R. Parker: 88+/100
J. Robinson: 16/20
 
"A rather firmly structured, masculine style of wine in 2012, with a dense, opaque ruby/purple colour. The wine reveals a certain angularity, with hard tannin, but medium body and excellent purity. This is certainly a very good 2012 that should age nicely for 12-15 years." Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate, 30/04/2015
 
An opulent wine with lovely dark chocolate and cedar notes on the palate, textured and intensely flavoured.
 
Producer Note
Château Cantenac Brown is without doubt one of the most original buildings in the Médoc. John-Lewis Brown, bought a vineyard in the village of Cantenac at the begining of the 19th century and built a traditional Tudor style château to remind him of his Scottish origins. The estate quickly passed out of his family but his name is forever linked to the château. Today Cantenac Brown has 42 hectares of vineyard is in the heart of the Margaux appellation, principally in the commune of Cantenac in the south of the appellation. The Margaux appellation terroirs are terraced groups of gravel, ensuring good drainage. The Cantenac Brown soil is typical Médoc gravel. Cabernets in particular do well in this soil, they produce fine wines with intense bouquets which are suitable for ageing. José Sanfins, the technical director and Hervé Martin, his vineyard manager, have installed a vineyard management system known as 'la Lutte Raisonnée' which aims to limit chemical treatments and use natural products as much as possible.
 
Vintage
2012 was a relatively late ripening year. It was a challenging vintage characterised by high rainfall, especially in spring. However, a hot, dry period during the summer promoted the growth cycle and ripening of the grapes. 2012 was a grower’s vintage; meticulous work in the vineyard reduced the risk of disease pressure and resulted in healthy fruit. Harvest dates were carefully chosen, resulting in good quality fruit.
 
Vineyard
The double Guyot trained vines are meticulously cultivated throughout the year, with pruning, removal of buds, leaves and secondary shoots; thinning out and controlled yields. The vineyard is managed using sustainable agricultural practices and only plant-based fertilisers are applied in moderation. The Cantenac Brown team uses traditional soil maintenance techniques to enhance the structural, chemical and biological properties of the soil. The soil is predominantly gravelly soil, with clay and sand.
 
Winemaking
The grapes were harvested by hand, manually sorted and destemmed. Fermentation took place in temperature controlled stainless steel vats at 26° to 27°C, to preserve the fruit. The controlled extraction resulted in an elegant, rich and silky wine. Malolactic fermentation took place in oak barrels and vats. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, of which 60% were new and 40% one year old, for a period of 12 to 14 months. Racking took place every three months. The wine was fined by egg white, prior to being bottled.
 
Tasting Note
Beguiling aromas of bergamot, roasted sandalwood and black tea, give way to a well-endowed core of plum, blackberry and raspberry-reduction notes. The structure is remarkably fine-grained, showing seamless integration through to the long finish. Classic Margaux.
 
Serving Suggestion
Serve at room temperature with roast meats or a juicy pan-fried steak.
 
Grape Varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon 65%, Merlot 30%, Cabernet Franc 5%
 
£69.99 per bottle; 6-pack super saver for £407.95 only (= £67.99 per bottle)