| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Margaux |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
The 2019 Cantenac Brown is a brilliant wine from José Sanfins and his team. Unwinding in the glass with deep aromas of wild berries, licorice, loamy soil, burning embers and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered, with terrific concentration, beautifully refined tannins and a seamless, elegant profile. Given its quality, this remains somewhat under the radar and is well worth a special effort to seek out.Drink Date 2027 - 2060
The 2019 Cantenac Brown has a fragrant and pure bouquet with blackberry, raspberry and wild heather scents, very winsome. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy, and fine acidity. One of the more elegant and understated Margaux with a precise finish. I probably overlooked the nuances of this wine, which would explain my lower score than before, but I am convinced that bottle age will ensure its melioration. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drink 2025-2040.
This has subtle aromas of blackcurrants and blueberries with hints of just-picked violets, light vanilla, licorice and crushed stones. Forest-floor notes, too. Medium to full body, layers of firm tannins and a velvety mouth-feel. Delicious crushed berries on the palate. Compact with a firm finish. Better from 2026.
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Cantenac Brown wafts out with notes of rosehip tea, blackberry preserves, and cassis, plus nuances of charcoal, dried herbs, and damp soil. Medium-bodied, the palate has a lively backbone and plush tannins supporting the concentrated black fruits, finishing fragrant.
A brilliant Margaux with plenty of signature violet and peony character. Firm tannic structure, a little chalky at this point giving grip and juice, alongside savoury blueberry, blackberry and bilberry fruits. This is good quality with fresh acidity, delivers on En Primeur promise and will age. Plenty of complexity and depth also with some bitter chocolate shavings. 48hl/ha yield, 60% new oak. Harvest September 19 to October 16. Tasted twice.
Checking in as 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Merlot that will spend 18 months in barrel, the 2019 Château Cantenac Brown is a beautiful Margaux, offering a deep purple color, loads blackcurrant and blueberry fruits, full-bodied richness, sweet tannins, and notes of chocolate, dried flowers, leather, and spice. This is one sexy, opulent Margaux that does everything right. It's going to be ready to go on release yet should have two decades of prime drinking.
José Sanfins has overseen a 2019 Cantenac Brown that will give immense pleasure in coming years. The bouquet has tightened up since I tasted the barrel sample (also at the château, in summer 2021): blackberry, raspberry and cedar are now accompanied by just a touch of peppermint. The palate is medium-bodied, taut and fresh, with sappy red fruit, fine acidity and a vibrant, harmonious finish. This Margaux brims with confidence and should give 30 to 40 years of drinking pleasure. The insiders' Margaux of choice. Drink 2025-2060.
Winemaker José Sanfins is doing sterling work at this fast-improving Margaux estate. The 2019 Cantenac Brown represents around half the crop, picked 18 September to 9 October and then matured in 60% new oak. It has a slightly more extravagant bouquet than its peers, more expressive with vivacious blackberry, raspberry and cranberry fruit mingling with cedar and cigar humidor scents. The palate is very cohesive with sappy red fruit, beautifully judged acidity and a harmonious, fulfilling dark chocolate-tinged finish that lingers wonderfully. What an exquisite, well-crafted Margaux with oodles and oodles of charm.
Here is a very pretty barrel sample with crushed berries, walnuts and hints of chocolate and smoke. It’s full-bodied and layered with lightly chewy tannins and a rich finish. Muscular for the vintage.
Displaying a medium to deep garnet-purple color, the 2019 Cantenac Brown wafts sensuously out of the glass with fragrant notes of candied violets, underbrush and Darjeeling tea over a core of warm cassis, black cherry preserves and wild blueberries with a touch of anise. Medium-bodied, the palate offers generous, mouth-coating black fruits with loads of perfumed nuances and a soft, velvety texture, finishing on a lingering note of exotic spices.
Plenty to grip on to with here, with textured damson and black cherry fruit. Feels deft and well-worked, with a confident tannic frame and enticing layers of espresso and black chocolate. Tristan le Lous is the new owner at this property as of this vintage, with José Sanfins remaining as CEO and Technical Director. 60% new oak, with 51% of overall production in this wine. Eric Boissenot consultant.
