When the classification of the most successful Bordeaux wine estates was published in 1855, one well-known estate was missing. It was Château Cantemerle. The owner at the time, Caroline de Villeneuve, had been selling her wines directly to customers in the Netherlands for decades, meaning that the authors of the list were unable to gain an overview of the château's sales. When the owner showed her books, the estate, which is located in the south of the Haut-Médoc not far from Margaux, was subsequently included in the famous classification as a 5ième Grand Cru Classé.
At that time, the château's estate comprised around 90 hectares. When the Société mutuelle d'assurance des entreprises du bâtiment et des travaux publics, SMABTP for short, took over the estate in 1981, there were just 20 hectares left and the vineyard was in a pitiful state. Gradually, however, the old vineyards were bought back and the winery was renovated. The highlight will be the construction of the new fermentation and barrel cellar, in which the wine will be moved entirely by gravity in future. The cellar, which will be three times the size of the previous one, will be completely underground so that work can be carried out more energy-efficiently.
The 18th century château is also being restored and renovated, including the addition of ten rooms and reception areas. Even the 28-hectare park once designed by Louis Fischer, with its centuries-old trees and the two famous plane trees at the entrance, is being partially redesigned to increase biodiversity.
However, the wine is and remains decisive for the reputation of the winery. It comes from vines that are on average 35 years old and contain 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 5% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The grapes from the younger vines are mainly fermented in stainless steel, while the conical wooden fermentation vats and cubic cement cuves hold the grapes from the older vines. The wine is matured in classic barriques with a new wood content of 35%. Cantemerle stands for classic Médoc wines, which to this day combine great Bordeaux enjoyment with an outstanding price-pleasure ratio.
photos: Château Cantemerle, VINEXIA, Matthieu de Corta
