2022 Cantemerle (Haut-Medoc)

The 2022 Cantemerle presents a relatively light but defined nose with notes of blackberry, wild hedgerow and a touch of undergrowth emerging with aeration. The medium-bodied palate features chewy tannins on the entry and a bit of rusticity, yet it offers a pleasant, lightly spiced finish. Could it have given me a little more? Maybe. 90 points

The 2022 Cantemerle is soft, fruity and not terribly exciting. Oak tannins clamp down on the mid-palate and finish, attenuating the fruit and overall persistence. This has not improved meaningfully with elevage and feels overripe and sweet. Tasted two times with consistent notes. 86 points

The finest wine this estate has produced in some time is the 2022 Cantemerle, a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc that bursts from the glass with aromas of sweet blackberries, violets, rose petals and spices. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with an enveloping core of sweet, perfumed fruit framed by supple tannin, it concludes with a long, mouthwatering finish. The pH is a very healthy 3.6 this year, and yields were low at 29 hectoliters per hectare. 92-94 points

Intense in both colour and structure, a wine that knows how to make an impact, and it is carrying itself with confidence. Impressive, full of nuanced cassis and bilberry fruit, with liqourice and smoked earth, hints of richly spiced vanilla patisserie cream showing the ripeness of the vintage. This is good, a little abrupt on the finish with a bitter almond kick. Tight tannins at this point. 40% new oak for ageing. 93 points