Dark ruby/ purple in color with a wide reddish rim.
Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with nice complexity.
Showing black currants, plums, cooked cherries, light oak, tobacco leaf, spices, graphite, dark chocolates, earth, vegetables and peppercorn.
Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This 10 year old is drinking very nicely now, and probably drinking at its peak. However, will continue to drink nicely in the next 10 years.
Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, so be patient.
Showing lots of earth notes with coffee and dark chocolates. Tangy and interesting.
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
14% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$50. — 20 days ago
More rare than common for me to try a Margaux for the first time these days.
Had this with a French prepared sirloin at Kronenhalle in Zurich.
It’s in a good drinking window. Nice fruit & style. Balanced ripe fruits and nicely resolved earth.
Kronenhalle is a good restaurant, old school environment with a huge stellar art collection, including three Picasso’s. — 8 days ago
Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%) and Merlot (30%). Dark ruby color with a slight garnet/orange rim. Wine was quite tight upon opening so aeration was needed. Aromas of black fruit, graphite and purple flowers. Flavors of black cherry, blackberry, plums, black olives and tobacco. Distinct oaky note on the long and somewhat sharp finish. Medium-plus body and acidity. Balance was a bit off. Probably should have aged this one a bit longer. — 12 days ago
Impressively knit and proudly firm. A rare treat that is magically sound and correct. An ambivalence insists it has some years left. Scary. — 8 days ago
Lighter medium ruby , wide ruby garnet rim . In colour at least apparently older than the others , which of course it is. This shows quite a lot of aromatic interest , with more sweet spicy red fruits , red plum , cherry , spiced rose , red currant , so charming and complex , cigar box also . On the palate this is also more red fruited , with spiced red cherry , raspberry , red currant , some blackberry and also floral hints , mineral and hickory . Very detailed and precise , great refreshing acidity , fine but detailed noticable tannins . Long very fine , elegant , slightly saline red fruited finish. This is showing well with a little time in decanter though obviously no rush , from now and over the next 15 years or so . This is so pretty and detailed , aromatically so beautiful , it also looses none of its charm on the palate . A complete triumph . — 15 days ago
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. — 7 days ago
Jan de Weerd
INCREDIBLE!! 💃🏻🕺. So happy. Store a wine for 10 years and the secret revealed. Doesn’t always happen, but here it did! Intense dark cherry, deeply laced with exquisite cigar, earthy minerality. Lead pencil. Yep it’s true, it is there. Still so intense and vibrant. Perfectly made wine. Should give the winemaker a hug! Great experience. The only bad thing is that I had to drink it by myself. My wine partner is in St Luis and experiencing an Opus One from 1982 😳. Wine, what a wonderful thing. — a day ago