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More wines available from Chateau Cantenac Brown
750ml
Bottle:
$34.94
A bright, fruity white with aromas and flavors of sliced lemons and pears. Full-bodied, dense and layered. Attractive...
750ml
Bottle:
$32.94
A very pretty white with sliced-apple, praline and vanilla aromas and flavors that follow through to a full body with...
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$94.03
Wonderful nose offering ripe red and black fruits...Elegant body with well-rounded tannins. Finesse and elegance,...
750ml
Bottle:
$43.93
Dark cherry, plum, mocha, espresso, licorice and spice are all amped up in the BriO, Cantenac Brown's second wine....
750ml
Bottle:
$32.59
$36.21
The second wine of Cantenac Brown, the 2016 Brio de Cantenac is a solid, medium-bodied, elegant wine that’s very...
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Winery
Chateau Cantenac Brown
Vintage: 2012
2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in.
The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.
Varietal: Red Bordeaux
There are few regions in the world with stricter regulations in regards to wine production and grape varietals than those found in Bordeaux, France. Here, in the home of the world's finest wines, the type and quality of grapes used is of utmost importance, and the legendary wineries which work on the banks of the Gironde river have mastered the careful art of juice blending to find the perfect balance for their produce. Whilst there are six 'official' Bordeaux grapes, the two key varietals for almost every fine Bordeaux wine are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and with good reason. Whilst Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are renowned for their acidity and astringency, strong fruit and spice flavors and full body, Merlot grapes are notably rounded, soft, fleshy and lighter on tannin. The combination of these two varietals, along with a small percentage of (commonly) Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc, is the perfect balancing act – the two grape varietals cancel out each others weaker points, and accentuate all that is good about the other.
Region: Bordeaux
Of all the wine regions in France, the mostly highly esteemed and famous is surely Bordeaux. Most commonly associated with their superb examples of blended red wines, usually made with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot varietals, Bordeaux consistently demonstrates that their mix of traditional and modern wine-making styles is the recipe for fame and success. The region benefits greatly from its humid climate, and the fact that its clay and gravel based soils are perfect for growing the fine grape varietals which flourish there. The region is split into quite distinct sub-regions, with the finest generally believed to be the Left Bank and the Médoc region, where many of the most well known chateaux are based and produce their wonderful red and white wines.
Country: France
French winemakers are subjected to several laws and regulations regarding the wines they produce, and how they can be labeled and sold. Such procedures are designed to increase the overall quality of the country's produce, and also to ensure that wines made in each particular region or appellation are of a character and type which is representative of the area. Thankfully for consumers of wine world-wide, the French have a particularly high reputation to uphold, and seem to do so flawlessly. Every year, wineries from all over France produce millions upon millions of bottles of fine wine, making the most of their native grape varieties and the excellent terrain which covers most of the country. From the expensive and exquisite red wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, to the white wines and cremants of central France, the French are dedicated to providing the world with wines of the highest quality and most distinctive character.
Appellation: Margaux
The Bordeaux region of France is packed full of important and highly esteemed appellations and sub-regions, but few are as famous of highly esteemed as Margaux, a beautiful small appellation in the Médoc, on the right bank of the Gironde river. In Margaux, the wine-makers of the various chateaus which cover the region have a powerful reputation for excellence to uphold, and go about doing so by ensuring traditional techniques are observed, high quality grapes are used and absolute love and precision go into every single bottle. Margaux almost always makes blended red wines, made from various red Bordeaux grapes. Such grapes thrive in the gravelly, mineral rich soils of the region, and ripen fully under the hot sun, thus expressing all of the finest features of their varietal, and of the terroir they grow on.