Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Tons of personality and concentration, delivering on 2016 expectations. Cassis, chocolate, slate, clear oak toasting well handled. One that shows the value at this level of cru bourgeois. The Petit Verdot makes a definite contribution to spice and colour. Drinking Window 2020 - 2030
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Jeb Dunnuck
From a 28.5-hectare vineyard overlooking the Gironde River on the northern side of Saint-Estephe, the 2016 Château Charmail is one of those hidden gems in the vintage that should be snatched up by readers. It’s a medium to full-bodied, elegant, classic wine that offers lots of darker fruits (cassis and blackberry), spice, new saddle leather, and leafy herbs as well as a kiss of damp earth. It has terrific balance and is going to keep for 15-20 years. The blend is 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, all brought up in one-third new French oak. A total of 80% of the production went into the grand vin.
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James Suckling
Blueberry and blackberry character with hints of stones and minerals. Medium to full body and firm and silky tannins. Wonderful tannin quality here. Rating: 91-92
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Charmail is blended of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot aged for 12 months in 33% new, 33% one-year-old and 33% two-year-old French oak barrels. Deep garnet-purple in color, it delivers intense scents of crème de cassis, cedar chest and pencil lead with touches of yeast extract and menthol. Medium to full-bodied with a firm frame of chewy tannins and plenty of mint-laced fruit, it finishes just a little woody at this youthful stage but should dial that in beautifully with another year or two in bottle.
Rating: 91+ -
Wine Enthusiast
Just north of Saint-Estèphe, this vineyard surrounds a turreted chateau. With a high percentage of Merlot in the blend, this wine has a spicy, juicy character that is given necessary freshness by acidity and crisp black-currant flavors.
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.