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

Food Match: 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.