BriO de Cantenac Brown - Margaux

Region: Margaux AOC, Bordeaux, France Grape: Merlot / Cabernet Sauvignon / Cabernet Franc BriO is the second wine of Château Cantenac Brown, a Troisième Cru Classé in Margaux under the 1855 classification. The estate was founded in the early nineteenth century by John Lewis Brown, a Scottish wine merchant whose Tudor-style château still stands as one of the most striking properties in the Médoc. Today it is run by the Le Lous family with José Sanfins as general manager and winemaker. BriO leans on Merlot for a more open, fruit-forward frame, with Cabernet Sauvignon and a touch of Cabernet Franc adding structure and lift. Aged with a lighter hand on new oak — around 20% — to keep the aromatic signature of Margaux to the fore: violets, red and black cherry, cedar and silky, fine-grained tannins. The Margaux for the table rather than the cellar. 2012 Vintage: A classic, cooler Left Bank vintage where Merlot came through the strongest — reflected here in a fifty/fifty blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Cabernet Franc. Velvety and elegant, with boysenberry, blackcurrant and violet lifted by fine oak, mineral length and grainy, well-integrated tannins. Drinking beautifully now (2026). Tasting: Red cherry / Black plum / Violet / Cedar / Sweet tobacco / Cocoa / Silky fine tannins Pairing: Cote de Boeuf / Slow Braised Lamb Shoulder / Beef Wellington / Duck Confit / Aged Comté ABV: 13.5% Vol: 75cl Allergens: Contains sulphites