April 14, 2024 - Reflects the season somewhat-a little four square up front. With a couple of hours decant it opens up a little. Enjoyable honest claret.
March 29, 2024 - Deep ruby red with red brim. Lovely, mature nose with notes of underbrush, leather, corints and prunes. Mouthfeel is mature, velvet smooth, still with vital fruit, velvet tannins, nice acidity and notes of black currants, plums, underbrush, leather and some fresh tobacco.
This drinks remarkably well now, still with fine fruit and velvet tannins. My only remark here is that the finish is quite short, but this is almost surprisingly good for the price tag, and considering that 2006 is a relatively weak vintage.
Will probably not get any better than it already is, but I'd expect this to keep well together for the next few years.
March 2, 2024 - Picked up a case in the F sale, so nice to return to this excellent value wine.
1 hour rabbit decant sufficient.
Fully mature. Forest fruits and mulberry. I like the latter, but only just. Soft, resolved and very popular with guests.
Drink.
January 26, 2024 - Nothing to add to previous note - reproduced below, although my wife thought it had more fruit than previously. This is drinking beautifully. You can hold but why wait?
Dark garnet. Pronounced nose. Dried cassis, dark cherry, blackcurrant leaf, earth, cedar, tobacco, smoke. Dry, medium fine tannins, a little drying on the gums, palate similar to the nose, medium+ finish. Everything in balance.
September 13, 2023 - Similar to previous note - mature Bordeaux, no hurry to drink, but won’t improve further.
Dark garnet. Pronounced nose. Dried cassis, dark cherry, blackcurrant leaf, earth, cedar, tobacco, smoke. Dry, medium fine tannins, a little drying on the gums, palate similar to the nose, medium+ finish. Everything in balance.
July 23, 2023 - Medium mature garnet. Classic mature Bordeaux. Dried cassis, prune, smoke, earth, cedar, tobacco, very slight hint of blackcurrant leaf. Medium acidity, medium tannins, well integrated, medium alcohol. Medium+ finish. This isn’t overdone and I find a lot of finesse. Very enjoyable and drinking very well now and over the next few years but I don’t see any point in holding it - it won’t get any better.
April 23, 2023 - Deliciously unctuous, yet retaining great balance and freshness, the 2006 Cantemerle is just a lovely bottle of left bank Bordeaux. From a vintage with no shortage of sun, but blessed by a few refreshing rains, albeit not at optimal times. Black currant, hedge blackberries, and sun-kissed plums are hoisted up beautifully by dried florals and potpourri, culminating in a finish of freshly sawn cedar, campfire coals and garden soil. The tannins are integrated and tender. Though the texture is slightly coarse, it comes off as charming rather than rustic, given the rich chewiness of the fruit supporting it. Lovely wine, plenty of life left. But at its peak and mature right now.
April 2, 2023 - Forsmak med mor og storesøster. Flott lukt, fast mørk smak, trenger luft. Krftig smak med rødbet.
January 30, 2023 - Similar note to my last bottle. Decanted about an hour drunk over the following 2-3. Deep, almost opaque color. Beautiful, complex and elegant nose that I associate with great Bordeaux with beautifully balanced notes of tobacco, clay, cassis, and some herbs. Slightly less complex on the palate but still elegant and impeccably balanced with the tannins and acid holding everything together nicely. All this needs is a touch more complexity to push it to a higher score but something tells me that's just not going to happen in this vintage.
January 12, 2023 - Got a glass here now and it's singing after an hour decant. The color is dark, ruby red and light on the legs. The nose is lightly floral with wet earth. The palate is loaded with acerbic black cherry, a little cranberry, cocoa, black coffee, and a short but agreeable, chewy finish. This is in the perfect drinking window and in my humble opinion, drink it soon because I don't see how much better it will get with age.