The vines awoke very early in 2020, in mid-March. After a beautiful beginning to Spring in the first weeks, even with some very heavy rain though June, the skies of the Médoc opened up to lovely periods of sunshine. The Merlot and Cabernet took advantage of these windows to rapidly flower in the best conditions.
Particularly dry weather with several very hot days continued into mid-August where little spurts of rain allowed the vine to suffer slightly, and to jump start the ripening with a restrained hydration. In September, the wind accompanied the new heat wave in this last ripening phase, bringing about a unique concentration of the fruit. Generous sun during the harvest did its work and therefore produced a beautiful vintage. With a rather unusual grape composition, we had to be extremely vigilant in the last phase of ripening. The fermentation was conducted at temperatures from 4-5 degrees Celsius, much lower than normal in order to preserve the most from these magnificent fruit aromatics without over extracting the tannins.
2020 also marks the beginning in the blend of the “Grand Cabernet Sauvignon” from the plateau of Margaux and the “Enclos de Cantenac Brown”.
The ripeness is astounding, with a dark color, refined, complex and spicy aromas. The tannins are elegant and sexy, with the sensation of a balanced power. It stands up to the challenge of the 2018 and 2019 vintages, with a pretty dash of supplementary freshness. 2020 is an open window to the future.
Château Cantenac Brown is a 1855 classified third growth, located in Cantenac within the most prestigious Médoc appellation, Margaux.
The vineyard was founded over 200 years ago by a Scotsman, John ...
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