2016 Chateau Cantenac Brown

Other Reviews....
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. Drink 2025-2055.
95 points
Neal Martin - Vinous (June 2021)

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.
94 points
James Suckling (Jan 2019)

A solid step up and a brilliant Margaux, the 2016 Cantenac Brown checks in as 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Merlot raised in 60% new French oak. Black cherries, currants, smoke tobacco, graphite, and hints of earth all emerge from this beautifully layered, medium-bodied, and concentrated 2016 that shines for its purity and precision, while still offering beautiful depth of fruit. Give it 3-4 years and enjoy this fabulous effort over the following 2-3 decades. Drink 2022-2052.
93+ points
Jeb Dunnuck (Feb 2019)

A wine of delicate elegance, having opened up a bit since last experienced in April 2022. Impressive fruit palate persistence, more red than black, again with somewhat high toned acidity. While it lacks the breadth of vintages like 2018 and 2020, it makes up for that with beguiling wet stone 'minimalism' and tannic finesse that beckons further drinking, marked by floral notes on the long finish. Drink 2025-2050.
95 points
Panos Kakaviatos - Decanter (Oct 2021)