Kurt Schuster

9.4

Silky tanins, elegant understated expression. Warm nose of dried flowers, lavender, dusty hot day. Bright taste, tannins are silky and coat the tongue but also disappear so you can enjoy your food. Sharp rose, pomegranate, dry and bold. Baked mixed fruits. Cuts through lamb chops and short rib heavy flavors and holds it own.  — 6 days ago

with Denise

Neil Valenzuela

9.0

Deep ruby color with a brick rim. Blueberry, lavender and rose petals aromas. Flavors of blackberry jam, baking spices and vanilla. — 4 months ago

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. — 5 months ago

Lesli Hopkins

9.5

Another Brown to love. — 3 years ago

Peter James

9.0

BHM Wine Tasting @ Netflix — 3 years ago

DAL 9000

9.3

Big bold dark fruits plums and blackberries up front. Bold but creamy. Undertones of chocolate and tannins. Long and lush. Layers and complex. — 4 years ago

Catherine Leith

9.7

Love this. Tons of flavour. Vanilla, brown sugar, toasted oak. Pairs well with food but also great on its own. — 6 years ago

Rob Brobst III

9.4

Yep it’s that good! 13%ABV — 4 days ago

Vicki Ausloos

9.7

Absolutely delish! Fruity with an oaky finish. — 3 months ago

Brennan Roy

9.0

Dark berry fruit forward, baking spices, luscious mouth feel, balanced tannins with cherry pie finish. Delightful. — 5 months 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. — 7 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2017 vintage. Lighter color along with light-medium body. A bit dirty about the collar and slightly unkempt. Inexpensive for the quality. Tobacco, dirt and red fruit flitting here and there. Definitely not your average, Sonoma plushy/rich, fruit-bomb. 01.15.25. — a year ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2017 vintage. Winemaker Jeff Gaffner is sourcing this fruit from the original block of this vineyard and only one of three winemakers doing so. Big, brusque nose. Some candied fruit, some usual suspects (cola nut, rhubarb, caramelized cranberry, dark plum and cherry) oot und aboot. Both finesse and power evident during the experience. I will say this wine is waay underpriced relative to the market and a banging value. 3.18.23. — 3 years ago

Ming L

9.5

375ml. A magnificent 30-year young Sauternes. Orange peel, molasses, caramel, ginger spice, and brown sugar. The intense flavors waltzed across the palate with grace and precision. Fresh, vibrant, and not as rich as expected. The finish lasts forever.
Paired with homemade chocolate chip cookies using Levain Bakery recipe and vanilla bean ice cream. — 6 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.1

2021 vintage. Medium-heavy body. Plenty of fruit and oak. Needs a longer visit from the rock shop. 5.6.26. — 2 months ago

Jim O’Gorman

8.9

Great value for the money. Enjoyed a late night dinner with a grilled rib eye. Deliciously nice. — 4 months 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 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. — 9 months ago

Jason Keefer

9.0

Another great Saxon brown expression of chard. Lively, malo action going on, orange rind and some spice with a few floral hints. — 4 years ago

with Natasha

Jennifer Urmston

9.5

Really good! — 5 years ago