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Cantemerle 2018

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Haut Médoc
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

A popular Classed Growth Château from the southern Médoc, situated just below the village of Margaux. Cantemerle always provides reliable quality and value for money. The wines are never heavy or jammy. Good traditional claret that is usually sold at a modest price and with quality on the rise in recent vintages. In 2018 the crop is 45% down on a normal year (and neighbour La Lagune was wiped out completely). The Cabernet component is higher than normal at 67% with 20% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot. A modest 13.3 degrees. Philippe Dambrine told us that this wine reminds him more of the 2010 than the fleshy 2009.

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Label

Tasting Notes

A rich and layered young Bordeaux with a solid center palate of ripe fruit and coated with ripe and polished tannins. Tightly wound ball now. Pretty texture and length to this.

94/95
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2019

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Cantemerle leaps from the glass with scents of Morello cherries, raspberry pie, fruitcake and prunes, plus hints of potpourri and unsmoked cigars. The medium-bodied palate is chewy and a little tart, featuring some otherwise pleasant fruitcake flavors, finishing just a little drying and rustic. 2021 - 2028.

85
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, March 2021

Darkest crimson rim with black core. Elderberry-like tangy fruit. Juicy in the middle even with the layers of dryish tannins. But the finish is rather too dry for overall harmony. Drink 2023-2028

15.5
Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2019

Medium deep ruby in the glass. The nose is classically medocain, with cedary fruit, light toastiness and pure blackcurrant. The palate continues in this vein with bright acidity, chalky and chewy tannins and cool black fruit at the core. This is compact, well-proportioned and fresh, with the firmness of tannins to age well in bottle. One for the classicists, at what should be a modest price.

91
Farr Vintners, Farr Tasting, April 2019

(67 Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 Merlot, 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, 6 Petit Verdot) | 40% new oak for 12 months This is a lovely Cantemerle and it is not too dark or extracted, preferring to major in red fruit tones. Nicely-judged, the oak and tannin are in harmony, too. This is a success for Cantemerle and it is a rare wine which is red cherry-themed as opposed to black cherry-themed in this vintage.

17+
Matthew Jukes, MatthewJukes.com, April 2019
Read more tasting notes...

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Cantemerle delivers notions of crème de cassis, raisin cake and prunes with hints of Chinese five spice and dusty soil. Full-bodied and boldly fruited with dried berries and fruit preserves, it has a firm, chewy texture and just enough freshness, finishing spicy.

86/88
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (April 2019), April 2019
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.