We nailed our colours to the mast regarding the 2019 vintage when the wines started to ship to the UK toward the end of 2021: we thought the vintage to be exceptional from top to bottom. In-bottle reviews from the major critics, notably Neal Martin in February 2022 and William Kelley in April 2022, confirmed our view, with high scores and strong recommendations across the board. The final, and some would say ultimate, stamp of approval came at the Southwold tasting in January 2023, where the group consensus was that it may well be the best vintage that the group had ever tasted.
Is it better than 2016? That is the only question that might split the room. We like William Kelley’s view, who considers 2019 "a sort of sun-kissed cousin of the 2016 vintage." Where 2019 certainly does knock 2016, though, is the consistency from top to bottom and from left bank to right bank. You cannot go far wrong with this vintage.
A paradigm example of this is 2019 Cantemerle. Likely the best wine this château has ever produced, 2019 Cantemerle is everything that is great about the vintage. Fine and fresh on the nose with an underlying ripeness that is typical of the year. Black and red fruit on the palate, with a touch of spice – this is a wine that could come from nowhere else but Bordeaux. It also has the 2019 hallmark of approachability: at seven years old it is well into its drinking window which, with such superb balance, will be a long one. You can open a bottle tonight or keep it for a decade.
Finally: the price. At £210 per dozen in bond, or £105 per six, it works out to just under £25 per bottle after taxes. That’s for a classed growth claret, one from a brilliant vintage, with five years of bottle age under its belt. It is a wine that we open in the office on a regular basis – it does an excellent job as a blind benchmark – and it just seems to get better every time. As Neal Martin writes: “This is a really fabulous Cantemerle that surely represents outstanding value. No excuse not to have this in your cellar.”
We have stocks in halves, bottles and magnums plus just one 600cl imperial. All are lying with us and ready to go. For orders of 24 bottles plus, we can offer a special price of £205 per 12 in bond (bottles only).
The 2019 Cantemerle has a fruit-driven bouquet with opulent blackberry and blueberry fruit, certainly one of the most floral in the flight with pressed violets developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins, fleshy and rounded, though I am looking for more tension and precision on the finish. This is a really fabulous Cantemerle that surely represents outstanding value. No excuse not to have this in your cellar. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drink 2025-2050.
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. - drink 2025-2045
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.
A perfect example of why 2019 is a modern great, this Cantemerle combines the approachable, moreish fruit and slick texture of the vintage with the compact, refreshing and distinctly médocain style of the château. Still a bright ruby in the glass, there are tones of cedar and wood smoke together with cool, fine and ripe blackcurrants on the nose. The palate has a sheen to it that cloaks the chalky tannins, propping up a core of cool dark fruit. There is a ripeness here but it is never excessive; it remains a wine that knows where it's from - cedar and undergrowth, bright acids and crunchy fruits all give it definition. Rather, this is classic Claret with and intensity, smoothness and integration of structure that keeps you coming back. Long, layered and lightly spicy on the finish, this is an excellent example that is one of the finest Cantemerles in recent history. Very good value for money.
Plenty of smoked cedar oak on the opening beats, this is full-throated in its extraction, but comes across as confident rather than too much, and as it softens the damson and black cherry fruits are attractive. A healthy 55hl/h yield, with 40% new oak
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. 2025-2045
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.
