A great wine from Margaux, full and complex
The estate
Chateau Cantenac-Brown was built at the beginning of the 19th century by John-Lewis Brown in the town of Cantenac. The property sports an English Renaissance Tudor style in memory of its Scottish origins. Year after year, this magnificent Classified Growth of Margaux has enjoyed a glorious international reputation for the quality of its terroir and its wines. It was at the end of 2019 that Chateau Cantenac-Brown entered a new era in its history following its acquisition by the Le Lous family. After significant investments and restructuring both in the vineyard and in the winery, this Margaux Classified Growth has been elevated to the pinnacle of excellence.
The vineyard
Chateau Cantenac Brown 2017 is a Margaux wine made from a 60-hectare vineyard that spreads over the Margaux and Cantenac plateaux. Under the direction of José Sanfins, the management of the vineyard is carried out with a profound respect for the environment. The soils are maintained in a traditional way in order to promote microbial life and chemical balance. The fertilisers used are exclusively of plant origin. Thanks to the estate’s highly meticulous technical teams, each vine stock is given plenty of attention.
The vintage
The highly anticipated 2017 vintage of Chateau Cantenac Brown showcases all the great care and attention given by the technical team, from the vineyard to the cellar, to produce this delicate and exceptional vintage. The climatic hazards that hit the Bordeaux region at the end of April affected the Margaux area, fortunately sparing the majority of the vineyard. The warm temperatures during the months following the frost episode allowed the vegetative cycle to start again, although the summer was slightly cooler than usual. Harvesting began in mid-September and was completed in early October with the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in order to gradually harvest the grapes that had reached optimum phenolic maturity.
The blend
Cabernet Sauvignon (67%)
Merlot (33%).
Chateau Cantenac Brown 2017: Characteristics and tasting tips
The tasting
This Margaux wine seduces with its round and delicious Merlot and its Cabernet Sauvignon conferring a beautiful complexity.
With a larger proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon this year, the blend is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Cantenac Brown leaps from the glass with exuberant notes of cassis, warm plums and black forest cake with touches of violets, dark chocolate, cloves and cigar box plus a waft of lavender. The palate is medium-bodied and firm with fine-grained tannins and tons of freshness, finishing with plenty of black fruit and perfumed layers.