Château Charmail (2016) Haut-Medoc

Château Charmail occupies a commanding position overlooking the Gironde estuary in the northern Haut-Médoc. Its surrounding vineyards on the gravel banks are planted predominantly with merlot with the balance made up of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. The resulting wines are stylish and ripe, with great charm and perfumed fruit.

Olivier Sèze, a well-known figure in the Médoc, owned the estate from 1982 but sold Charmail in 2008 to wine enthusiast Bernard d’Halluin who injected extra capital. Sèze however stayed on until his last vintage in 2014, continuing to make excellent wines before leaving to become winemaker at Château Caronne Ste. Gemme. He was an exponent of pre-fermentation cold maceration techniques which can result in more supple tannins and classy fruit character while retaining a deep colour. The wines made by Olivier were matured in oak for one year and neither fined nor filtered before bottling. They usually need at least 4 years bottle age before they are ready to drink.

92 points Jeb Dunnuck  From a 28.5-hectare vineyard overlooking the Gironde River on the northern side of Saint-Estephe, the 2016 Château Charmail is one of those hidden gems in the vintage that should be snatched up by readers. It’s a medium to full-bodied, elegant, classic wine that offers lots of darker fruits (cassis and blackberry), spice, new saddle leather, and leafy herbs as well as a kiss of damp earth. It has terrific balance and is going to keep for 15-20 years. The blend is 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, all brought up in one-third new French oak. A total of 80% of the production went into the grand vin. Drink 2019-2039. 

^* required fields