2010 BWE WINE OF THE YEAR: 2005 CHATEAU CANTEMERLE

[JimHow]

2005 CHATEAU CANTEMERLE: A JEAN-NICOLAS MALTAIS KIND OF WINE

As always, thank you to everyone for your suggestions for the 2010 BWE Wine of the Year.

There were numerous good choices. The 2002 Dom Perignon was intriguing because of the "buzz" it seemed to generate.

I liked the 2006 Lagrange a lot, in part because I found it more "true" to St. Julien than the 2005. For that matter, I also liked the 2007 Lagrange, I thought it was a BWE kind of wine.

I also really, really liked the 2007 Lafaurie Peyraguey. This is a property that has been performing extremely well at extremely reasonable prices ($25 in NH is one of the deals of the year.) The property has been a consistent favorite at BWE events in recent years. It is hard to find a much better value in Bordeaux. This wine came in as a very close runner up for me.

In the end, I chose the 2005 Cantemerle. It is another wine that is a) reasonably priced and b) as Nic says, seems to be coming into its own. i don't think there is a wine I drank more of in 2010. I drank many bottles of the stuff, we got it for a great price here in New England. The thing I personally liked most about it is that it is a Nicolas Maltais kind of wine: In a vintage that, at least for me, provides a bit of controversy, I find the 2005 Cantemerle very true to its terroir, more on the traditional end of the spectrum in that vintage where, I'm wondering, some winemakers have taken things over the top.

This was my most recent note on the wine:

2005 Château Cantemerle (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc) 10/7/2010 JimHow 90
This is a Jean-Nicolas Maltais kind of wine. I looked back at my notes from when I first drank this wine, back when it first hit the wine store shelves. I'm not sure any more that I know the difference between "modern" and "traditional" or "classic" Bordeaux. If an estate is using techniques to get the most out of its grapes that science and technology did not allow twenty years ago, does that make it "modern?" To me this 2005 Cantemerle is a good old-fashioned, foursquare, solid, Vince Lombardi kind of Bordeaux, with cedar and blackfruit, a medium-to-full-bodied wine but elegant nonetheless. Only 13% alcohol in that sometimes hard-to-read vintage. I was just trying to google earth where this property is located, but did not have immediate success. Is this anywhere near the Margaux appellation? The splendid deep purple color seems so Margaux-like. We drank this over dinner tonight with a 2002 d'Angerville Volnay Fremiet, and both wines were absolute delights, just so representative, at least to me, of the greatness of the regions from which they originate. (1656 views)


And thus.... The 2005 Cantemerle joins the pantheon of other great BWE wines of the year!

Thank you again to everyone for your input!

BWE WINES OF THE YEAR

2000: 1996 Sociando-Mallet
2001: 1989 Lynch-Bages
2002: 1995 d'Yquem
2003: 1999 Haut Brion Blanc
2004: 2000 Pichon Baron and 2000 du Tertre
2005: 2000 Margaux
2006: 2003 Pontet-Canet
2007: 2002 Leoville Poyferre
2008: 2005 Burgundy vintage (protest vote)
2009: 1989 Lafite Rothschild
2010: 2005 Cantemerle

[JCNorthway]

Well chosen - in the BWE tradition for "wine of the year."

[Blanquito]

A worthy choice.

I first enjoyed the 2010 BWE wine of the year, the 2005 Cantemerle, back in 8/2008:
http://www.bordeauxwine.org/bwe/new/2/148782/

[robertgoulet]

Sounds goods I see the '06 here locally, not sure how that compares


Now the '01 vintage is due!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe my bahans haut brion

[Blanquito]

If it's a 2001 up next, I'd vote for a Sauternes!

[Nicklasss]

Thanks for that choice Jim. Me too I think thatthe 2005 Chateau Cantemerle is as near as a good claret can be. Good price too, the estate did not push things too much in that stellar vintage (for some critics) and made a wine that is good now, but should be slightly greater in couple of years.

And like I already said, Cantemerle seem to be ''on a roll'' since the 2005 vintage.

Nic

[mike reff]

very cool, I have many of these, and they are available for purchase around the NYC area.

[DavidG]

Good choice. I'll have to go get some.

And I agree with Patrick that if we go for an '01, it needs to be a Sauternes...

[Houndsong]

And I agree with Patrick that if we go for an '01, it needs to be a Sauternes...

Or a Mosel.

[rjsussex]

Good choice, Jim - very keen on it myself though I have a suspicion the 06 might turn out even better. The property seems to have upped its game since 04 which is a serious and concentrated wine for the vintage.

Richard