TN: 1986 Château Cantemerle

[Harry C.]

• 1986 Château Cantemerle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc (9/8/2013)
  I am absolutely convinced not only of bottle variation but that a good cellar is worth its weight in gold. Many on Cellartracker! rate this in the mid 80s-but they sure as hell are not drinking what I am. The color is garnet with a hint of orange at the rim. Nose all tertiary-seasoned salt, tobacco and cedar. Taste was medium weight, medium midpalate and good finish. Taste was dried herbs, tobacco with a hint of licorice. An absolute delight and it shows 1986s-at least the lower levels-if stored well are drinking well. YUM! Stored in an active cellar since release. (93 pts.)

[AlexR]

Seems like you had a good experience.

Cantemerle has long represented good value for money.

Here you are with a wine that is 27 years old and drinking well. Who could ask for more.

Yes, I go on Cellartracker sometimes and it can be awfully confusing with totally contradictory comments!
Of course, the more comments there are, the more likely the consensus is likely to be true...

Alex R.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

Undoubtedly some of those notes posted to CT were shot bottles, but a significant proportion of the intact ones were also undoubtedly drunk by people who don't care for or don't comprehend aged claret. And some of those people don't even know that's what they're tasting. It would be nice to be able to account for this in the TNs there other than just by "knowing" the specific poster's preferences and track record.

Basically if I am interested in buying an older wine, say at auction, if I see any positive fairly recent note about the wine on CT then that is a green light, and I just ignore the rest.

I would also add that knowing that until 2010 at least Cantemerle has been a traditionally-styled claret, and that 1986 was an enduring vintage, I would expect bottles with reasonable storage to provide interesting drinking now.