Winemaker Notes
Decant it to enjoy with a veal roast and wild mushrooms, or a blanquette with fresh pasta. As well as many other food matches, of course.
Blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
I like the floral character, which highlights the aromas of currants and berries. Full body and a firm and tight center palate. Silky tannins and a savory and creamy-textured finish. A beautifully balanced red. Try in 2021, but it’s already gorgeous to taste.
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Wine Enthusiast
While the wine does have a strongly dry element, it also has a creamy, black currant background that shows promise for the future. With great acidity offering freshness, this wine will balance well.
Barrel Sample: 91-93 -
Wine Spectator
Bright and racy, with red currant and plum fruit lined with a lively tang of iron that streaks through the finish. A touch taut, but should unwind nicely with modest cellaring. Best from 2018 through 2024.
After belonging to the Villeneuve (1579-1892) and Dubos (1892-1980) families, the chateau was acquired in 1981 by Groupe SMA, a large mutual insurance company in the construction and civil engineering sector. The estate's long history is reflected in the chateau's distinctive architecture and the magnificent grounds that surround it. Cantemerle exudes romantic charm and its wine has a magical feel to it!
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.
While it claims the same basic landscape as the Medoc—only every so slightly elevated above river level—the Haut Medoc is home to all of the magnificent chateaux of the Left Bank of Bordeaux, creating no lack of beautiful sites to see.
These chateaux, residing over the classed-growth cru in the villages of Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, St-Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe are within the Haut Medoc appellation. Though within the confines of these villages, any classed-growth chateaux will most certainly claim village or cru status on their wine labels.
Interestingly, some classed-growth cru of the Haut Medoc fall outside of these more famous villages and can certainly be a source of some of the best values in Bordeaux. Deep in color, and concentrated in ripe fruit and tannins, these wines (typically Cabernet Sauvignon-based) often prove the same aging potential of the village classed-growths. Among these, the highest ranked chateaux are Chateau La Lagune and Chateau Cantemerle.