A ton of tightly packed black fruits are right there on the attack of this wine, along with enticing aromatic power. It's a well-muscled Cantenac Brown with a sleek, carefully controlled tannic hold alongside liquorice and black chocolate notes - good stuff.

Beau rouge sombre, intense et pourpre. Nez très aromatique, fin, fruité, pur et subtil. Touche raffinée de gelée de mûres. Devient profond à l'agitation du verre. Moelleux en entrée de bouche, très raffiné au toucher, avec beaucoup de goût et un déroulé sans cesse moelleux, le vin conserve ses qualités jusqu'en finale où il s'étire très long. C'est superbe et nouveau.

Here is a very pretty barrel sample with crushed berries, walnuts and hints of chocolate and smoke. It’s full-bodied and layered with lightly chewy tannins and a rich finish. Muscular for the vintage.

Feines Bouquet, Himbeeren, Johannisbeeren, Minze, Toast. Gute Dichte, saftig, zart adstringierend, feine Säure, elegante Frucht, Waldhimbeeren, Herzkirsche, zart Nougat im Finish, gute Länge

Le cru impressionne par son fruité explosif et sa très belle ampleur en bouche. L'archétype d'un margaux classique, charmeur et équilibré.

Shows the hallmarks of the vintage, with steeped plum, blackberry and boysenberry fruit paste flavors that are broad and lush, while singed wood, violet and anise notes filter in. Features underlying freshness, with finely beaded acidity providing support. A step ahead. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2035.

This has subtle aromas of blackcurrants and blueberries with hints of just-picked violets, light vanilla, licorice and crushed stones. Forest-floor notes, too. Medium to full body, layers of firm tannins and a velvety mouth-feel. Delicious crushed berries on the palate. Compact with a firm finish. Better from 2026.

Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Nuancen von Nougat und Kräutern, dunkle Beerenfrucht, ein Hauch von Edelholz und Gewürzen. Saftig und komplex, extraktsüßer Kern, elegant, feine reife Tannine, frisch strukturiert, seidig und gut anhaftend, etwas Nougat auch im Abgang, gutes Reifepotenzial.

The 2019 Cantenac Brown is a brilliant wine from José Sanfins and his team. Unwinding in the glass with deep aromas of wild berries, licorice, loamy soil, burning embers and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered, with terrific concentration, beautifully refined tannins and a seamless, elegant profile. Given its quality, this remains somewhat under the radar and is well worth a special effort to seek out.