Decanter What are you Doing & Thinking?

So really no one I know ever quotes anything from Decanter and really we should not quote much from most wine critics. I still think WA and WS do the best job overall and will not talk about some of the other smaller operations that just hand out 95s like candy. I was shopping at Total Wine last weekend and I always like trying younger wines early so if I like them I can buy more. Never trust just a critics score and try a wine for yourself. Amazing Decanter actually rated this cheap, grocery store level Bordeaux over this well respected great name.

Lamothe Vincent was rated 95 points by Decanter vs. Cantenac Brown only 93 points. You can clearly see the difference in my professional wine reviews.

• 2022 Château Lamothe Vincent Bordeaux Reserve – France, Bordeaux (3/9/2025)
  Day 1: Diam 3 Closure. So, $13 a bottle and very good at that price point but Decanter giving these 95 points is a complete joke. Who actually uses them for reviews? Dark purple and composite cork. Big style with some oak, dark berries, floral and earth. A little astringent and medium finish. Not bad especially at the price. For sure would recommend as a cheaper Bordeaux option. 87 points
  Day 2: Many inexpensive bottles of Bordeaux I find don’t tend to do as well on day 2 and this is for sure one. Dark fruits, some earth, mild oak and coffee beans. Nothing bad but for sure would not buy again. 83 points
  Day 3: So much for that 95 points from Decanter. This is almost undrinkable and for a young Bordeaux that is not a good thing. Harsh with earth, chalk, spices and some fruit. This wine faded very quickly. 75 points
  Recommendation: Avoid the Decanter World Award Wines! (87 points)

• 2020 Château Cantenac Brown – France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux (3/9/2025)
  Day 1: Perfect wine for a 3-day review. Can’t believe people don’t apply this process with these big Bordeaux wines. For sure modern in style and quite tannic. Shows a lot of promise. Gravel, earth, cherry, wood, blue currants, spice, tobacco and dried flowers. A bold and powerful wine and I love it. Excited to see how this unfolds over 3 maybe 4 days on this one. 93-95.
  Day 2: More open for business with blueberries, spice, coffee beans, gravel, cherry, wood, minerals and earth. A big, modern style that would appease the Napa Cab drinkers. I like it overall but would seek out elsewhere for more traditional Bordeaux. 93+
  Day 3: No surprise on a young, quality Bordeaux that it is at its best on day 3. Pencil lead, cigar, earth, exotic spices, gravel, blueberries, sour cherry, wood and dried flowers. Much less intense and shows with aging its true potential. 94 points
  Recommendation: Let these sit for 10 plus years. (94 points)