Chateau Cantemerle 2018

Château Cantemerle Cinquieme Cru Classe, Haut Medoc, Bordeaux, France, 2018

Grape Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon 67%, Merlot 20%, Petit Verdot 6%, Cabernet Franc 7%, 35 year old vines, hand-picked, destemmed, 12 months in French oak (40% new wood).

Chateau Tasting Note:

With its superbly deep colour, the wine has the grand style of an elegant evening gown. The aromas are equally graceful: partly woody, partly spicy, but still young and far from fully developed. In the mouth, the wine shows the classic personality of superbly quintessential Cabernets from a great Médoc terroir: exotic wood character with liquorice, and pepper flavours, and a touch of red fruit. The wine’s structure displays reserve and complexity, with a well-tempered richness and great length. You can begin to enjoy the wine’s charm and elegance after decanting one hour before serving. It represents a perfect model of elegance, balance, and the fine flavours typical of Cantemerle’s greatest wines.

Crtitics' Tasting Notes:

"A rich and layered young Bordeaux with a solid center palate of ripe fruit and coated with ripe and polished tannins. Tightly wound ball now. Pretty texture and length to this."

(94-95/100) points, James Suckling

"The mix of flowers, tobacco, and spicy red fruits on the nose deserves the attention it receives. On the palate, the wine is softly-textured, medium-bodied and forward, with a light, fresh, bright, red berry character that will drink relatively well on release."

90/100 points, The Wine Cellar Insider, March 2021

Drink with cepes and roast poultry, or trout, scallops and lightly sauteed crayfish tails. Cheeses, from raw milk, such as Reblochon, Saint Nectaire, Cantal, Ossau-Iraty and Manchego are also an ideal match.