Chateau Cantemerle 1996

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for Château Cantemerle 1996

Tasting Notes

Colour
Over time, the colour has evolved to reveal brick-red hues and a slight transparency at the rim.

Nose
The bouquet opens with intense aromas of black fruits such as blackberry and black cherry. After several years of ageing, it reveals a beautiful complexity through tertiary notes of undergrowth, cedar, cigar box, blond tobacco, along with subtle touches of truffle and delicate leather.

Palate
The attack reveals a medium to full body, favouring finesse over power. The tannic structure is particularly silky and well-integrated, supported by a lovely freshness. The finish, of appreciable length, extends the flavours of black fruits and tertiary nuances, enhanced by a delicate spicy touch.

Food and Wine Pairing

This red wine pairs wonderfully with grilled or roasted red meats, such as rib of beef or lamb. It also perfectly complements noble poultry such as pigeon or duck, feathered game, as well as slow-cooked dishes in sauce. When it comes to cheese, it beautifully enhances hard cow's milk cheeses such as Comté or Beaufort, as well as certain washed-rind cheeses.

Serving and Cellaring

Château Cantemerle 1996 has now reached full maturity. Depending on its storage conditions, it is ready to be enjoyed now, allowing you to fully appreciate its well-integrated tannins and rich tertiary aromatic palette.

The Elegance and Complexity of a Grand Cru Classé from the Haut-Médoc

The Estate

Located in Macau, in the Bordeaux region, Château Cantemerle boasts a very ancient history. While the seigneury is mentioned as early as 1147, the estate's winemaking tradition truly began in 1354. Classified as a fifth growth in 1855 thanks to the determination of Baroness Caroline de Villeneuve, the estate underwent a genuine revival starting in 1981 following its acquisition by the SMABTP group, its current owner. Now led by Laure Canu, the estate stands out for its rich historical heritage and its commitment to biodiversity.

The Vineyard

The vineyard spans nearly 98 hectares in the southern part of the Haut-Médoc appellation. The vines, planted at high density, thrive on soils of fine, deep gravel mixed with siliceous sand. The proximity of the Gironde estuary and the presence of a centuries-old 35-hectare forest park create a temperate microclimate, favourable to slow grape ripening. The estate practises meticulous viticulture with double Guyot pruning, leaf thinning, green harvesting, and manual harvesting accompanied by rigorous sorting.

The Vintage

The year 1996 proved particularly favourable for Bordeaux's left bank. Weather conditions allowed the Cabernet Sauvignon to reach excellent ripeness, giving the grapes a solid tannic structure and lovely acidity—ideal elements for crafting long-ageing wines.

Winemaking and Ageing

To craft Château Cantemerle 1996, the grapes were fully destemmed and then manually sorted. Fermentation took place over six to eight days at controlled temperatures, mainly in wooden vats, followed by a four-week post-fermentation maceration. The wine was then aged for twelve to fourteen months in French oak barrels, with a proportion of new oak ranging from 40 to 50%. The final blend is characterised by a careful and significant integration of press wine. The wine underwent light fining without any filtration prior to bottling.

Grape Varieties

This wine comes from a blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.