Château Cantenac Brown BriO de Cantenac Brown Margaux 2017
BriO de Cantenac Brown 2017 is the opulent, accessible second wine of the 3rd Growth Margaux estate, designed for earlier drinking. It features intense, velvety red fruit—specifically black cherry, raspberry, and blackcurrant—balanced with notes of dark chocolate, tobacco, and vanilla. The palate is typically medium-to-full-bodied, soft, and, well-structured with silky tannins.
Key Tasting Notes and Characteristics
Aroma: Highly perfumed with ripe red and black fruits, including cherry, strawberry, and blackcurrant, complemented by subtle hints of dark chocolate, earth, and tobacco.
Palate: Rich, velvety, and textured. It provides a generous ripe fruit profile with a velvety,, full-bodied mouthfeel.
Structure: Soft, well-integrated, and, silky tannins with a, fresh, lasting, finish.
Blend: Predominantly Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, creating a approachable style.
Food Pairings
Meats: Seared beef tenderloin, roast lamb with herbs, or duck breast with cherry sauce.
Other: Umami-rich mushroom risotto or aged Gouda cheese.
Tenuta Luce Lucente 2021
Tenuta Luce Lucente 2021
Lucente 2021 shows a brilliant ruby red color. The nose is rich in black fruits such as blueberries and blackberries, accompanied by a light balsamic and pan brioché note. The palate is soft supported by a nice freshness, with enveloping tannins and a long fruity aftertaste.
91 WinesCritic
Bargylus Grand Vin de Syrie Rouge
The wine is as intense as you would expect from an emissary from the arid land of the crusades, with the fragrance of balsam and savoury spices plus a top note of some dried herbs, but it manages to remain wonderfully fresh and appetising on the finish too after intense, ripe, quite complex fruit. Eastern promise indeed! I really don’t think many people would be disappointed by what this wine has to offer. It is 14.6% alcohol but is chock-full of flavour. Jancis Robinson, (17)
Blend composition
~60% Syrah
~20% Merlot
~20% Cabernet Sauvignon
Merum Priorati Inici 2020
The Merum Priorati Inici 2020 is a powerful, structured Spanish red from Priorat, a blend of Garnacha, Carinena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and sometimes Merlot, offering intense notes of black cherry, licorice, vanilla, oak, and spice, with a mineral-driven palate of ripe red fruits and firm tannins, best paired with rich meats like lamb or rabbit. It's known for its deep color, rich aroma, balanced acidity, and lingering spicy finish, reflecting the region's unique slate soils (llicorella).
Groot Constantia Gouverners Reserve Red 2021
The Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Reserve Red 2021 is a South African red blend from the Constantia region, featuring notes of blackcurrant, dark chocolate, and cedar. It is a full-bodied, complex wine with a firm structure and aging potential, made primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.
Zorgvliet Richelle 2019
Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon–led, with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot in support.
Aroma & Palate: Concentrated blackcurrant, cassis and mulberry with violet, graphite and cedar. Layers of plum, leather, dried herbs, spice, tobacco leaf and a touch of eucalyptus. Rich but refined, with fine-grained tannins.
Structure & Finish: Powerful yet elegant; long, savoury finish with hints of mocha, dark chocolate and subtle salinity.
Bodega Norton Privada Family Blend 2023
The Bodega Norton Privada Family Blend 2023 is an Argentine red wine from the Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza region, composed of 40% Malbec, 30% Merlot, and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is aged for 16 months in French oak, resulting in a deep ruby-red wine with aromas of ripe fruit, spice, and vanilla, and a rich, full-bodied palate with smooth tannins. The wine is praised for its complexity and is often paired with red meats and aged cheeses.
Petrolo Galatrona 2022
Petrolo Galatrona 2022 is a 100% Merlot from Tuscany, Italy, noted for its attractive and approachable style. It is a medium- to full-bodied wine with tasting notes of dark berries, plum, lavender, spice, and hints of orange peel. The vintage is praised for its freshness, with fine tannins and a long finish, although some critics note it may lack the depth of top vintages.
Varietal: 100% Merlot
James Suckling, 100 points
“The floral aromas are spellbinding, with violets, lilacs, orange peel, raspberries, rose petals, and some oranges. It’s medium- to full-bodied with crunchy and open-grain tannins that are creamy and caressing. It’s endless in the finish. Crunchy and energetic. A wine that is thoughtful and gives you such great pleasure. Such purity. It’s like eating perfectly ripened grape must. Pure Merlot. Drinkable in many ways, but will come together beautifully. A new reference point for Merlot in Italy. Drink after 2028.”
Keermont Merlot 2021
The Keermont Merlot 2021 has a vibrant venetian red colour. Enticing spicy red fruit on the nose with hints of cinnamon, dried herbs, dust and mixed berries. Classical elegant, fruitful palate with dark plums, cherries and vanilla notes. Fine tannins and fresh acidity hold the wine into a long savoury finish. Best drinking: 2024-2035.
4 ½ stars PLATTER’S GUIDE
93 pts TIM ATKIN (MW)
Glenelly Lady May 2020
Glenelly Lady May 2020
Crafted from the best Bordeaux components of 2020, it reveals rich dark berry aromas with hints of mocha and cedar on the nose. The palate offers sweet fruit flavours, smooth tannins, and a long, refined finish.
Lady May is Glenelly’s flagship estate wine. The 2020 Bordeaux blend pays tribute to the pedigree of its legendary owner. In honour of May de Lencquesaing’s 100th birthday, a special-edition label graces the Lady May 2020 vintage. A rare collector’s item for your cellar.
GRAPE VARIETIES : 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot
Tim Atkin MW 2024 96 Points
Neal Martin – Vinous 2024 93 Points
James Suckling 2024 94 Points
Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 1 2019
Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 1 2019
Fruit power is the hallmark of this blend, dark berry fruits and some sage adding a background herbal lift. Christmas cake mixed spice and a whisper of oak; all in balance. Beautiful fruit, a bright acid drive and tannins that form a solid foundation for a long future. Brooding but not intimidating, always exciting to watch evolve.
Varietals: 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 12% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot
Reviews
3 Merit Wine – The Real Review Wine Classification of Australia
Wine of The Year, Halliday Wine Companion 2022
Red Wine of The Year, Halliday Wine Companion 2022
Best Cabernet & Family, Halliday Wine Companion 2022
99 Points – Tyson Stelzer, WBM (Aust Wine Business Magazine)
98 Points – Halliday Wine Companion 2022
96 Points – Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Gold Medal, Sydney Royal Wine Show 2021
17/20 – Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com 2025
Anthonij Rupert Optima 2021
ANTHONIJ RUPERT OPTIMA 2021
37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc, 6% Malbec
Tendrils of spice add nuance and allure to a nose packed with black berries, hedgerow fruit and some mocha notes. The palate is plush, rounded and pillowy but layered with dark fruitcake flavour, black cherry, baking spice and pencil shavings too. The mouthfeel is complemented by its overall stature and regal refinement. Balanced with seamless integration of oak and ripe, rich fruit with lovely succulence and freshness as well. Complex, supple and silky smooth, the wine is ultimately simply delicious with a superbly long tail
