Château Cantenac-Brown: Tasting & Drinking
Over the years I have only encountered a few bottles of Château Cantenac-Brown here and there, usually when in Bordeaux. Tasting the wines early on during the tenure of Simon Halabi I was right to hesitate to give any independent opinion on just where this château was going at that time. Nevertheless, it seemed clear to me – and I said as much in my original profile – that the recent history of the estate held promise. The estate had seen investment and improvement under previous owners, and Simon Halabi certainly had the financial wherewithal to continue in the same vein.
In those early years the wines I tasted were something of a mixed bunch. Imbued with the richness of a great vintage, the 2005 was certainly attractive when I tasted it in 2006, but other recent vintages such as 2003 have not been so appealing (but then, to be fair, show me an estate in Margaux with a really strong 2003). Much more recent vintages, however, show that the team are now reaping the rewards of a decade and more of hard work. The 2016 is quite impressive, possibly the best wine from the estate I have tasted. The 2015 showed a very similar level of quality, admittedly with the caveat that these were barrel samples tasted at the primeurs. The 2014 and 2012 vintages were good enough, while the 2010 and 2009 showed rather well, although it seemed to me that they failed to capture the true greatness of the vintage. In short, if tempted by a bottle of Château Cantenac-Brown, the younger the vintage (discounting the 2013, obviously) the more promising the wine.
Hopefully this trend will continue under the direction of the new proprietor, Tristan Le Lous. (18/4/07, updated 22/2/18, 11/1/20)
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