Critical Acclaim
WE 94 pt
A solid effort, this is a wine with great fruit and firm structure to support it. Ripe and full in the mouth, it’s a firm and complex wine with a delicious juicy aftertaste.
WS 93 pt
This offers beguiling aromas of bergamot, roasted sandalwood and black tea, before giving way to a well-endowed core of plum, blackberry and raspberry reduction notes. The structure is remarkably fine-grained, showing seamless integration through the long finish. A really great showing.
D 93 pt
Still austere at this point, it is certainly serious for a 2012. It's extremely young, silky and polished, opening beautifully in the glass to reveal rich chocolate, gourmet damson and cocoa-dusted edges. An impressive wine that needs time. 60% new oak. 53% of production.
RP 93 pt
The 2012 Cantenac Brown, one of the most impressive Margaux I tasted, is the complete package – from the initial attack to the layered, rich finish. Dense ruby/purple-hued with notes of licorice, mulberries, black currants, asphalt and spring flowers, this medium to full-bodied, concentrated, rich effort does not reveal an excess of rusticity or astringency.
JS 92 pt
This is very intense for the vintage in the Médoc with blueberry, mineral and blackcurrant character. Full and chewy. Needs two or three years to soften but already there.
WW 90 pt
The 2012 Château Cantenac Brown is spot-on for the vintage. The wine exhibits a pleasing balancing of the elements—ripe fruit, creamy oak, and layered textures. Drinks nicely now with a simple grilled steak, topped with diced shallots. (Tasted: January 30, 2015, San Francisco, CA)
Today, the Chateau Cantenac Brown vineyard covers 42 hectares in the south of the Margaux appellation, mainly in the Cantenac commune. Located in the communes of Arsac, Soussans, Margaux, Cantenac and Labarde, the Margaux appellation terroirs are terraced groups of gravel, ensuring good natural drainage. Each terroir is different and produces a unique wine.
The Cantenac Brown soil is typical Medoc gravel. This beautiful, brilliant quartz, formerly called "Medoc diamonds" reflects the sun's rays onto the grapes by day and then releases the heat stored during the day to warm the grapes by night. Cabernets, in particular Cabernet Sauvignons, do well in this soil. They produce fine wines, with an intense bouquet, which are suitable for aging. Merlot, with which they are blended, provides color, richness and smoothness.
