Flowers, espresso, cigar box, black and red currants and cherry scents pop in the nose. On the palate, the wine is fresh creamy and loaded with with sweet, ripe, spicy, savory red fruits, silky tannins and a supple finish. This is very successful for the vintage. The wine is a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot. Drink from 2025-2044.

The 2021 Cantenac Brown is superb. Rich and flashy, with tons of persistence, the 2021 is a wine of notable depth. Black cherry, plum, spice, new leather and mocha are all amplified. Readers will find a Cantenac Brown endowed with notable textural richness. Estate Manager Jose Sanfins opted to bleed the musts, and that resulted in an unusually opulent wine for the year—very much in line with the house style. The 2021 is drop-dead gorgeous. -- Antonio Galloni

Perfumed black cherries and raspberries on the nose. Lovely sculpting, you get waves of juicy, bright, red summer berries and just-ripe red cherries with creamy, chalky edges. Tannins are present and linger on the tongue, gently gripping the flavours. This has great character, not too dense nor expansive, but good definition, energy and classicism with slate and crushed stone. Touch of bitter black chocolate marks the finish which is extremely attractive. Excellent job from winemaker José Sanfins.

Dark chocolate, hazelnuts, tea leaves, herbs and dark berry fruit on the nose. It’s precise and focused, with tight, firm tannins that provide an elegant but solid structure. Sleek and long. 73% cabernet sauvignon and 27% merlot. Try from 2026.

Has settled in over ageing, showcasing the sculpted savoury Cabernet of the year, finessed and savoury but with edges of gourmet cloves, black tea, and bitter chocolate, good quality, has lift and appellation signature. 60% new oak barrels for ageing, and the oak is integrated and will age well. Jose Sanfins director, Eric Boissenot consultant.

The 2021 Cantenac Brown has turned out very nicely in bottle, wafting from the glass with notes of dark berries and cherries mingled with hints of menthol, licorice and violets. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and seamless, with a layered core of fruit, sweet tannins and nicely integrated acids, it concludes with a delicately vanillin-inflected finish. This strong performance in a challenging season underlines this property's upward trajectory. - William Kelley