Dive In: Cantenac Brown 1978-2018

BY NEAL MARTIN | OCTOBER 11, 2022

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.