Dive In: Cantenac Brown 1978-2018
BY NEAL MARTIN |
Eric Boissenot stares at a disused swimming pool. The reclusive yet immensely influential oenologist, whose counsel is sought by almost every major Médoc château, the “Brian Eno of Bordeaux,” is transfixed. I understand why. An empty swimming pool is an inexplicably thought-provoking sight. Devoid of any purpose, the onlooker imagines those that splashed, swam or dived in its chlorinated water. It seems bizarrely out of place here, something that I did not anticipate seeing when I visited the Margaux property.
“It won’t be here much longer,” head winemaker José Sanfins warns us. “It will be demolished as part of the reconstruction work.”
My heart sinks a little. I think Boissenot’s does too.
“Is there no chance of saving it,” I enquire before desperately asking, “What if future workers want to swim?”
Sanfins grins. The decision has already been made.
The Cantenac Brown pool.
I have been long overdue a morning touring this château. Recent vintages demonstrate an unequivocal uptick in quality, part of an overall trend within Margaux. Nowadays, there is a roster of thoroughbreds and less also-rans within the appellation. Sanfins welcomed me to the estate in the summer of 2021, together with Boissenot, to undertake a rare vertical and discover more about the estate.
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Cantenac Brown is one of Margaux’s most ornate, eye-catching châteaux. It has also witnessed a “quiet revolution” in terms of quality. I re-examined recent vintages with winemaker José Sanfins, though sadly there was no chance of a swim afterwards.
