Cantenac Brown - Margaux 2010

Vinous

94 / 100

byNeal Martinthe6/10/2021

The 2010 Cantenac Brown performed extremely well in the Southwold blind tasting. Here, the nose demands coaxing from the glass before revealing beautifully defined blackberry, boysenberry, earth and mint aromas, perhaps a little more floral than a couple of years ago. Medium-bodied on the palate, this 2010 is focused and delivers plenty of substance; it's quite linear at the moment, yet sophisticated, and is as fresh as a daisy on the finish. Superb. Tasted at the Cantenac Brown vertical at the château.

Vinous

94 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2020

The 2010 Cantenac Brown feels a little muted on the nose compared to its peers, but with modest aeration it develops very attractive, leafy black fruit, tertiary in style and beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, very well judged acidity and plenty of substance towards the finish. I love the cohesion and focus of this Margaux. I wrote to buy this after its impressive showing at Southwold in 2014 - yet another blind tasting confirms its pedigree. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal. Drink 2028-2050

Decanter.com

94 / 100

byJane Ansonthe4/8/2020

Beautiful dark inky purple with ruby highlights. The difference with 2009 is clear in terms of structure, style and knitted-down fruit. They are both brilliant, and quality-wise it's hard to pick as they have such different personalities. Higher acidity in 2010 set against confident tannins means your mouth is watering by the mid palate and it doesn't let up. Tons of black fruits and evident spice, slate, cigar box and liquorice bud, savoury and still zipped up. It needs a few more years in bottle before it will really start to soften. 45% of harvest in the 1st wine, 60% new oak.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

90 / 100

the8/31/2013

Bright ruby-red.  Sharply delineated if youthfully strict aromas of bitter cherry and violet.  Then densely packed and juicy, with very firm underlying structure to the intense, rather cool flavors of cassis, minerals, licorice and herbs.  With its firm-edged tannins and serious spine, this wine conveys an impression of medicinal austerity today, but its inner-mouth perfume and length suggest that it will age beautifully. 90(+?) points

Wine Spectator

92 / 100

byJames Molesworththe3/31/2013

Very fresh, with a bold display of dark blueberry, loganberry and plum fruit aromas and flavors that push ahead, followed by singed spice, black licorice and toasty vanilla bean notes. Displays a polished feel on the finish, kept honest by a buried charcoal accent. Shows plenty of length for the cellar. Best from 2014 through 2028. –JM

Wine Advocate

94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe3/1/2013

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+

Wine Advocate

92 / 100

byNeal Martinthe2/8/2013

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

Jamessuckling.com

94 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/3/2013

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.

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/31/2011

2010: 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. Drink 2011-2046. (92-94+ points)

WeinWisser

18 / 20

the5/31/2011

Sattes Purpur-Granat. Kompaktes Bouquet, warme Frucht, schöne Terroirexpression, Kaffee und Edelhölzer. Grossartiger Gaumenauftritt, fest im Fleisch, ausgeglichene Adstringez. Klassischer, anspruchsvoller Bordeaux. Aber Vorsicht, der Wein braucht viel Zeit! 2020-2040

GaultMillau

17,5 / 100

the5/30/2011

La finesse pourrait faire pense à de la faiblesse mais le milieu de bouche présent et la belle longueur ne trompent pas. Ce vin joue sur la mineralité et une texture au grain tendre.

New Bordeaux

92-93 / 100

byJane Ansonthe5/30/2011

Plenty of matiere going on, taking full advantage of the powerfully ripe fruits that the vintage gave winemakers, and some thrilling acidity to send the black fruits on a search and rescue mission through your palate. The alcohol takes over just a little too much for me on the finish, but this continues a wonderful run of vintages for Cantenac Brown, dating back to 2008 for me. Drink 2018-2030.(92-93+ points)

Le Point

18 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/30/2011

Nez fruits noirs plutôt fermé, bouche moelleuse, fraîche, très beaux tanins mûrs. Très droit, frais, un côté plein et très margaux. O=2019 G=20 ans

La Revue du Vin de France

17,-18,5 / 20

the5/30/2011

Les vendanges se sont étalées sur cinq semaines : "Nous avons pu prendre tout notre temps", explique José Sanfins qui gère le cru. Les raisins parfaitement sains et mûrs ont généré un vin légèrement plus riche, plus tannique, mais aussi plus acide que l'an dernier. L'ensemble se combine très bien, avec un vin d'un éclat et d'une suavité superbes. La finale est somptueuse.

Terres de Vins

17 / 100

the5/30/2011

Raisin mûr, pas encore très avancé en élevage, assez puissant, droit, de la présence. Beaucoup de promesses.

Asian Palate

84-87 / 100

byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe5/24/2011

This wine is big and chunky with tannins that are tough and difficult to approach now. The thick texture and chunkiness is distracting from the balance of the wine. Tannins are over-extracted, lacking in refinement though flavours are loud and clear. This wine may improve substantially in bottle.

Wine Enthusiast

93-95 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/30/2011

Sweet new wood and fruit are laced with the freshest acidity. The tannins build up behind all this ripeness to give richness and balance.

Jamessuckling.com

94-95 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/30/2011

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.

TAST

17 / 20

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/30/2011

Raisin mur, pas encore très avancé en élevage, assez puissant, droit, de la présence à défaut du raffinement ultime de texture de quelques voisins. Il devrait d’affiner à l’élevage. Beaucoup de promesses.

Decanter Magazine

17,5 / 20

bySteven Spurrierthe4/30/2011

Well-extracted depth of cassis fruit, ripeness and length and more elegance than robustness than usual from this château. Drink 2015-25. (17.5 points)

Wine Advocate

91-93 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2011

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.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

16,5-16,75 / 20

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/30/2011

Superbe nez de fruits noirs. Notes fines de chêne. Il rentre en bouche à la façon margaux, avec un toucher délicat et beaucoup d'arômes. Très savoureux en milieu de bouche, mais aussi aérien, le vin évolue puissant et long sur des tanins très enrobés avec de l'élégance. Beau, fin et long.

Jancis Robinson

15,5 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/18/2011

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? Drink 2020-2027

Wine Spectator

91-94 / 100

byJames Molesworththe3/31/2011

Very focused, with a taut beam of red currant and crushed damson plum fruit, backed by very fine-grained, supple tannins. A twinge of iron weaves through the increasingly fleshy finish. This has power, but also lots of finesse. —J.M.