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Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
2018 Château Cantenac Brown Grand Cru Classe Wine Republic

2012 Château Cantenac Brown Grand Cru Classé, Château Cantenac Brown

Margaux, Bordeaux, France

Or as we call it, Cassis Poise

Mature, refined and classically Margaux, this 2012 Cantenac Brown has moved into a beautifully expressive stage. Blackcurrant, blackberry and dark plum sit alongside cedar, liquorice, dried flowers, tobacco and gentle roasted spice. There is still plenty of fruit at the heart, but time has added the savoury detail and quiet complexity that makes mature Bordeaux so compelling.

On the palate, it is silky and composed, with softened tannins, ripe dark fruit and a long finish of cedar, spice and mineral freshness. The Cabernet Sauvignon still gives shape and length, while Merlot brings roundness through the middle. This is worth buying for customers who want properly mature classified-growth Bordeaux that is ready to enjoy now, with enough structure still in reserve for further cellaring.

For when
A serious dinner calls for mature Margaux with elegance, history and quiet authority.

Pairs with
Roast beef, rack of lamb, venison, beef Wellington, duck, mushroom dishes, truffled potatoes or mature hard cheeses.

Château Cantenac Brown is a Third Growth from the historic 1855 Bordeaux Classification and one of Margaux’s most distinctive estates. The wine combines the perfume and finesse associated with Margaux with enough Cabernet structure to age gracefully. At more than a decade old, the 2012 offers customers something increasingly difficult to find: mature classified Bordeaux with pedigree, complexity and no need to wait years before opening.

Whats in the bottle
Cabernet Sauvignon 65%, Merlot 35%

Notable Awards
93 Points, Wine Spectator 93 Points, Decanter 92 Points, James Suckling 91 Points, Vinous

£79.95 - £79.95
£79.95
£79.95 - £79.95
£79.95
Availability:
Only 2 left!

Château Cantenac Brown is one of the historic classified estates of Margaux, ranked as a Third Growth in the 1855 Classification. Its story has an unusual Scottish thread: John Lewis Brown of Colstoun acquired the property in 1806, giving the estate both its name and the heritage that remains visible in its striking Tudor-style château.

The property lies in Cantenac, within the Margaux appellation, where well-drained gravel soils are particularly suited to Cabernet Sauvignon. Over time, successive owners have invested heavily in both vineyard work and winemaking, while preserving the elegant, perfumed character that defines the estate.

The Le Lous family acquired Cantenac Brown in 2019 and has continued to modernise the property, including the construction of an innovative raw-earth cellar. For customers, however, the attraction is reassuringly traditional: classified-growth pedigree, classic Cabernet-led Margaux structure and the ability to age. The 2012 vintage is now at a particularly appealing point, offering mature Bordeaux character without losing the fruit and freshness that made the wine successful in the first place.

The 2012 Château Cantenac Brown is made from Cabernet Sauvignon 65% and Merlot 35%. The fruit comes from the estate’s vineyards in Margaux, where gravel-rich Médoc soils provide the drainage and warmth needed for Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen while retaining freshness.

The vintage required particularly careful vineyard work. A wet growing season increased disease pressure, while extensive canopy work and rigorous grape selection helped improve aeration and even ripening. Merlot was harvested from 1 to 12 October, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon from 8 to 17 October. Only 53% of the harvest was selected for the grand vin.

The wine was matured for 14 months in French oak barrels, with 60% new oak and 40% one-year-old barrels. Alcohol is 13.5%. This élevage gave the wine enough structure and polish for long ageing without losing the floral, dark-fruited style of Margaux.

Now with beautiful maturity, the wine shows blackcurrant, blackberry, plum and softened tannins alongside cedar, tobacco, liquorice and savoury spice. It still has plenty of structure, but bottle age has made it smoother, more nuanced and ready to enjoy. Decant gently and serve with roast meat or game for a classic mature-Bordeaux experience.

Producer
Château Cantenac Brown
Country
France
Grape
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Size
750ml
Types
Red Wine
Vintage
2012
Region
Bordeaux
Sub-Region
Margaux