Château Cantemerle 2015

Special Price $42.95 Average US Price $50.00
Out of stock
SKU
0805-2015

Other Vintages We Offer:

• Domaine: Château Cantemerle
• Appellation: Haut Médoc
• Classification: Fifth Growth, 5ème Grand Cru Classé
• Origin: Left Bank, Bordeaux, France

Château Cantemerle produces a wine perfectly tailored to the modern drinker.  This Fifth Growth Haut Médoc estate yields age worthy wines featuring the traditional Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, yet the wines are significantly softer and less aggressive than some of the more sturdy, tannic, and almost port-like wines of the Médoc.  For drinkers who enjoy luscious fruit, silkier tannins, and great value wines, Château Cantemerle is definitely a producer worth paying attention to.

Château Cantemerle is one of the first famous estates any individual fortunate enough to travel to Bordeaux will see when driving along the famous route D2.  The Fifth Growth Haut Médoc estate also happens to be one of the oldest properties in the Bordeaux wine region boasting a rich and colorful history.  Historic documents date the property all the way back to the 12th Century.  On the grounds of the estate, one will find hundreds of blackbirds crowing among the vines, and this is how the Château Cantemerle receives its namesake.  The word, “merle” is French for blackbird and, “canta,” derives from the French word, “chantar,” meaning, “to sing.”  This interesting name for the estate led to one of the most famous, talked-about legal cases in Bordeaux in the 19th Century. 

The property was owned by the shrewd businesswoman Madame Villenueve Durfort and was already a well-known winemaking estate at the time.  The owner of the neighboring property, Château Pibran, renamed his property, Chadeuil Cantemerle Château Pibran.  This naturally led to confusion among the two estates, and Madame Villenueve was a woman who suffered no fools.  Eventually, she took the owner – a man named Pierre Chadeuil - to court and though he argued, “Cantemerle,” was a region and not a name he lost and was forced to pay damages.  But this wouldn’t be the first time Madame Villenueve fought hard for her estate.  During the 1855 Classification, when Château Cantemerle was initially left out of the document, Madame Villenueve marched over to the négociants, bringing 40 years of books that proved her wine was selling for as much or more than the other Classified Growths.  She won, and Château Cantemerle received its well-deserved ranking as a Fifth Growth estate within a year.  

Any property with a legacy spanning as long as that of Château Cantemerle is bound to have its fortunes rise and fall.  The property was pummeled by phylloxera at the turn of the century and a particularly nasty bout of downy mildew for almost a decade.  In the modern era, Château Cantemerle is owned by the SMATB group who continues to put investments into the estate and improve it. Everything is harvested, sorted, and destemmed by hand at Château Cantemerle.  They view their winemaking as a sort of, “soft infusion process,” and there is very little pressing involved.  The goal is to produce age worthy wines with supple, airy tannins featuring refined fruit.  Without a doubt, the property’s journey is an exciting one and we look forward to what the future holds.   

Tasting Notes

"Deep and bright with a good attack of brambles, gooseberry and raspberry. It just doesn't quite deliver the suave tannins that you look for in such a brilliant vintage, although the relatively high 6% of Petit Verdot alongside the classic Cabernets and Merlot blend often gives a slight rusticity to them in the early years. One of the few wines in the Margaux region where I prefer the 2016, but this is still a lovely wine. Eric Boissenot consults." Jane Anson, Decanter (11/01/2017) Rating: 91 Drink: 2023-2040

''The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Cantemerle has a nose of warm plums, blackberries and red currants with a waft of fragrant earth. Medium-bodied with nice vibrancy and freshness, it offers approachable tannins with a lift to the finish.'' Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (2/21/2018) Ratings: 86 Drink: 2018-2026

''Based on 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the inky colored 2015 Château Cantemerle offers a terrific bouquet of black currants, smoked herbs, earth, and hints of charcoal. Ripe, concentrated, rounded, and undeniably delicious, with ripe tannin, it's a terrific vintage for Cantemerle to drink anytime over the coming 10-15 years.'' Jeb Dunnuck, 2015 Bordeaux from Bottle (11/30/2017) Ratings: 91 Drink: 2018-2033


More Information
LWIN 1395185
Stock Status Out of Stock
Appellation Haut-Médoc
Vintage 2015
Brand Chateau Cantemerle
Shipping Weight 3.000000
We found other products you might like!

 

The Haut-Médoc appellation is a vast and prestigious wine region located on the Left Bank of the Gironde in the northwest of Bordeaux. Covering roughly 4,600 hectares, this region forms a crucial part of the Médoc and is home to the famous appellations of Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux, Moulis and Listrac.

 

The wines from Haut-Médoc predominantly feature the classic Bordeaux grape varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon is the mainstay imparting structure, intensity and aging potential to the wines. It is often blended with Merlot which brings roundness and softness, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec add additional aromatic nuances. This blend produces wines that are well-balanced with a harmonious mix of fruit, tannins and acidity. 

 

Haut-Médoc wines are renowned for their sophistication, elegance, balance and capacity for aging. They exhibit aromas of black fruits, cassis and plum accompanied by notes of cedar, tobacco and spices. 


Among the most iconic chateaux of the Haut-Medoc appellation, there are many renowned estates producing high-quality wines. Among them, several wines are classified in the 1855 classification such as Château La Lagune (Third Growths), Château La Tour Carnet (Fourth Growths) as well as Château Belgrave and Château Cantemerle are Fifth Growths. Other renowned estates in this region are : Château Belle-Vue, Château Verdignan, Château Lanessan, Château de Camensac and Château Sociando-Mallet.

Footnotes on Futures, Pre-Arrivals, and potential US Tariffs: 

1. As of June 15, 2021, the US and the EU agreed to suspend tariffs resulting from the Boeing-Airbus aircraft trade disputes. Accordingly, such import taxes are now suspended for the next five years.

2. Futures are expected to be available for delivery two years after the sales (e.g., the 2022 vintage, sold in 2023, will be delivered in 2025 mostly, or 2026 if the producer ages the wine longer).

3. Pre-Arrivals are items currently stored in our Bordeaux cellar or in transit from France to the US. It usually takes 1-6 months for Pre-Arrivals to become available for delivery, depending on the stage of the import process.

4. Regarding futures and pre-arrivals, we cannot guarantee specific delivery dates, which factors beyond our control may impact. However, we will notify you once your wine arrives in our cellar.

5. While a buyer of Bordeaux wine futures locks in an allocation of the specified items, the final delivery of the purchased items from France to the US may be impacted by intervening and unforeseeable events. Despite our due diligence, additional costs or delays may be caused by such intervening and unforeseen events and "an irresistible, superhuman cause, or by the act of public enemies of the state of California or the United States."  In such circumstances, if a buyer does not accept unforeseeable costs or delays, the sole and exclusive remedy is a cancellation of the futures order concerned and a refund of the original purchase price. We are NOT liable for any lost profits on a canceled order.

© 2024 Laguna Cellar. All rights reserved. (888) 390-WINE | Drink Responsibly | End Drunk Driving