The 2017 Château Cantemerle presents a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, showcasing deep garnet-purple color and youthful aromas. The nose features blackberry, oak, and subtle notes of herbs and tilled soil, with hints of pencil lead and chargrill. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, with chewy tannins and good freshness, giving it a firm structure that suggests a strong aging potential.

Jamessuckling.com | JS 92
Published: Jan 10, 2020

Barley, walnut-shell and blackberry character. Full body. Chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. A little lean and tight now and needs some time to soften. Better after 2020. 

Decanter | D 92
Published: Nov 21, 2019
Drink: 2022-2038

Rich plum colour, 20% down on volume due to frost but still delivering plenty of damson fruit on the nose. This feels slick and well extracted, with smoked grilled notes from oak. Dark fruits, extremely polished, not as concentrated as some vintages so no need to wait too long, but this really manages to deliver polished fruit and an overall enjoyable experience. 40% new oak.

The Wine Advocate | RP 89
Published: Apr 30, 2015
Drink: 2020-2030 

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cantemerle is sporting a lot of oak, herbs and tilled soil over a cassis and baked plums core plus pencil lead and chargrill touches. The palate is medium-bodied, firm and grainy with nice freshness and good length. 

Cantemerle.com

2017 TASTING NOTE
Deeply colored with reserved, sustained aromas…everything which indicates a bottle with a future, a very good bottle indeed. This very young wine still has a way to go to show its full potential on the palate, and can benefit from an additional two years to begin opening up. Standard practice for age-worthy wines.
Nonetheless, those who appreciate young wines will find much to enjoy: with careful aerating in a decanter, pleasant blackberry aromas become evident. Long on the finish, rich and dense without excess but well structured, it unites ripe —but not overripe— Merlot and Cabernets. The wine shows good fruit that is both youthful and fresh.
Significant length on the palate is evident, with a complexity of
aromas showing through its general austerity. This will certainly be a great wine, but patience is called for…

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
An ultra light fining is done prior to bottling

PRODUCTION
400 000 bottles

BLENDING 2017
71% Cabernet Sauvignon
25% Merlot
4% Petit Verdot