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Chateau Cantenac-Brown

The origins of this the Cantenac-Brown vineyards lie in the 18th Century when, in 1754, Jacques Boyd, who was of Irish descent, acquired the estate. The Brown in question was none other than John Lewis Brown, who also owned Chateau Brown in Pessac-Léognan, and he acquired the Boyd property in 1806 when he married into the Boyd family. Many authors describe Brown as a wonderful artist, but they have not done their research well; our John Lewis Brown was active in Bordeaux from the late 18th Century onwards, whereas Brown the artist was not born until 1829. The two nevertheless were clearly related, and they were, I believe, father and son.

Classifications subsequent to Brown's purchase, such as Lawton's in 1815, and Wilhelm Franck's in 1845, reveal the presence of a Chateau Brown, which is not his property further south near Pessac, but rather it is his Cantenac estate, to which he gave his name in place of Boyd. Brown's career was not entirely successful, however, as he was declared bankrupt in 1843, and he lost ownership of his estate. It was purchased by a banker named Grommard, and the Brown name temporarily disappeared from the doorplate. It is for this reason that, come the 1855 classification, the only such system that seems to have lasted the years, the estate, which was ranked as a troisième cru, was named Boyd, harking back to the family that did so much to establish the estate in the 18th Century. At the point of the 1855 classification, the estate was undivided and several decades passed before there was a clear distinction between Cantenac-Brown and its parent estate. What was classified as Boyd in 1855 largely became the Boyd-Cantenac of today, whereas Cantenac-Brown seems to have originated from a few vineyards cleaved off from the original property. It was only accorded third growth status in the latter years of the 19th Century after a successful legal battle in which its origins as part of the Boyd-Cantenac estate were accepted. In the meantime, it was acquired in 1860 by Armand Lalande, who also owned Léoville-Poyferré. It was he that chose the name Cantenac-Brown, in honour of Brown's tenure there, and he was also responsible for the construction of the chateau, one of the most distinctive of the Médoc. Whereas most of the region's chateaux were built using local stone, which gives them a pale and creamy elegance, Cantenac-Brown was constructed of a brown brick. Easily visible across the vineyards from the D2, it is quite unique in the area.

From Armand the estate passed to the next generation of the Lalande family, a daughter, and then again to her son. It is the usual story that I have repeated on these pages time and time again. Unlike modern times, when Bordeaux seems to be in the ascendant, perhaps entering the early years of might one day be regarded as a golden era, during the latter years of the 19th and early 20th Centuries it was a very different story. There was phylloxera, oidium, war and depression, and many estates floundered. Cantenac-Brown was no exception. By the time the vineyard was acquired by the du Vivier family in 1968 it had contracted considerably, and the buildings were in a poor state. They commenced a program of improvement and replanting, but the revitalisation of Cantenac-Brown only really looked a realistic possibility with its acquisition in by AXA Millésimes in 1989. The AXA team, led at that time by the since semi-retired Jean-Michel Cazes, with the help of Daniel Llose and under the direction of Christian Seely, began to turn the estate around. The team had a history of success in Bordeaux, not least at Lynch-Bages but at other estates such as Pichon-Baron, Suduiraut and Quinta do Noval. It came as somewhat of a surprise, then, to find the estate sold in early 2006, the new owner being a British businessman by the name of Simon Halabi. At the time of writing it is too early to assess what Halibi, who has no shortage of funds to invest, plans for Cantenac-Brown.

The Brown-Cantenac vineyards cover 54 hectares in all, mostly around Cantenac, although there are other plots in Arsac, Soussans, Margaux and Labarde, Underfoot, the soils are typically gravelly and are planted with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, with a planting density of around 8500 vines/ha. José Sanfins, who was installed as technical director under the aegis of AXA Millésimes, but has stayed on at the property after the arrival of Halibi, has improved vineyard practices including the reduction in use of chemical fertilizers and the installation of new drainage. The harvest is manual, then fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel, with a maceration of about two weeks. The wine is then transferred into oak barrels for up to 18 months, with 60% of the barrels replaced each vintage. The wine is fined and filtered prior to bottling. The grand vin is Chateau Cantenac-Brown (typically 15000 cases per annum), and there was a deuxième vin named Chateau Canuet, which takes its name from a nearby Cru Bourgeois estate also acquired by the du Vivier family in 1985. Today, however, it is known by the rather more elegant name of Brio du Chateau Cantenac Brown. There is also a Bordeaux Supérieur, produced from a vineyard of 8 hectares, named Chateau Brown Lamartine.

Over the years I have only encountered a few bottles of Cantenac-Brown, so I would certainly hesitate to give any independent opinion on just where this chateau is going based on tasting the wines. But the recent history of the estate holds promise. Both Lalande and AXA have invested and improved, and Simon Halibi certainly has the financial wherewithal to continue in the same vein. What wines I have tasted, however, have certainly been a mixed bunch. Imbued with the richness of a great vintage, the 2005 was certainly attractive when I tasted it in 2006, but other recent vintages such as 2003 have not been so appealing. I did also have a taste of the 1997, but it was corked, so my experience of older vintages is very limited. We can only hope that with continued investment and enthusiasm, this estate will continue to build on what progress has already been made. (18/4/07)

Contact details:
Address: 33460 Cantenac
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 57 88 81 81
Fax: +33 (0) 5 57 88 81 90
Internet: www.cantenacbrown.com

Chateau Cantenac-Brown - Tasting Notes

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2006

Chateau Cantenac-Brown (Margaux) 2006: Quite an interesting nose here, showing notes of toffee and nuts, and some attractive fruit. An unusual style though. On the palate, plump although not very deep or plush, but nicely poised. Not a lot of structure to it though, a subdued layer of tannin behind it all. Lacks concentration of flavour, giving a rather hollow midpalate. A good effort though. From my 2006 Bordeaux assessment. 14-15/20 (April 2007)

2005

Chateau Cantenac-Brown (Margaux) 2005: Here we have a big, fruit-rich nose, spiced with toffee oak and pepper. The texture at the start has appeal, it is flashy but not overly rich, although underneath there is a rather hard character. The fruit is perhaps a little leaner than some, and there is a pile of grippy tannin lying over it all, tannins which when tasting en primeur I described as "supple". In the final blend they seem nothing of the sort, showing a huge, chewy, overbearing, presence. The acidity is good, and it has the feel of a wine teetering on the edge of over-extraction. It lacks a little focus, and doesn't hold the short-term promise I thought it once did. I have moved my score in a downwards direction. From my tasting of 2005 Bordeaux at two years of age. 15+/20 (October 2007)

Chateau Cantenac-Brown (Margaux) 2005: Never the most profound wine, the AXA team at Cantenac Brown have done a good job here. A very deep colour. Nutty, spicy black fruit nose. Straight down the line, classic style here. No frills or fanciness. Nice extract apparent on entry, moderately appealing texture, supple and ripe tannins. Nicely balanced presence on the palate. Soft, welcoming rather polished appeal. Might be a classic, good value short term drink at the right price. From my first taste of 2005 Bordeaux. 16-17/20 (April 2006)

2004

Chateau Cantenac-Brown (Margaux) 2004: A lovely nose, very open, lots of exotic fruit, quite fine. How did they manage that in this vintage? Ripe and creamy on the palate, stylish, full, with a dry grip beneath. Moderate acidity. Plump and really very flattering on the midpalate and finish, and although it doesn't have any great direction or finesse it will make very decent drinking for someone. From a tasting of 2004 Bordeaux. 16/20 (April 2007)

2003

Chateau Cantenac-Brown (Margaux) 2003: Rather dense, brawny fruit. Muted, macerated black cherry fruit. Ripe, with soft acidity. Lots of (over-)extracted character, light texture, low acidity, showing the heat of the vintage for sure. Completely out of kilter. From my assessment of 2003 Bordeaux. 14/20 (October 2005)

2000

Chateau Cantenac-Brown (Margaux) 2000: This is showing obvious evolution, a very claretty iron and blood nose which certainly appeals to me. Open, quite flashy and smoky still, but with those maturing elements alongside. It perhaps lacks a little concentration, and to be critical seems to have evolved in a very forward fashion, and there is a little jamminess to it. Nevertheless, the tannins are ripe and there is good acidity. Good. From a Bordeaux tasting with Bibendum. 16/20 (April 2007)

1996

Chateau Canuet (Margaux) 1996: The second wine of Chateau Cantenac-Brown. It is just over two years since I last tasted this wine. It is one of the more youthful looking wines in the line-up, with a purple tinge to the red. Initially seems a little dirty and subdued on the nose, but to my relief this blows off leaving pure fruit, although with an earthy, mineral streak. Medium bodied on the palate, it actually displays some good richness at the right temperature and after some aeration. Correct acidity, good fruit and a firm, sinewy texture. Some attractive notes of perfume. This is pleasing stuff. From a 1996 Bordeaux tasting. 15.5/20 (October 2002)

Chateau Canuet (Margaux) 1996: The second wine of Chateau Cantenac-Brown. Gorgeous purple colour. It has a seductive nose full of delights. A good amount of blackcurrant fruit, some detectable oak, hints of freshly ground coffee, perfumed violets and an elegant, mineral quality. On the palate it has a medium body, but an admirable silky texture, and there are plenty of tannins. Sufficient acidity, that mineral note again, and plenty of fruit lead into a stylish finish. A lovely wine, and ready for drinking although the structure suggests this will keep, and probably improve, for a few years yet. 15.5/20 (July 2000)

1988

Chateau Cantenac-Brown (Margaux) 1988: A very densely coloured wine, with a dark caramel hue belying age. An attractive nose of cigars and strong blackcurrant fruit. On the palate it is medium bodied with a meaty texture. Evident tannins, nice mineral complexity, but overall the palate lacks elegance. The finish is pleasing and there is good length. From a 1988 Bordeaux tasting. 15/20 (May 2000)