Classified as a third growth in the (in)famous 1855 appellation, Château Cantenac Brown is located smack bang in the middle of Margaux. Specialising in deeply coloured, award-winning wines, the Grand Vin is one of the most sought after Bordeaux reds of the region.

For those who are lucky enough to visit the grounds, the pretty castle will probably strike you as being a bit out of sorts with the rest of the region’s architecture. That’s because the founder (and artist) John Lewis Brown was a Scot, and wanted to remind himself of home in his adopted country. He had the castle built in the Tudor style at the beginning of the 19th century and today, the castle is easily the most standout building in the region.

Moving past the bricks and mortar, the 48-hectares of the estate is planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Vines are an average of 35 years old (although some are up to 60), while terroir is predominantly gravelly. Château Cantenac Brown is blessed in that its terroir is slightly hilly with peak elevation reaching 18 metres.

Today the estate is owned by the British property tycoon Simon Halabi, who purchased it from French insurance giants AXA. Halabi immediately put Portuguese native José Sanfins, (previously the winemaker at Château Belgrave) in charge. Sanfin’s careful low-yield management style has seen both Château Cantenac Brown’s stocks and quality rise, with vintages 2009, 2010 and 2015 being superb examples of what a Bordeaux red should be. It should be noted that while the wines might have been chunky and lacklustre in the past, since Sanfin’s involvement, Robert Parker and Wine Advocate have become huge fans of recent vintages. Naturally, investment opportunities will follow suit.