Popular Wines

wines

Subdued on opening, but with 30 minutes in a carafe it spills out rich pencil lead and liquorice notes, with blackberry fruits and smoky vanilla spice. Classic Margaux 2006, with fairly high acidity that emphasises a floral character, alongside refined tannins. Just beginning to evolve towards an older wine. An unusual vintage at Cantenac Brown, where they produced only 30% of the first wine, reflecting a new regime of greater precision in harvesting and sorting. 60% new oak. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2040Decanter | 93 DECA gorgeous nose of blackberry and plum jam, with a vanilla bean hint. Full-bodied and soft-textured, with round, chewy tannins and lots of fruit. A little loosely knit now, but will come together beautifully with age. Best after 2012.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

One of the finest wines to come from Cantenac Brown for many years, this is powerful and dense, dominated by Cabernet Franc tannins and fruits. The structure has a smooth, polished character that locates it firmly in Margaux, giving elegance and discreet fruitiness. Age this fine wine for many years.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe greatest Cantenac Brown I have ever tasted, the 2010 is one for the ages. Dense purple, with an extraordinary nose of sweet forest floor, blackberry jam, pen ink and graphite, this wine soars from the glass, giving it an aromatic dimension and intensity I have never seen from this estate. The tannins are present, as they are in most Cantenac Browns, but the wine’s sweetness, broad, skyscraper-like mouthfeel, dense, purple color and spectacular length (close to a minute) make this a giant classic and a fabulous sleeper of the vintage that still remains under-priced, considering how great its potential may be. This is a wine for those with cold cellars and youthful DNA. It is going to need at least a decade of cellaring and should last for 20-40 years. A classic!Robert Parker | 94+ RPThe 2010 Cantenac Brown feels a little muted on the nose compared to its peers, but with modest aeration it develops very attractive, leafy black fruit, tertiary in style and beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, very well judged acidity and plenty of substance towards the finish. I love the cohesion and focus of this Margaux. I wrote to buy this after its impressive showing at Southwold in 2014 - yet another blind tasting confirms its pedigree. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 94 VMBeautiful dark inky purple with ruby highlights. The difference with 2009 is clear in terms of structure, style and knitted-down fruit. They are both brilliant, and quality-wise it’s hard to pick as they have such different personalities. Higher acidity in 2010 set against confident tannins means your mouth is watering by the mid palate and it doesn’t let up. Tons of black fruits and evident spice, slate, cigar box and liquorice bud, savoury and still zipped up. It needs a few more years in bottle before it will really start to soften. 45% of harvest in the 1st wine, 60% new oak. Drinking Window 2022 - 2038.Decanter | 94 DECA wine with firm tannins that are polished and reserved yet there’s an underlying richness of fruit. Plums, blueberries and citrus character. Some tar too. Juicy and delicious to taste. Try in 2016.James Suckling | 94 JSVery fresh, with a bold display of dark blueberry, loganberry and plum fruit aromas and flavors that push ahead, followed by singed spice, black licorice and toasty vanilla bean notes. Displays a polished feel on the finish, kept honest by a buried charcoal accent. Shows plenty of length for the cellar. Best from 2014 through 2028.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The impressive Victorian baronial chateau of Cantenac Brown is one of the landmarks of Margaux. The wine is getting better each vintage. This is ripe and generous, full of freshly minted tannins and layers of wood over the ripe berry fruit. Drink this wine from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis was the point at which Cantenac Brown started taking a more consistent step up. Lovely definition to the fruit on the nose, and evident oak smoking adds subtle but effective complexity. Also, you really start to get appellation typicity at this point, in terms of the nuanced aromatics that are extremely appealing. Lovely wine, one that you would be enormously happy to drink and to share. 50% of harvest in 1st wine. 60% new oak. Harvest September 25 to October 15. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DECAromas of chocolate, vanilla and currants follow through to a full body, tight tannins and a reserved finish. Needs time to open. Better in 2021.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2014 Cantenac Brown has a backward nose at first, a mixture of red and black fruit, cedar and tobacco, an attractive pastille-like scent emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a little more extraction than its peers. It feels fleshy and pure, notes of raspberry coulis, confit fruit, orange rind and tobacco towards the well-structured, delicately spiced finish. It makes you want to come back for another sip—always a good sign! A bottle tasted six months later in February 2017 demonstrated a little more cohesion and finesse, suggesting that this Margaux will meliorate with bottle age. One to watch out for.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMThe 2014 Cantenac Brown has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry, cedar, crushed violet and cold stone aromas. I love the detail and focus here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, supple and almost velvety in texture, the acidity well judged with a rounded, lightly spiced finish that feels so tender, yet does not shortchange you on persistence. This is one of the best Cantenac-Brown wines that I have encountered in recent years. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.Vinous Media | 92 VMFleshy in feel but restrained in profile, as the plum, blackberry and black currant confiture notes glide in easily, carried by a light espresso edge and backed by a stylish black tea detail. A light echo of warm stone keeps this honest. Best from 2018 through 2026. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS