WTN: And Goodbye to Brown....

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown isn't the only Brown to have disappeared recently....

Chateau Brown Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2007: Tasted three times during a recent visit to Bordeaux. A great nose, vibrant, still showing a little sliver of oak it seemed on one occasion, but always lovely and fresh, with nuances of passion fruit and honey. A fine and pithy substance on the palate, fresh, but also deep and flavoursome. Stylish with real character. High quality and excellent value. 17/20

Chateau Brown (Pessac-Léognan) 1999: I haven't tasted many older vintages of Brown from the pre-Mau/Derenoncourt era. This has a dark and still youthful hue. Rather a reserved style on the nose, opening out to reveal dark and maturing fruits. Delightfully mature on the palate, good substance and breadth, still quite tannic, and rather robust in style with it. Moderate acidity. A good effort for the vintage I think, and still some potential here. 15.5+/20

I'm always taken by the Brown Blanc. It's a delicious wine, usually dominated by Sauvignon Blanc (65% of the 2007 above) but always with a richer, textural quality (rather waxy in 2009, I found, although that was a barrel sample only of course) which betrays the presence of Semillon.

Chris, is there a connection to Cantenac Brown?

I thought that Gordon's warm farewell speech outside 10 Downing Street was the best I've heard from him. If he had given more like that he might still be PM.

Yes Bob, they had the same owner, a John Lewis Brown (a Scot). Cantenac-Brown was then called simply Chateau Brown, the Cantenac was added later. The original Brown estate gave rise to both Cantenac-Brown and Boyd-Cantenac.