CHÂTEAU CANTEMERLE

2020 5ème Cru Classé Macau

EN PRIMEUR

Lots or richness and fruit for this winery, showing blackberry, blackcurrant and dark-chocolate character. It’s full and layered. Well done. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2021)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

This is completely delicious. Warm feel on the attack - but good bright line gives juicy bounce. Svelte and complete. Polished sleekness, but not too slick. Their new Air-Pump's soft extraction is evident, a great tool in a vintage like this. No hard edges, no really dark notes, but certainly has some 'classic' claret lines and the fine grippy feel of the vintage. Core of fruit is good though with plum flesh and nice spice. Red fruit lifts the darker shadows. Lots of crisper firmer notes too of hedgerow berries. Pert and no excess. Just a really smart, uplifting feel. Tannins are fresh and chalky but ‘just-enough’. The team here compare 2020 to 2010 - but with more complexity. A very successful Cantemerle. One not to miss for the cellar. L&S (May 2021)

Aromas of blackcurrants and kirsch with hints of dried blood orange, licorice and cocoa. Medium- to full-bodied with layers of well-integrated, finely polished tannins. Structured and toned with a fresh and lively fruit-forward palate, seasoned with spices and dried herbs. Lingering, chalky finish. Delicious now, but better after 2026. Rating: 94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)

The 2020 Cantemerle comes across pretty much as it did from barrel. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum and sweet spice gives this a good bit of exuberance. I don't mind the very ripe style so much, but it is the lack of mid-palate and finish that is more problematic. Drinking range: 2023 - 2028 Rating: 86 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

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)

Philippe Dambrine retires as director of the estate at the end of the 2020 vintage, after a long successful tenure. He is replaced by Laure Canu from Château Angélus. Laure is taking on the property in fine fettle with recent innovations in the cellar including their Air-Flow pump system that ensures the softest touch and minimal extraction of the juice - particularly valuable in the recent run of hot vintages. In the vineyard too plot selections and their HVE (level 3) certification means the developments continue towards healthier, better and more sustainable farming.
The long history of Château Cantemerle begins at least as far back as the 12th Century when it was a fortification. Wine production got under way seriously under the watch of the Villeneuve family who bought Cantemerle in 1579 and finally sold up in 1892. During that time Château Cantemerle famously scraped in to the 1855 classification as an apparent last minute addition after some frantic lobbying by Caroline de Villeneuve-Durfort. Théophile-Jean Dubos bought Cantemerle in 1892 and had some initial success, but the 20th Century saw a familiar period of decline and his descendents sold up nearly a hundred years later in 1981 to the Groupe SMABTP who's recent investments have put Château Cantemerle back on its feet.
Château Cantemerle lies in Macau, to the south of the Margaux appellation. There are 87ha under vine, planted to 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Grapes are hand harvested. The Grand Vin spends 12 months in wood, of which 50% is new.
There is a second wine - Les Allées de Cantemerle.

Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.

Ordering

Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.

Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.

Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.

Confirmation

All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.

Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.

Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.

Delivery

  • Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
  • Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
  • Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
  • Delivery of 2022 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2025. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.

Practical notes - how it works

We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.

Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.

Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.

One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-

  • +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
  • +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
  • +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
  • +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
  • +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
  • +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.

Storage Options:

Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2025. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.