2007 Chateau Cantenac Brown Margaux 750 ml

Finding perfectly cellared 2007 classified-growths is a challenge these days: Most of them are long gone from the market, buried in restaurants’ wine lists or the cellars of serious collectors. So when we visited Cantenac Brown on our last trip to Bordeaux and found they had a small tranche available, we dropped everything so we could direct-import this impeccably stored Third Growth Margaux.

The timing is perfect: Bordeaux expert Jane Anson says Château Cantenac Brown  “produces beautiful bottles that begin to open at 10 to 20 years old, opening up to show a wonderfully rich, warming character that showcases classically balanced Bordeaux flavours."

Blessed with fruit from old vines whose roots dig deep into the mixture of gravel, sand, and clay that’s a signature of the famous Margaux hamlet of Cantenac, the wine is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot. In 2007, those vines underwent a long, somewhat damp growing season that was saved by the warmth of early September, rewarding the chateau’s diligent work in the vineyard.

When it was young, the 2007 Cantenac Brown was clearly built for the long haul—and that’s showing right now. You won’t find a better-cared-for bottle than this beautifully aged, drink-now Bordeaux.