The 2019 Château Cantemerle is a remarkable wine from the Médoc region, showcasing the elegance and depth that have made this estate renowned. With its dominant blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and the addition of Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc, this wine is an outstanding expression of its terroir. The wine has garnered glowing reviews from critics, highlighting its complex aromas, structured palate, and long, persistent finish. A wine that’s already impressive in its youth but promises to develop even further with time, it is a perfect example of a classic Bordeaux that combines freshness, elegance, and power.

JamesSuckling.com | JS 95
Published: Dec 6, 2021

A red with lots of currant, blackberry, fresh-herb and tobacco character. Hint of mushroom, too. It’s full and layered with polished, chewy tannins and a bright and fresh finish. Very long and focused. Give it time to come together. Very classic character here. Best after 2026.

Decanter | D 94
Published: Jan 5, 2022
Drink: 2025-2045

Green pepper and herbaceous notes on the nose with minty eucalyptus alongside ripe cherry and blackcurrant aromas - so classic. A lovely mouthfeel here, smooth, well defined and preise. Quite direct, serious and darkly fruited - such a concentrated core - but with smooth tannins, a soft sweetness and freshness that lifts the overall frame. Balanced with succulence. Makes a lasting impact and impression. A great value pick.

Closure: Cork
Body: Medium
Oak: Oaked
Grapes: 5% Cabernet Franc 68% Cabernet Sauvignon 23% Merlot

The Wine Advocate | RP 92
Published: Apr 7, 2022
Date: 2025-2045

Opening in the glass with notions of rich berry fruit, licorice, cedar, violets and loamy soil, the 2019 Cantemerle is medium to full-bodied, with a fleshy core of fruit, lively acids and powdery tannins that gently assert themselves on the finish. This shut down a little after bottling (some 11 months ago at the time of writing), but it is beginning to bounce back to reveal a wine of real charm and character.

Château Cantemerle saw substantial investments in the 1980s and since then has cruised along very happily—until now, with a new winery and cellar about to enter the construction phase. There are 98 hectares under vine, some 68% of which are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, at a density of 8,500 vines per hectare. Occupying a crescent around the château, the vineyards sit on Mindel gravels, and the terroir is rather homogenous, such that any given parcel has the potential to make it into the grand vin (the second wine is mostly derived from young-vine parcels). Farming is thoughtful, with minimal chemicals and cover crops employed to limit vigor in parcels planted with Merlot. In the last few years, almost one kilometer of hedges has been added, to enhance biodiversity. The air-pulse system was prototyped here, so that's the order of the day during vinification, and élevage employs moderate percentages of new oak.

Jancisrobinson.com | JR 16
Published: Feb 1, 2023
Drink: 2027-2037

Tasted blind. Sweet, lightly oaky nose. Quite fresh, but a bit stringy on the end. Not quite enough fruit concentration on the end. Just a bit weak but not exaggerated.

Cantemerle.com

2019 TASTING NOTE
The superb maturity of Cantemerle’s Cabernet Sauvignon is evident up front by its degree of concentration and complexity—the sign of a great Médoc wine. Before tasting this fine bottle, you’ll want to transfer it to a decanter an hour before serving. After this preparatory step you’ll discover the wine’s fuller aromatic richness: the bouquet expresses cherry, olive and tobacco notes, as well as hints of oak that are still somewhat present.
In the mouth, silky tannins launch a symphony of spicy, peppery and fruity flavors upon the palate that are of great quality and generously supported by a long, full softness. The finish is lengthy and lively, neither limp nor harsh. A well-constructed balance is the foundation which supports a structure of freshness, elegance, persistence, and a perfectly controlled power.

VINEYARD
92 ha under production
Silica and gravel soils of the quaternary era
60% Cabernet Sauvignon - 30% Merlot - 4% Petit Verdot -
6% Cabernet Franc
Average age of vines : 30 years
Vine density : 8300 plants per hectare

CULTURE AND HARVEST
Pruning : Médoc double Guyot
Deleafing: face to face after flowering (berry set)
Grape thinning is done when the grapes are filling out
Green harvest occurs after changing of color (veraison) 
Handpicked harvest with selective sorting in the vineyard

VINIFICATION AND AGEING
Total destemming
The grapes are hand-sorted before crushing
Fermentation: 6-8 days at 26 -28°C
Maceration: 28 -30 days
Ageing for 12 months in french oak barrels(medium toast) which 40% are new

BLENDING 2019
68% Cabernet Sauvignon
23% Merlot
4% Cabernet Franc
5% Petit Verdot