Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Château Cantenac Brown 2023 – Margaux, BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
Shockingly high-performing 2023 showing precision, finesse, and immediate pleasure well beyond expectation, an outstanding blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, delivering a dangerously complete Margaux that already behaves like a future benchmark while still promising upside with time.

Aromas & Flavors
Explosive aromatics of red cherry, raspberry coulis, wild strawberry, rose petal, subtle vanilla, light cocoa dust, fine cedar spice, and polished mineral tones.

Mouthfeel
Silky, flowing, and beautifully balanced with fine-grained tannins, graceful mid-palate lift, energetic drive, and a lingering yet perfectly measured finish that dances rather than weighs.

Food Pairings
Duck breast with cherry glaze, herb-crusted rack of lamb, filet mignon, mushroom risotto, aged Comté or Gruyère.

Verdict
A stunning overachiever that combines immediate drinkability with elite structure and elegance. Precision, aromatic intensity, and textural finesse place this firmly among the top Margaux performers of the vintage.

🍷 Personal Pick
This wine positively shocked me, had to enjoy few glasses just to believe it. Pure finesse, graceful flow, and championship-level balance already. Will get more bottles of this vintage with confidence. — 13 days ago

Isil Bayman

9.0

Uccle, Brussels, Belgiul — a month ago

with Hakan

Dmitry Muzychak

9.5

Выпито 16.10.2025 у соседей Альпериных на балконе их квартиры. Достойнейшее Grand Cru 2000 года. — 4 months ago

John Berggren

9.5

Wonderful 2016 bottle. Soft tannins, plum and subtle berries. Delightful finish. — 15 days ago

Norman

9.3

End of the fiscal year. Long one but a good one so this is an exhausted versus drown sorrows drink ;) Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2024 (12 Year, 107 proof)

Nose is surprisingly light for the proof. Soft sweetness, light oak, and a hint of rye spice.

On the palate it isn’t heavy, but it fills the whole mouth. The heat shows early and stays present, reading higher than 107. Sweetness is there but restrained. More spice builds with time, rye-forward and focused on the tip and top of the tongue, with some grip on the cheeks. Oak stays light rather than deep or dusty.

Bit hotter than I’m feeling I want tonight. — 5 days ago

Some Dude

9.0

Wonderful lush blue fruit. Moderate tannin and moderate acidity. We had a spicy zaalouk and it was a magnificent pairing. Great winemaking by a historic winemaker. — 2 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Brio de Cantenac Brown – 2020
Margaux, Bordeaux – France 🇫🇷

Overview
Brio is the second wine of Château Cantenac Brown, offering a more accessible take on Margaux. This 2020 vintage is composed of 62% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Cabernet Franc, aged in French oak (25% new) to balance fruit, structure, and approachability. 
Aromas & Flavors
Juicy red fruits—raspberry, red currant—merge with cedar, baking spice, and subtle floral lift. Earthy and graphite tones bring depth.

Mouthfeel
Medium to full body, with soft but persistent tannins. The wine opens smoothly and finishes long with fruit and spice echoing.

Food Pairings
Roast lamb, duck breast, mushroom risotto, or aged cheeses. Also pairs beautifully with charcuterie.

Verdict
A concentrated, value-driven Margaux that shows the pedigree of Cantenac Brown. The 2020 Brio balances power and elegance — drink now or cellar for 8–12 years. 🍷 cheers!

Did You Know? 📌
Second wines (like Brio) are often sourced from younger vines or lots not selected for the Grand Vin, yet in 2020 Cantenac Brown treated it with care: the blend leans more Merlot than the Grand Vin to give earlier approachability. — 4 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Château Brane-Cantenac 2023 – Margaux, Grand Cru Classé, BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
A highly aromatic and deeply concentrated Margaux showing impressive layering, polished texture, and outstanding fruit density, with oak integration still prominent in its youth. Built for complexity and long-term evolution.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackberry compote, wild blueberry, cassis, black cherry liqueur, violet petal, sweet cedar, cocoa powder, graphite, subtle vanilla and toasted spice from new oak.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus to full-bodied with silky, refined tannins, dense mid-palate concentration, seamless flow across the palate, and a long, plush finish. Oak remains slightly forward at this stage but clearly destined to integrate.

Food Pairings
Dry-aged ribeye, rosemary lamb, duck confit, porcini risotto, aged Gruyère or Comté.

Verdict
A seductive, high-concentration Margaux with real depth and aromatic brilliance. Oak currently rides slightly high, but the underlying fruit density and texture suggest excellent aging potential and future harmony.

🍷 Personal Pick
The perfume is intoxicating and the fruit core is massive, this just needs time for the oak to melt into the frame. Big upside once the pieces lock together. — 13 days ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.0

2021 vintage. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot. Vinified in concrete and stainless steel tanks. Made from 35 years old vines of Brane Cantenac on the gravelly-sandy soils of Terrasse 5. A lighter, well-made Margaux that is ready to drink. — 14 days ago

Jeremiah

9.1

Berry smooth medium — 2 months ago