Winemaker Notes
The owners came and went at Chateau Brown over the centuries and the estate alternated between glory and neglect. It was not until the late 20th century that the estate was fully restored to its former eminent position under the impulse of Bernard Barthe, the master of the chateau for the last decade.
In December 2004, he decided to place his “life’s work” in the hands of a famous dynasty of wine traders who had been at the forefront of winegrowing in Bordeaux since 1897: the Mau family, in partnership with the Dutch Dirkzwager family. When you discover the gently-sloping vineyard, its thousand-year-old history and its majestic building in which the finest paintings by J. L. Brown are still kept, you can understand the passion that Chateau Brown arouses in Jean-Christophe Mau, the current manager. He devotes himself fully to the estate, backed up by the experience of his elders and his convictions as a young winegrower, but also borne by a deep fascination for this place with its exceptional past.
Recognized for its superior reds as well as whites, Pessac-Léognan on the Left Bank claims classified growths for both—making it quite unique in comparison to its neighboring Médoc properties.
Pessac’s Chateau Haut-Brion, the only first growth located outside of the Médoc, is said to have been the first to conceptualize fine red wine in Bordeaux back in the late 1600s. The estate, along with its high-esteemed neighbors, La Mission Haut-Brion, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pique-Caillou and Chateau Pape-Clément are today all but enveloped by the city of Bordeaux. The rest of the vineyards of Pessac-Léognan are in clearings of heavily forested area or abutting dense suburbs.
Arid sand and gravel on top of clay and limestone make the area unique and conducive to growing Sémillon and Sauvignon blanc as well as the grapes in the usual Left Bank red recipe: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and miniscule percentages of Petit Verdot and Malbec.
The best reds will show great force and finesse with inky blue and black fruit, mushroom, forest, tobacco, iodine and a smooth and intriguing texture.
Its best whites show complexity, longevity and no lack of exotic twists on citrus, tropical and stone fruit with pronounced floral and spice characteristics.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.