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Cantenac Brown 2010

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Margaux
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Cantenac-Brown

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Tasting Notes

The greatest Cantenac Brown I have ever tasted, the 2010 is one for the ages. Dense purple, with an extraordinary nose of sweet forest floor, blackberry jam, pen ink and graphite, this wine soars from the glass, giving it an aromatic dimension and intensity I have never seen from this estate. The tannins are present, as they are in most Cantenac Browns, but the wine's sweetness, broad, skyscraper-like mouthfeel, dense, purple color and spectacular length (close to a minute) make this a giant classic and a fabulous sleeper of the vintage that still remains under-priced, considering how great its potential may be. This is a wine for those with cold cellars and youthful DNA. It is going to need at least a decade of cellaring and should last for 20-40 years. A classic!

94+
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (205), March 2013

A wine with firm tannins that are polished and reserved yet there's an underlying richness of fruit. Plums, blueberries and citrus character. Some tar too. Juicy and delicious to taste. Try in 2016.

94
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2013

Very dark. Heady black cherry aromas. Very, very sweet. And alcoholic. And a bit drying on the end - a sort of right-bank Margaux. What's the point?

15.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2011
91
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 2011

Well-extracted depth of cassis fruit, ripeness and length and more elegance than robustness than usual from this château. Drink 2015-25.

17.5
Steven Spurrier, Decanter.com, April 2011
Read more tasting notes...

One of the finest Cantenac Browns made in the last half century, the 2010 may be even more impressive than the 2009. Sweet, fat notes of blackberries, forest floor and earth emerge from this inky/purple-colored beauty. The tannins are slightly more serious and elevated than in the 2009, but the big, bold, full-bodied 2010 represents a remarkable turn around for this estate, which has now produced three straight top-flight vintages. It should drink well for 25-35 years.

92/94+
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (194), May 2011

Tasted at the UGC tasting in London. Keep an eye on this fast-improving Margaux estate. The Cantenac Brown has a powerful nose of blackberry, tobacco and graphite - perhaps slightly autumnal in nature. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, plenty of ripe black, mineral-rich fruit and fine precision on the finish. This is a sophisticated, understated Margaux that should not be overlooked. Tasted November 2012.

92
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, February 2013

A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 34% Merlot, the Cantenac Brown has a ripe, showy nose with succulent blackberry, cassis and plum fruit, a world away from du Tertre's more conservative style (tasted just before.) The palate is very appealing with silky smooth tannins, a lot of vanillary new oak to seduce primeur but very composed with sufficient fruit on the finish to support it. This is a seductive Cantenac Brown, very Margaux in style, floral and feminine. I cannot remember this estate producing such a fine Margaux. Tasted April 2011.

91/93
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, April 2011

Chewy and structured, with ripe fruit and ripe tannins. Tar and dark fruit character. Full body. Super polished. Very Cantenac-Brown in personality. Best in a long time from here

94/95
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, March 2011
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.