Cantenac Brown 2016

The 2016 Cantenac Brown seems to have grown aromatically since I last tasted it a few months ago. More complex than I remember, this offers a cornucopia of scents: blackberry, briary, cedar and a lovely mintiness that recalls Palmer. The palate is silky smooth with great depth and delineation, satin-like, multi-layered, precocious black fruit laced with black pepper, tea leaves and cloves, all fanning out gloriously towards the finish. Bon vin! Tasted at the Cantenac Brown vertical at the château.

This has a very delicious and attractive nose offering ample dark berries and plums with cocoa and freshly cut bracken. The palate has a smooth, fan-like array of fine but sturdy tannins that carry very fresh and upbeat into the finish. Try from 2023.

The 2016 Cantenac Brown has a bright nose of blackberry and bilberry fruit, cedar and tobacco emerging with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with light tannins and fleshy, brambly red fruit laced with cedar and white tea, leading to a cohesive finish. I was parsimonious with my score in the past, but a recently tasted bottle showed that the wine just needed time to open. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. 2028 - 2050

The 2016 Cantenac Brown has an intense bouquet of blackberry and boysenberry fruit, pencil lead and sous-bois. There is gutsiness to these aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin and a rounded texture. A little heavier than the Brane-Cantenac, displaying fine structure and persistency on the finish. Do not ignore this.