Ch Cantemerle dinner in London

[KevinH]

Chateau Cantemerle Dinner

Noizé, London, 12/3/2026


Gougeres

N.V. Gallimard Père et Fils Champagne Cuvée Amphoressence Brut Nature - France, Champagne
Nice bready nose with lots of red fruits. The Pinot Noir comes through strongly here. Very frothy but the bubbles die quite quickly in the glass. Lots of red apple, redcurrants. Nice. Reminds me of a mature Bollinger. (91 pts.)

Baked pink fir potato with sauerkraut and Baron Bigod sauce

1970 Château Cantemerle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Opened as a reserve for the 53. Good red colour, fragrant red fruits nose with cedar, compote, light bodied but fragrant. Lovely red fruits with great freshness and lift. Acidity freshens it without poking through. Stayed well after being decanted. A pour at the end of the evening was still good. A wine of delicacy and perfume. (90 pts.)

2012 Château Cantemerle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
A bit closed at first but opens up into a fragrant wine, a touch of leafiness, red fruits. Red fruit compote flavour, quite soft and with some charm, medium weight short finish. Develops nicely in the glass. Probably one for drinking over the next 5 years. The 12s remind me a little of the 73s from back in the day albeit a modern version. (89 pts.)

1983 Château Cantemerle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
From a magnum. Still a youthful deep red colour. Young, beefy nose at first, black fruited, but fine redcurrant fruits show through as it opens up. Still tastes young from this format. Touch of cassis develops as it opens out. Some cedar and tobacco, very classic. Very good wine and a fine 83. (93 pts.)

2006 Château Cantemerle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
The surprise of the night from a somewhat forgotten vintage. Nice cassis nose, lots of cedar, love the nose on this, very expressive. Good fruit, mid-weight but quite bold. Drinking well now but should last. Excellent Cantemerle. (91 pts.)

Roast Guinea fowl baby gem lettuce and galette potato with peppercorn sauce

1989 Château Cantemerle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
This is really at peak maturity and shows its class. Bold mix of cassis and redcurrant in the nose. Tastes fully resolved and with real persistence, ripe compote, cassis, cedar and tobacco. Classic mature Medoc. Good sweet fruited finish. Very classy. Stays well. (93 pts.)

2001 Château Cantemerle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
At first the nose smelt quite mature but it got younger in the glass. Some cassis, some beef. At first I wasn’t sure but it did a lot to open up in the glass. Quite a good black fruited wine with a better finish than many from this vintage. I warmed to it as the night went on. (90 pts.)

1996 Château Cantemerle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Beefy nose at first but this gave way to a bold, black-fruited, cassis laden nose. Took its time to unfurl, nice ripe cassis fruit when it did. Still a bit young and black fruited but this is an excellent wine with a long future. (92 pts.)

2005 Château Cantemerle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Cantankerous wine, big, tannic, thick. Loads of substance. Different to any other cantemerle I’ve had. Still young and unyielding. Black rather than red fruits, medicinal, even a hint of lint bandages. Not without interest on the night but probably needs some years yet and I suspect the tannins will still be there. (90 pts.)

Slow roast beef bourguignon and mash with carrot and ceps

2010 Château Cantemerle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
This is an absolute belter. Bit of beef on the nose but dense cassis and menthol. Tannic but ripe tannins, bold cassis, ripe, cool fruited. This is a classic in the making. The 89 was just the better wine on the night because of its extra maturity but with time this will surpass it. 95+ potential. (93 pts.)

2009 Château Cantemerle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Big, exotic nose with plenty of cassis and menthol, some blueberry compote. Ripe but dense fruit, big and lush but nice structure. Exotic fruit. Fine nose, flavour still holding back a bit. With time this will be superb. Will be fascinating to compare with the 2010 as they mature. (92 pts.)

1953 Château Cantemerle - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Smelt totally dead when I pulled the cork. Three hours later there was a hint of fruit on the nose. Three hours later we poured it, pale colour hardly any red left and oxidised nose again now but there was just a bit of fruit still there in the flavour, like very dilute rosehip syrup. Very frail, oxidised, but I was able to drink a small pour.

Cheese

2007 Château Coutet Barsac - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
Loads of almondy botrytis, apricot and a medicinal note, bathroom cabinets. Big fruit, moderate sweetness, bold and assertive. Quite a classic Coutet. (91 pts.)

[Nicklasss]

Nice report Kevin, and your detailled notes remind me why i’m such a fan of that Château.

I had all those Cantemerle, except 1983 and 1953, and you nailed everyone of them. For me the 1989 and 2010 are the best i had too.

No super highs, but no super lows, and these Cantemerle wines show that balance is the most important thing to age gracefully.

[KevinH]

It is a great mid-weight traditional Bordeaux, fragrant and red fruited and full of charm. The more recent vintages are more modern, certainly, but in a subtle way on things like tannin management and youthful drinkability rather than power and extraction. The 09 and 10 are classics in the making like 83 and 89 were in their day.

[JimHow]

Great stuff, Kevin, I have not had as many vintages dating as far back as those in your dinner, but your notes corroborate my experiences with Cantemerle from this century, that is, quality, true-to-Bordeaux at very reasonable prices. You are right, the more recent vintages are more modern, but not over the top. They are very appealing to my palate. I'm really looking forward to trying the 2023 vintage.

[stefan]

For 50+ years Cantemerle has been my second favorite Haut-Medoc Appellation wine. Actually, I do not recall ever being disappointed by a non corked Cantemerle.

[DavidG]

What a great dinner and report. A very enjoyable read on one of my value favorites.

[KevinH]

Given current affordable prices this is certainly one to have in the cellar if you don’t already. Of recent vintages I have 08, 09,10,15,16,18, and 19 already and will look to get some 20,22 and 23. Of the older ones I will be looking out for some 06, I liked that better than the 01 and 05 from that time.

[Comte Flaneur]

Great insights Kevin and all, and I was sorry I could not attend this dinner in London last week

The 1989 Cantemerle is a legend - best ever in my opinion.

I thought the 1996 may be the heir apparent but good wine that it is, it never really reached the level of the 1989 imho

Then the 2010 came along…ok I thought this is the real deal and will set a new benchmark taking the baton from the 1989…but then it seemed to close down hard…so glad that it is starting to shine again because I own 14 bottles of it

Of the modern vintages the 2015 shines brightly and is drinking really well already. It is one of the - somewhat rare - instances where the 2015 outshines the 2016

The 2023 could also follow in the footsteps of the 2015…one of the most impressive 23s I tried back in November.

[greatbxfreak]

It was love at first sip from a barrel sample of Cantemerle 2023, and the following three tastings of this wine were even better.

Laure Canu, who became technical director in 2022, can be proud of this wine.

Just think that Lisa Perrotti-Brown (TWI) rated it 83-85p during primeurs (April 2024).

It's a total bargain for the money!