Chateau Cantenac Brown 2021

DECANTER: "Gorgeous fragrance and florality on the nose with ripe and perfumed black fruit and some peony touches. Smooth and supple, nicely weighted with lovely finesse and concentration to the fruit - blackcurrant, cherry and raspberry - with really juicy acidity. A lovely almost creamy aspect to the texture with just grippy and spiced tannins towards the finish. Nice aspect of oak throughout showing the ageing potential. I like this a lot, well formed, well delivered. Easy to enjoy with tons of personality."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Flowers, espresso, cigar box, black and red currants and cherry scents pop in the nose. On the palate, the wine is fresh creamy and loaded with with sweet, ripe, spicy, savory red fruits, silky tannins and a supple finish. This is very successful for the vintage. The wine is a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot. Drink from 2025-2044."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2021 Cantenac Brown has turned out very nicely in bottle, wafting from the glass with notes of dark berries and cherries mingled with hints of menthol, licorice and violets. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and seamless, with a layered core of fruit, sweet tannins and nicely integrated acids, it concludes with a delicately vanillin-inflected finish. This strong performance in a challenging season underlines this property's upward trajectory."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Dark chocolate, hazelnuts, tea leaves, herbs and dark berry fruit on the nose. It’s precise and focused, with tight, firm tannins that provide an elegant but solid structure. Sleek and long. 73% cabernet sauvignon and 27% merlot. Try from 2026."

FALSTAFF: FALSTAFF:"Dunkles Rubingranat, tiefer Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Ockerrandaufhellung. Reife Kirschfrucht, feines Waldbeerkonfit, Orangenzesten, ein Hauch von Gewürzen, einladendes Bukett. Mittlere Komplexität, feine Fruchtsüße, frischer Säurebogen, mineralisch-salzig im Abgang, bereits zugänglich, mit Reifepotenzial ausgestattet."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2021 Cantenac Brown is deep garnet-purple in color. It hops from the glass with notes of black cherries, blackcurrant jelly, and fragrant soil, with underlying hints of cedar and mossy stones. The medium-bodied palate delivers a great core of expressive fruit, with earthy nuances, a soft texture, and a refreshing finish."

WEINWISSER: "Schwarzes Johannisbeerbouquet, frisch gemahlener schwarzer Bergpfeffer, zarte Fliedernote und Waldhimbeergelee. Am satten Gaumen mit weicher Textur, stützender Rasse, dann packt das engmaschige Tanningerüst zu und lässt nicht mehr los, sehniger Körper. Im konzentrierten Finale verschlankt sich der Margaux, getrocknete Schlehenhaut, Wacholder und mürbe Adstringenz."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Both red and black fruits, chocolate, and some leafy herb notes all emerge from the 2021 Château Cantenac Brown, a nicely textured, medium-bodied, plump, rounded 2021 with good concentration and depth. It's not the most elegant Margaux out there, but I love the overall balance as well as its level of fruit and texture. It should keep for 10-12 years, if not longer. The blend is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot, aged 16 months in 60% new oak."

WINE SPECTATOR: "A pretty wine, with silky-edged black cherry and violet notes that glide through nicely, laced with black tea and a subtle savory edge. This shows enough energy to offset the vintage's austere edge. Well done. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2032. 8,750 cases made."