Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Vieux Château Palon – 2021
Montagne-Saint-Émilion AOC – Right Bank, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A distinctive Right Bank Bordeaux, this cuvée flips the classic Merlot-dominant Saint-Émilion script. Instead, it is crafted from 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc, making it unusually bold, structured, and aromatically lifted for the appellation.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackcurrant, blackberry, and cassis dominate, with graphite, cedar, and tobacco leaf from the Cabernets. Subtle violet and peppery notes emerge from the Franc.

Mouthfeel
Firm tannins, medium-plus body, and a long, savory finish. More muscular and linear than many Montagne-Saint-Émilions, leaning toward Left Bank style but with Right Bank elegance.

Food Pairings
Grilled ribeye, lamb chops with rosemary, cassoulet, duck confit, aged Comté or Tomme de Savoie cheeses.

Verdict
An atypical but fascinating Montagne-Saint-Émilion that highlights Cabernet structure over Merlot plushness. For those who love Pauillac or Saint-Julien, this bottle is a bridge into the Right Bank world. Cheers!

Did You Know?
Montagne-Saint-Émilion is one of the four “satellite” appellations of Saint-Émilion, known for offering excellent value Bordeaux reds. Few estates here lean so heavily on Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes Palon stand out stylistically. — 7 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Brio de Cantenac Brown – 2020
Margaux, Bordeaux – France 🇫🇷

Overview
Brio is the second wine of Château Cantenac Brown, offering a more accessible take on Margaux. This 2020 vintage is composed of 62% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Cabernet Franc, aged in French oak (25% new) to balance fruit, structure, and approachability. 
Aromas & Flavors
Juicy red fruits—raspberry, red currant—merge with cedar, baking spice, and subtle floral lift. Earthy and graphite tones bring depth.

Mouthfeel
Medium to full body, with soft but persistent tannins. The wine opens smoothly and finishes long with fruit and spice echoing.

Food Pairings
Roast lamb, duck breast, mushroom risotto, or aged cheeses. Also pairs beautifully with charcuterie.

Verdict
A concentrated, value-driven Margaux that shows the pedigree of Cantenac Brown. The 2020 Brio balances power and elegance — drink now or cellar for 8–12 years. 🍷 cheers!

Did You Know? 📌
Second wines (like Brio) are often sourced from younger vines or lots not selected for the Grand Vin, yet in 2020 Cantenac Brown treated it with care: the blend leans more Merlot than the Grand Vin to give earlier approachability. — a month ago

John Bratincevic

9.5

Nose: old wood, tobacco, charcoal.

TASTE: awesome structure, cassis, pomegranate — old enough to have some of that “parchment” quality I associate with age. 95! — 22 days ago

romo

9.6

Impressively knit and proudly firm. A rare treat that is magically sound and correct. An ambivalence insists it has some years left. Scary. — a month ago

Rufus King

9.4

Delightful Margaux with light cherry notes and and fine tannin, Bloom Brasserie, Dublin — 21 days ago

Doug Powers

9.2

A little orange bricking on the edge, this lovely aromatic 25-year-old Chateauneuf seems mature and ready to drink, still shows lively acidity which nicely lifts the red fruited flavors, good weight, lingering finish, should pair beautifully with the bison ribeye I will soon be grilling!! — 2 months ago

with Jim

Pinotman /// Andreas

8.9

Rated highly (wherever 93 points). I found this wine OK but not oh boy that is the white CdP i need to store. It was easy drinking now. Almond blossoms and Jasmine…. — a month ago

Dmitry Muzychak

9.5

Выпито 16.10.2025 у соседей Альпериных на балконе их квартиры. Достойнейшее Grand Cru 2000 года. — 15 days ago

Charlie Tapp

9.2

Strawberry, red candy, plum and eucalyptus. Feminine and polished.

Drink now. — 17 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.1

2005 vintage. Nice fill. Excellent cork (removed with a Durand). Good color. Decanted with a small, but respectable, amount of sed. Tasted after 2.5 hours open. Light-medium/medium body. More feminine than masculine and still throwing out plenty of blueberry, raspberry, cocoa powder notes. Some back end structure to sustain this endeavor but not demonstratively so. Should hold in this range for another 5-6 years before shedding fruit and body. Not getting any better and no markers to indicate a three decade renaissance down the road worth holding out any hope for. 09.18.25. — a month ago