Cantemerle 2018 (750ML)

94 WE / 93 JS / 92 DE / 16 JR

A well-constructed wine that is ripe with black fruits and integrated tannins, this is in a good place for aging. Black-currant fruitiness is balanced by a dry, smoky core that holds promise. Drink this wine from 2026. - RV, Wine Enthusiast 

Rich aromas of blackberries, dried currants, chocolate, walnuts and tile on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins. Polished and structured with a nice core of black fruit. Give it at least a couple of years of bottle age. Lovely balance to it. Try after 2023. - James Suckling

There's an enjoyable texture and plush fruit in this elegant, well balanced wine. It has precise aromatics of black pepper, liquorice and freshly cut herbs. It's good but a touch more restrained than most of its peers. 33hl/ha. Aged in 40% new oak. 6% Petit Verdot makes up the blend. - Jane Anson, Decanter

Deepest cherry red with ruby rim. Smells rich and has the complexity of a more varied blend than most, lifted by the Cabernets, especially the Franc. I assume it is the Petit Verdot that adds that hint of something more floral. Ripe but not overripe, as you can see from the moderate (in this vintage) alcohol. Smooth, generous, rounded – deep velvet tannins and so much lovely fruit. Much better than when I tasted it en primeur.-Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson