Description

Chateau Cantemerle Haut Medoc 5th Growth 2020 tasted of red fruits, dried herbs, and a touch of oak. The palate on Chateau Cantemerle Haut Medoc 5th Growth 2020 was long and elegant. If I had one criticism, it would be that the acid was a bit soft. But that probably just means you can drink this vintage of Chateau Cantemerle at a younger age.

Chateau Cantemerle Haut Medoc 5th Growth 2020 is sold En-Primeur. You order and pay now, to receive the En-Primeur pricing. You will receive the wine in mid-late 2023

Chateau Cantemerle is an old and large property in the appellation of Haut-Medoc. It is about 92ha of vines which is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, about 30%of the vines are Merlot. Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot share 10% of the vineyard area. Cantemerle is never a show-off, blow your socks off type of Bordeaux. But it is a charming, elegant, mid-weight, and enjoyable wine. From a great year, it will cellar for decades and be truly amazing. But even in the tough years, Chateau Cantemerle often offers quality and value for money.

Chateau Cantemerle Haut Medoc 5th Growth 2020 Wine Review

Jane Anson
Decanter
Best Médoc & Haut-Médoc, Moulis & Listrac 2020 wines tasted en primeur
93 points
“This has the tight tannins of the vintage with damson and an edge of bitter dark chocolate, but it is a success all the same – confident, succulent, elegant and classic. Philippe Dambrine retires as director of the estate as of this vintage, replaced by Laure Canu from Château Angélus. A yield of 45hl/ha, 40% new oak, 6% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Drinking Window 2028 – 2042.”

Bordeaux

Situated near the Atlantic coast of France. The Gironde, Dordogne and Garonne rivers provide its shape. Cool conditions and frequent rainfall, including during harvest time, make Bordeaux quite a marginal region with vintages frequently ruined by rain or saved from the rain at the last minute by timely sunshine.

Haut-Medoc

A catch-all appellation that is about 60km long on the left bank of Bordeaux. There are few classified vineyards in this generic appellation and no discernible regional style. There are, however, a handful of wonderful wines that are often overlooked, great value, and ultimately are great Bordeaux.

Cabernet Sauvignon

The noble variety of Bordeaux’s left bank. Firm tannins, a streak of acidity and punctuated by flavours of cassis, violets, spice and leather. The best examples can age for the long-term. Although Cabernet does often require blending with Merlot, Cabernet Franc or Shiraz to fix the hole it has in its middle palate.

Merlot

It gets a tough time most of the places it is grown. But in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion Merlot not only dominates but makes some of the best wines in the world. Perfume, silky and plush. Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon season the wines with structure and acid but in some places, like Petrus, they are almost not needed.

French Wine

The land that so many New World (not European) wine producers look to emulate. To generalise about French wine, I would say it is savoury, lighter-bodied wines. They are the definition of elegant, complex. There are many styles, though. And there is a French wine for every palate. They lead the world in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Burgundy. Sparkling Wine in Champagne. Cabernet and Merlot in Bordeaux. Syrah(Shiraz) and Grenache in the Rhone Valley. Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris in Alsace. Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley. Gamay in Beaujolais.

Wine

Wine is the result you get from fermented grape juice. There is proof of wine production dating back 8000 years ago. Fashions, innovations and many other factors have influenced the way wine has evolved over the years.

The wine grape is pretty special. It contains everything you need to make grape wine except for the yeast, which lives on the outside of the skins.

Human inputs can influence the final product. This includes the viticulture (growing) choices. And the winemaker can shape the wine to a point too.

The best wines of the world often refer to terroir. This is a French term that refers to all the climatic, geological and topographical influences on a specific piece of land. And it is true that neighbouring vineyards, grown identically, can taste noticeably different.

Red Wine

Fun fact; most of the colour for wines comes from the skins. There are only a handful of grapes that have red juice. Alicante is the most well known of these grapes.

By macerating the juice on the skins, the wine gains tannins, and flavours. Certain compounds change the chemistry of the wine too.

Red wines tend to have higher alcohol. More tannin and more oak flavours compared to other styles of wine. But the thousands of grapes and terroirs they grow in influence this.

The Wine Depository

I, Phil, have been running The Wine Depository since 2011. The Wine Depository exists to make sure you are drinking the good wines. You can browse and pick what is interesting to you. Or you can make contact with me. I’ll make sure you get what you want, to your palate, to your budget and to your door.