Château Cantenac Brown 2022

Bottled in late June 2024, the 2022 Cantenac Brown has turned out well in bottle, exhibiting a complex bouquet of plums, dark berries and cherries, mingled with hints of pen ink, violets and pencil shavings. Full-bodied, dense and pure, with a rich chassis of sweet, integrated tannins, this is a serious, complete Margaux that's built for the cellar.

Another beautifully rendered expression of the vintage, this marries lush boysenberry and blackberry fruit with fresh violet and iris notes, then stitches it all up gently with warm earth on the stylish, lengthy finish. It's hard to lay off already, but cellaring is warranted. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2038. 9,000 cases made.

Ripe and filling, I love the almost instant hit of cool but juicy blue fruits and salty liquorice that expands onto the palate and settles on the finish. Tannins support the fruit, adding texture and depth to the expression, but this retains a sleek frame and direct core of flavour. Lovely energy and focus with precision. It's a little more streamlined than some others in Margaux, less bouncy, and more sleek but nicely detailed without any one element being over the top.

Gorgeous blackberry, blackcurrant and tapenade aromas follow through to a medium body with super-integrated tannins that are very refined. The thick, polished, silky texture is impressive. Best ever from here. Drink after 2029.

The 2022 Cantenac Brown offers up copious dark fruit, chocolate, licorice, new leather and cloves. A wine of palpable volume and heft, the Cantenac Brown is a very big Margaux endowed with broad shoulders and plenty of volume. The tannins are large-scaled and imposing. I find the 2022 a bit tough in its overall feel, as it was en primeur. It will be interesting to see how it ages. Tasted two times with consistent notes.

With a serious depth of color, the nose bursts with black cherries, black plums, and more black fruit. The palate is rich, lush, polished, creamy, and filled with a medley of black, red, and blue fruits, alongside notes of licorice, chocolate, and spice. There is a length, opulence, and layers of ripe, sweet pit fruits that linger and expand on the finish. The wine is a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon and 31% Merlot. Drink from 2027-2055.

Dark ruby in colour with purple reflections, and subtle brightening on the ochre rim. On the nose, aromas of dark fruits of the forest, a hint of liquorice, candied orange zest, and some vanilla and tobacco. The palate is juicy, and elegant, with good freshness, fine tannins, ripe cherry fruit and a delicate sweetness on the persistent finish. Already drinkable, with great potential for ageing. (25/1, +30, PM).

Ripe red and black fruits, chocolatey oak, graphite, and floral nuances all define the 2022 Château Cantenac Brown, a medium- to full-bodied, nicely balanced Margaux that has integrated background oak, fine, polished tannins, and a great finish. Based on 69% Cabernet Sauvignon and 31% Merlot, from clay and limestone soils and aged 16 months in oak, it’s going to benefit from 3–5 years in the cellar and offer 20+ years of prime drinking.

Medium to full intensity, plenty of depth and character through the palate here. Excellent quality, vivid, characterful, not too sweet, has kept lift, character and tension, with touches of fern and iris, cassis purée, blackberry, graphite. Very good, 60% new oak barrels. Delivering on its En Primeur promise.

An opulent, confident nose, full of drive, where savory, earthy notes blend harmoniously with ripe, flamboyant fruit. On the palate, a silky, caressing texture with irresistible sapidity. Absolutely delicious.

The nose is elegant, indulgent and deep, with flesh and a touch of concentration. A lovely velvety character, fresh and powerful. It reveals notes of wild strawberry, blueberry and, more subtly, blackcurrant, together with hints of concentrated small red fruits, as well as touches of cornflower, star anise and a hint of vanilla. The palate is nicely guided, balanced, and offers freshness, suppleness, and a lively, zesty backbone. It shows notes of juicy/pulpy blackcurrant, violet, bright raspberry and, more discreetly, shiny little red berries, joined by hints of star anise, toast, nutmeg, fine touches of liquorice stick, saline gravel and lovely vanilla notes. A precise, elegant and supple wine that will benefit from ageing. A hint of incense in the background, concentration and a touch of elegant darkness. Lovely persistence.

Purple-red color with black highlights. Very dark. Beautiful, intense nose—refined, fruity, pure, subtle, and this year delicately suave. Meticulously rich and aromatic from the first sip, with a broad mid-palate; the wine develops with power and juiciness, showing remarkable velvety softness. The finish has wrapped tannins, followed by black-fruit aromas, never hindering salivation. Superb! Blend: 69% cabernet sauvignon, 31% merlot. Alcohol: 13.8% – pH: 3.64.

Still waters run deep; dark-fruited, cool, cherry, cassis, raspberry, violet; a slender, linear palate, elegant, with sensational tannin quality, crisp, balanced, with tension, energy, finesse, and a great aromatic length. A ballet dancer like no other and even better than en primeur.

From its magnificent chateau, this estate is powering ahead. The wine is full of dark chocolate flavors and concentrated tannins. A richly structured wine, there is good potential. Drink from 2029.