Les Allees de Cantemerle

Château Cantemerle is a wine estate in the Haut-Médoc district of Bordeaux region. The estate is ranked a fifth growth in the 1855 classification. Many of Cantemerle's vineyards were pulled out during the two world wars, and were replanted in the 1980s. This expanded the vineyard area from 20 hectares (50 acres) to 90 hectares (220 acres) by 1999. The soil in Cantemerle's vineyards is a mixture of silica and gravel. This is reasonably poor, and causes the vines to struggle, resulting in grapes with high levels of aromatic concentration. The vines, the majority of which are Cabernet Sauvignon, are on average 30 years old.

Deep color, peppery aromas, a fresh first impression, constant presence on the palate and a lively finish: all the qualities of the vintage are present here. Aromas of tobacco and black currant give good expression to Cantemerle’s terroir. This wine is full of promise, offering greater pleasure than one might expect from a second wine. Its length leaves attractive flavors of black fruit, and the wine’s density and aromatic complexity call for several years of further aging.