Chateau de Camensac 2019

Two samples showing clear qualities in terms of body and integrated oak, but marked by drying tannins. Less precise in fruit expression than one would hope for a classified growth in the context of this vintage.

Particularly fruity in style, juicy, refreshing, yet also fleshy, with supportive, pleasantly bitter tannins; among the best wines ever produced here.

The 2019 Camensac has only improved since I tasted it earlier this year, adding floral aromas of violet and rose to its attractive bouquet of dark berries and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, it's a lively, concentrated wine that concludes with a long, penetrating finish.

Milk chocolate, cherry fruit, plums and blackcurrant sweets on the nose. This has a lovely texture; the tannins are on the ripe, plush, chewy side and completely coat the mouth, but there’s a lovely perfumed lift to the fruit profile on the palate. It feels pretty yet quietly powerful. Dense and driven, with a touch of austerity around the edges toward the finish. Give it time to soften further, but there’s lovely fruit definition here. Good winemaking. Eric Boissenot consultant. Tasted twice.

Aromas of ripe berries and baking spices with hints of hazelnuts, leather and bark. Medium-bodied and tight, with chewy tannins and a velvety texture. Compact and firm with chocolatey undertones. Needs some time to open up. 55% cabernet sauvignon and 45% merlot. Try after 2024.

55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot. Black core, deep crimson rim. Fragrant with black fruit and just a little leafy. Really bone dry, fine-boned but builds to a chewy finish. Dry freshness on the finish. (JH)

The 2019 Château de Camensac is one of the best produced at the estate. Still a little bashful on the nose, it unfolds to offer black fruit, Earl Grey tea and tobacco, all beautifully defined and focused. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, and quite linear, yet full of vigor, leading to a spicier finish than was suggested out of barrel. Good wine!

Medium-bodied, soft, fresh and fruity, with a peppery accent to the sweet, ripe currants and herbs, and a dab of chocolate on the finish. You can enjoy this with ease on release and over the next decade or longer. Drink from 2022–2032.

Dark ruby garnet, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Finely spiced Black Forest berry confit, nuances of blackberries and cassis, fresh orange zest. Medium complexity, fresh cherries, integrated tannins, mineral-salty finish, a lively, uncomplicated food companion.

Plums, black cherries, tobacco, and cedary herb notes all emerge from the 2019 Château De Camensac, a solid, medium-bodied, nicely balanced, and elegant Haut-Médoc that has a good decade or more of longevity ahead of it.

Kunz barrel sample 2020: (55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 13.5% vol. alcohol, production 240,000 bottles) Velvety, medium-bodied bouquet, cherries, red licorice, chalk, iodine. Angular, dry palate with sandy tannins, light fruit, medium aromatics, bourgeois structure, dry finish.

Light, austere bouquet, red cherries, redcurrants, wood, cold smoke. Firm, medium-bodied palate with light fruit, sandy tannins, a slender structure, bitter-leaning aromatics, bourgeois structure, dry finish. 16/20 2024 - 2034

Balanced alcohol without sacrificing mid-palate concentration; this is a lovely 2019 in a classical, graceful year. Cabernet Sauvignon dominant in character, with freshly cut mint leaf and graphite tannins. An upscore from earlier tastings, it lingers on the palate with a mouthwatering finish. Valentin Perrot, technical director, along with cellar master Christian Alquie. 60% new oak. Eric Boissenot, consultant. Harvest from September 19 to October 8.

The 2019 de Camensac is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It comes bounding out with exuberant notes of kirsch, crushed blackcurrants, and bay leaves, plus suggestions of graphite and tree bark. The medium-bodied palate delivers an impressive intensity of black and red berry layers with firm, ripe tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with great length.

2019 is very charming, with lovely roundness and a fleshy palate marked by black fruit notes. It’s a well-built wine, smoothed by supple Merlots. Already very seductive, it will evolve gracefully.

Precise and lively, this nose of black berries evokes a deep forest, with notes of pine, green wood and elderberry. On the palate, there is lovely roundness from the oak, even if it is not yet perfectly integrated).

If the second wine is already charming, the first wine certainly makes it clear it has assets of its own… honestly! Its bouquet is inviting, revealing notes of blackcurrant, pepper, and eucalyptus. On the palate, the wine shows who’s boss! It has density, elegant, silky tannins, and a refreshing structure. A delicious wine with great potential… the real challenge will be to resist it (a little).

The body and flavor are lacking!