when the dynamic Baron of Brane, nicknamed the ‘Napoléon of the Vineyards,’ bought up the estate in 1833 after selling Brane-Mouton (known today as Mouton-Rothschild)! A viticultural pioneer of his time, he was well aware of the reputation and the huge potential of the estate’s outstanding terroir, located largely on the famous Brane gravel mound. In 1838, eager to leave his trace in history, he chose to rename the estate ‘Brane-Cantenac’.
Sold in 1866 to the Roy family, who were also the owners of Château d’Issan, Brane continued to prosper. Before the First World War in 1914, its wine fetched the same prices as the first growths. The château was long known unofficially as the ‘First of the Seconds’. The Société des Grands Crus de France (a consortium of merchants and growers), which owned several prestigious estates such as Château Margaux, Château Giscours, and Château Lagrange, bought Brane in 1920.
In 1925, Léonce Récapet and his son-in-law François Lurton took over the whole of Brane-Cantenac and the majority shareholding of Château Margaux. Lucien Lurton (the son of François) inherited Brane-Cantenac in 1956.
Whilst carefully maintaining Brane’s fine reputation, he bought up numerous classed growth and cru bourgeois estates. By now one of Bordeaux’s most cherished viticulturists, Lucien Lurton left his estates to his ten children. His son Henri then took over the reins of the family estate. Having graduated as an oenologist, his aim was to develop and enhance the wine’s pedigree quality, elegant aromas, complexity and balance while maintaining a harmony which reflected the style of the vintage and the typicity of its wonderful terroir.
