Cantenac Brown Estate
At the beginning of the 19th century, John-Lewis Brown (1769-1851), bought a vineyard and designed in the village of Cantenac, a traditional Tudor style château, reminding him of his Scottish origins. His name is forever linked to the Grand Cru Classé. His grandson, John-Lewis Brown (1829-1890) esteemed animal painter and “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur”, spent time there during his childhood.
In 1843, Mr. Gromard, banker, took over the estate. After the 1855 Grand Cru Classification, Louis Armand Lalande (1820-1894), Bordeaux winemerchant and owner of several estates in Médoc, extended the building. Surrounded by a remarkable British style park, Château Cantenac Brown is since then among the most original in Médoc.
José Sanfins presently manages Château Cantenac-Brown. He does his utmost to make the best of the magnificent terroir, lavishing the greatest of care on the soil and the vines, with great respect for the environment.
This meticulous attention to detail continues into the cellar, where everything possible is done to produce an exceptional wine.
John-Lewis Brown (1769-1851) acquired the estate in the early 19th century and decided to build in the village of Cantenac, a Tudor style chateau reminiscent of his Scottish origins.
The building is one of the most unusual in Médoc region and is surrounded by a remarkable English-style ground.
The quality of the wine was acknowledged in the 1855 classification, when Château Cantenac Brown was included into the growths.
The Bordeaux winemerchant and owner of several estates in Médoc, Louis Armande Lalande (1820-1894), extended the building, keeping the same architecture.
One hundred fifty years later, the Simon Halabi family has given a new impetus to this estate with a British atmosphere
…which they are determined to raise to the very highest level.
José Sanfins presently manages Château Cantenac-Brown. He does his utmost to make the best of the magnificent terroir, lavishing the greatest of care on the soil and the vines, with great respect for the environment. This meticulous attention to detail continues into the cellar, where everything possible is done to produce an exceptional wine.
Cantenac Brown Vineyards
The vineyard is managed in a more environmentally friendly way: the “sustainable approach” goes without saying.
The vines are cared for throughout the year and yields are perfectly controlled.
Strictly plant-based fertilizers are applied in a moderately and balanced way in tune with the needs of the vines.
This respect for Nature explains why the Château Cantenac Brown team continues to use the traditional soil maintenance techniques, which gradually enhance the structural, chemical and biological properties of the earth.
Over 400 000 vinestocks are managed every year. Pruning, removal of buds, leaves and secondary shoots, hand harvest …, several times per year the whole team works vine by vine and checks each single cluster.
Such a sharp selection does not replace the environment. The finest wines are given by the Nature.
A new wine for the new century: BriO de Cantenac Brown was born in 2001.
Through the style of its label, but also through the quality of our work from the selection of the lots to the bottling, it aims at expressing the modernity of our Château.
The lots supposed to be the main part of BriO are pre-selected because of their evolution all through the year, which means that we focus on each different lot of the winery, from the budburst through the flowering to the ripeness control.
A meticulous attention
The lots for BriO often need more work: more leaf pruning, some green harvest, for example on the young vines, to help them to deal with the weather conditions.
Our two labels are made from vines located on a beautiful terroir where you find gravelly soils, and we want the vinification of BriO to lead to an elegant wine with lots of flavours, a compromise between strength and finesse.
So, if you like the fruits, you can start to drink it from 2 to 5 years after the harvest.
The blend between Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot is different for each vintage but the Merlot percentage is usually more important than the one in the Château Cantenac Brown.
The 12 months-long ageing in 20% to 25% new oak barrels is traditional; we rack it every 3 months. Before the bottling, we do the fining with egg whites.
It is on purpose if the bottles of BriO are different from the ones of Cantenac Brown: we want BriO to become a brand on its own, and it’s true that we talk much more about “BriO” than about “BriO de Cantenac Brown”.
We want BriO to be a wine you drink before, during and after a meal; just for your pleasure.
DuMOL Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Our 2016 Napa Valley Cabernet is a classically built wine typical of this wonderful Napa vintage: deep fruit, enveloping texture, mineral freshness and long supple structure. It’s a harmonious interweaving of four distinct vineyards that intricately balances power and finesse.
With its exceptional farming and rocky volcanic soil, Meteor Vineyard is one of the finest sites in Coombsville. Its fruit dominates the blend and ensures both intensity and delicacy, with soaring aromatics followed by succulent dark fruit.
True Dog Knoll serves as a new focal point in this vintage, its world-renowned west Oakville deep gravel soils bringing deep texture and mineral focus.
Layering in a small amount of Petit Verdot from our Roach Estate in St. Helena provides an element of blue fruit and refinement that balances beautifully with the darker brooding power of Ballard Vineyard’s mountaintop muscle and structure.
With its harmonious layers and textures, this wine reminds me of the 2012 Napa Valley vintage. Dark, inky and opaque, it presents aromas of plum, violets and graphite. Beautiful fruit cascades almost immediately to more savory flavors: crushed rock dustiness, cocoa and cedar. A good, firm mineral spine runs through to the long, bittersweet finish. Ever-evolving in the glass, this wine is poised now and will age beautifully over the next 10+ years.
Review:
A ripe, friendly style, with a creamy-textured core of cassis and cherry preserve flavors underscored by anise and apple wood notes that stay nicely
melded with the fruit on the finish. There’s a lingering cast iron note keeping this grounded.
-Wine Spectator 93 Points
Gambellara Soave I Basalti is made from 100 percent Garganega
Soave DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata)
Production area: Soave hills
Vineyard training system: Open pergola
Vinification: Destemming, maceration of the grapes in the must for 12 hours, racking and long fermentation at 18 °C
The color is a brilliant straw yellow with a fresh fruit perfumes, especially apple and pear, and floral notes such as elder and bloom. The taste is very fresh and light, with a very interesting acidity. There is an important presence of mineral salts due to the volcanic origin of the soil. Ideal as aperitif, light main courses such as pasta and risotto, shell fish and fish, soups and vegetables.