Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Very bright and aromatic with currants and rose petals. Medium-bodied, extremely juicy and savory. Lovely finish. Delicious already. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Charmail has a ripe, quite opulent (for the vintage) bouquet with raspberry, crushed strawberry and melted tar scents. There is great precision here. The palate is medium-bodied with plush, supple tannin, cloaked in blackberry and raspberry fruit, brown spices and a pleasant chewiness towards the finish. Maybe a little rustic compared to its peers, but I think this will age extremely well. Tasted February 2017.
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Wine Enthusiast
Unusually for the Médoc, this wine has a significant percentage (14.5%) of Cabernet Franc as well as 12.5% Petit Verdot. These two grapes give the wine its perfume and its dark color. They add to the rich tannins and juicy black currants that pack the wine. Drink this fine wine from 2020. Editor's Choice.
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.