CHÂTEAU CANTEMERLE

The 2020 Cantemerle was very backward on the nose when I tasted it from bottle. Interestingly, I tasted two samples at different temperatures. The slightly warmer one is quite flamboyant, diametric to what I anticipated. The palate is quite powerful with a sweet core of blackberry and raspberry fruit, blood orange and cracked black pepper. Quite showy, though I would like to see more finesse and terroir expression on the finish. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 88 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

This is a very long and very even wine with fairly combative tannins and a dry finish, but I very much like the fruit tone and the controlled delivery, such that the finish rolls on for minutes. More closed than many, hence the ‘+’ in my score, this is a lovely effort and one which will provide twenty years of reliable service with ease. Rating: 17+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Cantemerle comes across as overripe and lacking in persistence. An initial burst of crème de cassis, blackberry jam and sweet oak fades pretty quickly. I expected more. Drinking range: 2022 - 2027 Rating: 85-87 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)

Deep purple-black in color, the 2020 Cantemerle reveals a great intensity and purity of blackcurrant cordial, stewed plums and black raspberry scents, plus hints of dried Provence herbs, Indian spices and woodsmoke. The medium-bodied palate delivers approachable chewy tannins and just enough freshness to support the savory-laced black fruit flavors, finishing with an herbal lift. Drinking range: 2024 - 2036 Rating: 88-90 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (May 2021)

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 range: 2028 - 2042 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)

A red-fruit fresh, vivid, and minerally nose; elegantly balanced medium-full wine, lively, very finely tannic, a perfectly proportioned Médoc; sweetly red- and black-fruit ripe, clear in mineral aromas, with tannins so silky as to be almost imperceptible; a lovely, rich yet restained classic style, packed with flavor, long, graceful, effortless, refreshing, and with gorgeous black-fruit sweet persistence. You sense the richness conveyed by the now old vines, planted in the early 1980s when the property was the first to be purchased by an insurance company. A great success, and likely to be great value. What a wine on which to finish a career for Philippe Dambrine, director since those early days! Drinking range: 2026 - 2046 Rating: 91-93 Michael Schuster, World of Fine Wine (May 2021)

The 2020 Cantemerle is tightly wound on the nose, requiring a lot of coaxing to reveal the blackberry, cedar and tobacco scents; a touch of iodine emerges with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black and red fruit, a light licorice touch on the back palate and a solid, slightly monochromatic finish. Hopefully this will develop more personality and race by the time of bottling, but given the potential of this fine estate, I was expecting more. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 86-88 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)

58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot. 40% new oak. Dark purple crimson with black core. Distinctive aroma that brings together not just cassis and damson but also the more lifted scent of Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. Gently leafy (not unripe) and with a light floral note like peony. Really pretty. On the palate, darker fruited but also with a marked dark-chocolate-like sweetness. Smooth, chewy tannins. Lots of flavour and a fruit and oak sweetness on the finish (though of course it is as dry wine), as well as the more savoury side from the dry tannins. Well integrated even now. Drinking range: 2025 - 2032 Rating: 16+ Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)