1996 | Château Cantenac-Brown | Margaux

Very dark, even, purple/black. Gorgeous nose. Big and barnyardy with meaty, gamey, truffle scents and coffee-bean oak. Creamy and exotic. palate is very closed and hard to see past massive tannic structure but there is a solid depth of plummy fruit in there and a fine, long finish.

Producer Information

Château Cantenac-Brown is a notable wine estate located in Margaux, on the left bank of the Gironde river in Bordeaux. It was established in the early 19th Century and was classified as a third growth in the 1855 Classification of the Medoc and Graves. The Cantenac-Brown Grand Vin typically contains 65 to 70 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, with 30 to 35 percent Merlot and. Some vintages feature a few percent of Cabernet Franc. It accounts for about 50 percent of the estate's output. The grapes for the grand vin are hand-harvested and are vinified plot-by-plot in stainless steel vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrels before the wine is aged in French oak barrels, with 60 percent new wood, for up to 16 months. Château Cantenac-Brown also makes Brio de Cantenac-Brown, from younger vines on the estate, which was introduced in with the 2005. The ratio of Cabernet Sauvignon to Merlot can vary more widely, with some vintages featuring more of the latter. There tends to be a little more Cabernet Franc compared to the Grand Vin. Brio is aged in French oak for one year, with 25 percent new barrels. Production volumes are slightly less than those for the first wine. The dry Bordeaux Blanc, Alto de Cantenac-Brown, features around 90 percent Sauvignon Blanc with 10 percent Semillon. Made in much smaller quantities, it is fermented and aged in barrel; around 10 percent of barrels are new. The wider estate, with its Tudor-style chateau, was founded by a Scottish wine merchant in 1806, covers 89 hectares (220 acres), and also features a wooded park and grazing sheep. There are 48ha (119 acres) of Margaux vineyards, 3ha (7.5 acres) of AOP Bordeaux vines, and a single hectare of Bordeaux Blanc. The vineyard is planted on gravelly soils shot through with white stones, which help to reflect the sun's warmth onto the grapes, helping ripening. The grand vin comes from vines that are on average 35 years old, and yields are kept in check by the viticulture team. Every couple of months during the growing season, the grapes are checked bunch by bunch to ensure everything is progressing as it should. The Le Lous family purchased Cantenac-Brown in 2019. The new owners are constructing a new sustainable winery, designed by leading architect Philippe Madec, using materials such as straw insulation and utilizing solar power. It will incorporate existing buildings to minimize disruption to the landscape and biodiversity.

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