2021

Château Cantenac Brown

Margaux AOP, 3ème Cru Classé

Gründer John-Lewis Brown, ein Schotte, ließ Château Cantenac-Brown einst im verspielten Stil der britischen Tudor-Renaissance errichten. In architektonischer Hinsicht könnte man gewiss von einem Stilbruch sprechen, beim Wein indes geht es seit jeher ganz klassisch à la Médoc zu. Cabernet Sauvignon prägt mit 73 % den Charakter und 23 % Merlot stehen ebenso wenig für Experimente. Nach zuvor warmen Jahren brilliert die Vendage 2021 mit kühler Eleganz, beeindruckender Finesse und einem bereits sehr reifen Tannin-Gerüst. Ein exzellenter 3ème Grand Cru Classé aus Margaux, mit Reifepotenzial für mindestens zehn Jahre.

PRESSE

92-94 Punkte William Kelley, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“The 2021 Cantenac Brown is another fine effort from a Margaux estate that's been on something of a roll of late. Unwinding in the glass with notions of cassis, wild berries, loamy soil and cigar box, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and seamless, with good concentration, lively acids and a nicely defined finish. José Sanfins and his team opted to wait to pick the estate's Cabernet Sauvignon between the fourth and 12th of October, and that appears to have paid off. The blend is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot, and just over half the estate's production went into the grand vin. "We've never had so many people put in so many man-hours in the vineyard," observed José Sanfins, who has directed this Margaux château since 1989. Deleafing right after flowering, a green harvest of fruit that was likely to be tardy to ripen, and then taking the risk to wait to harvest the estate's Cabernet Sauvignon late were, in Sanfin's eyes, the key to the vintage; and the results in the glass are persuasive. The grand vin itself incorporates an unusually high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as fully 10% of carefully selected press wine, and it's very impressive. It's likely to number among the sleepers of the vintage, as has often been the case in recent years.”

92-94 Punkte Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2021 Cantenac Brown is going to require time to come together. The Cabernet is pushed up. That very much comes through in the wine's aromatic profile and overall intensity. Sweet red-fleshed fruit, tobacco, incense and rose petal are some of the many notes that build. Vibrant and exquisitely layered, Cantenac Brown is quite promising. Élevage will be critical. Like so many of his colleagues, Technical Director José Sanfins saignéed the Merlots, lightly chaptalized the Cabernets and opted for longer but gentler extractions. Tasted two times.”