Cantenac Brown - Margaux 2020

Vinous

92,5-92,5

byNeal Martinthe2/28/2025

The 2020 Cantenac Brown has a more reductive nose than its peers—the aromatics are not coming out to play on this occasion. But in the glass, it does have real complexity. The palate is medium-bodied, though not quite as precise as its peers, with a little chewiness toward the finish. This does not engage as much as some of the other Margaux at the moment. It's a bit distant, though I am sure it will blossom with bottle age. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Alexandre Ma

95

byAlexandre Mathe4/18/2023

Wine Advocate

94

byWilliam Kelleythe4/6/2023

A fine follow-up to the excellent 2019, the 2020 Cantenac Brown incorporates newly acquired holdings of Cabernet Sauvignon from the plateau of Margaux. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cherries, cassis, burning embers and pencil shavings, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with good depth at the core, supple tannins and terrific purity of fruit. Concluding with a long, penetrating finish, it underlines the fact that this is the appellation's fastest-improving estate.

Jeb DUNNUCK

96

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/30/2023

The 2020 Château Cantenac Brown showed beautifully and is a serious, concentrated, powerful Margaux that's going to need bottle age. Ripe blackcurrants, toasty oak, ripe tobacco, and dried flower notes all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, balanced mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. It shows the more focused, slightly understated style of the vintage, yet everything is in the right place, it has terrific purity, and it’s just a brilliant Margaux. I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it never put a foot wrong. It will hit its prime drinking window in 7-8 years and evolve for two decades.

The Wine Cellar Insider

96

byJeff Levethe3/22/2023

Deep, dark and rich, the wine is packed from start to finish with layers of lush, polished, ripe, sweet, pure, black and dark red fruits, flowers, espresso, hints of chocolate and oceanic influences. There is a beautiful sense of symmetry, purity, freshness, length and lift that already expresses its essence. The finish continues with its layers of ripe, opulent, yet refined fruits. This is a top vintage for Cantenac Brown that will age gracefully for 2-3 decades. Drink from 2026-2055.

Alexandre Ma

95

byAlexandre Mathe3/15/2023

Wines Critic

92

byRaffaele Vecchionethe3/10/2023

Decisive and enveloping in the serious, layered sensory profile showing notes of plums, wild violet, hyacinth, white pepper, linden and guaranà . Medium bodied, perfectly extracted soft tannins and a graceful, tasty finish. Beautiful now but better from 2025.

Vinous

97

byAntonio Gallonithe2/24/2023

The 2020 Cantenac Brown is a knock-out. A Margaux of towering intensity, the 2020 is dense and vertical at the same time. It’s a combination that works so well. Dark cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather, licorice and cloves all saturate the palate. There's real depth and concentration here from the summer heat and small size of the berries, but at the same time the 2020 has more freshness and energy than some recent years. There have been quite a few changes here in recent years, starting with a new parcel on the Margaux plateau that entered the blend in 2019 and move towards lower toast levels in the barrels. Cantenac Brown remains a potent, opulent Margaux, but 2020 has a measure of classicism as well. Superb.

Vinous

94

byNeal Martinthe2/15/2023

The 2020 Cantenac Brown delivered the goods from barrel. Now in bottle, it has a wonderful, very expressive and complex bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, potpourri and light graphite aromas. You could lose yourself in these aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, fine grip, quite firm in the mouth, good density and concentration with an almost sinewy finish. I can see this closing down for some time before reemerging. Have patience - it will be worth the wait.

Jamessuckling.com

95

byJames Sucklingthe1/16/2023

Plenty of blackberry, spice, iron and crushed lead pencil aromas follow through to a full body with chewy, velvety tannins and a rather cool side to it. Crushed stone and slate undertones. Try after 2026.

Wine Spectator

94

byJames Molesworththe11/30/2022

Ripe, rounded and suave in feel, with alluring waves of cassis and dark cherry reduction laced with sandalwood, black tea and violet notes. Broad, velvety and perfumed through the finish, with a subtle sanguine hint echoing late. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2028 through 2038.

Vinous

94-97

byAntonio Gallonithe6/1/2021

The 2020 Cantenac Brown is an outrageously beautiful wine. Ample, vertical and soaring in its intensity, the 2020 is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. Punchy red berry fruit, lavender, spice, mint and rose petal abound. What I like most about the 2020 is the way it balances fruit intensity with vibrancy and energy. Cantenac Brown is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage.

Vertdevin

95-96

byJonathan Chicheportichethe5/28/2021

Le nez est fruité, racé, discrètement serré et offre de la jutosité, une petite concentration, de l'élégance ainsi que de l'énergie. On y retrouve des notes de mûre éclatante, de cerise et plus légèrement de petites baies rouges éclatantes associées à des touches de lys, de noyau de cerise, de minéralité racée ainsi qu'à des fines pointes de bergamote, de fleurs de cerisier, de réglisse et à une subtile pointe d'épices. la bouche est fruitée, ronde, ample et offre de la rondeur, du gras, de la gourmandise, une bonne définition, un certain pulpeux, de la tension, une jolie fraîcheur, une certaine pureté du fruit ainsi qu'un caractère aérien dans les équilibres. En bouche ce vin exprime des notes de cerise pulpeuse/ juteuse, de petites baies rouges éclatantes et plus légèrement de ûre pulpeuseassociées à uen touche de fraise croquante / juteuse, de lys, de lilas/fleurs de cerisier, à de fines pointes de bâton de réglisse ainsi qu'à une discrète pointe de muscade, de tabac blond sucré et d'amande mûre. 
Les tanins sont précis, bien menés et offre un petit moëlleux. Bonne longueur. une fine mâche sur la fin de bouche / persistance.  

Vinous

94-96

byNeal Martinthe5/27/2021

The 2020 Cantenac Brown, cropped at 36hl/ha, has quite a precocious bouquet of macerated small black cherries, blueberry, touches of cassis and violet, all very generous and seductive in style. The palate is beautifully balanced and extremely pure, offering succulent ripe tannins, perfectly judged acidity and layers of blueberry, Dorset plum, crushed stone and light graphite notes toward the finish, which has just the right amount of salinity. This is a sophisticated and quite cerebral Margaux in a series of excellent recent releases from the estate. Highly recommended.

Yvesbeck.wine

95-97

byYves Beckthe5/27/2021

Très bonne proportion de Cabernet sauvignon en 2020 alors que le rendement était plus bas que d'habitude. Superbe intensité olfactive marquée par les notes fruitées, la fraîcheur et des notes épicées. Très margalais en fait ! En bouche le vin est dense, élégant et parfaitement soutenu par la vivacité de son acidité. Les tanins se révèlent doucement pour attendre leur amplitude en fin de bouche. Que de race et de précision dans ce vin. 
Il a de la puissance et une belle intensité fruitée en fin de bouche. Finale persisitante. Une très belle réussite de Cantenac Brown. le vin gagne en définition et en authenticité. 2026-2050. 

Decanter.com

93

byJane Ansonthe5/25/2021

Silky with touches of caramel, chocolate, blueberry, raspberries and boysenberries - all those autumnal fruits that have texture and acidity to them, with the signature gloss of Cantenac Brown. Clear peony, violet notes also. A linen texture that slows the passage of the wine through the mouth. Retasted at UGC and this is again good quality, the austerity on the tannins is marked right now, but there is plenty of life ahead here. New owner Tristan le Lous as of 2019, and this wine also includes the new 9.5ha vines of vines from Château Charmant and la Galiane (bought in July 2020). The fermentation was conducted at temperatures 4-5 °C lower than average to preserve fruit. 60% new oak. Harvest 10 to 30 September.

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-96

byJeff Levethe5/21/2021

Inky in color, the wine hits all the right notes with its floral, camphor, blackberry, incense, espresso and black currant aromatics. There is serious intensity here with layers of ripe, sweet, dark fruits, toasty oak and polished tannins on the mid-palate and in the finish. Long, and deep, give this at least 7-8 in the cellar and this is going to really start to show well. 94-96

Wine Advocate

91-93

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/20/2021

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Cantenac Brown slides effortlessly out of the glass with pronounced notes of licorice, tar, tapenade and fertile loam over a core of warm cassis and plum preserves, with a waft of charcuterie. The medium-bodied palate is refreshing, bursting with crunchy black fruit and herbal sparks with a well-managed, grainy texture, finishing long and earthy.

Anthocyanes

94-96

byYohan Castaingthe5/11/2021

Bien qu'un peu fermé, le bouquet recèle de belles notes de fruits frais, de mure, de menthol et de violette. En bouche, la trame est élégante, veloutée, les tanins parfaitement structurants avec de l'allonge et du volume. Une belle bouteille en devenir.

Bernard Burtschy

94-95

byBernard Burtschythe5/10/2021

Falstaff

92-94

byPeter Moserthe5/10/2021

Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zarte Edelholznuancen, schwarze Beeren, etwas Lakritze, rotbeerige Nuancen, tabakig, ein Hauchvon Kräuterwürze. Saftig, rote Kirschen, frisch strukturiert, präsente Tan- nine, salzig-mineralisch im Abgang, rotbeeriger Rückgeschmack, zitroniger Nach- hall.

My Bettane + Desseauve

92-93

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/7/2021

Jamessuckling.com

96-97

byJames Sucklingthe4/23/2021

Fantastic depth of fruit with layers of firm, chewy tannins that are medium-grained and long in the mouth. Full and dynamic. One of the best ever.