Chateau Cantenac Sélection Madame Saint Émilion Grand Cru 2018

While not being able to go over to St Emilion to catch up with Johan and his Family this year, we had him fly to us his new vintage of this sensational wine! Johan has been working at the family vineyard since he was knee high to a grasshopper! They have owned and operated the land for 4 generations and have coined this particular wine ‘Selection Madame’, as its grapes were personally selected by his mother Madame Roskam-Brunot. It comprises 95% merlot with the remainder cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon. Merlot is the most important grape in St Emilion and the most widely planted in the Bordeaux wine region. These special clones of merlot are rarely seen outside of the area and produce spectacular wines with very fine tannins and complex structures.

You would be lucky to find any St Emilion Grand Cru in Australia for less than $100! This one exudes Bordeaux personality, that understated dark fruit expression with an earthiness lurking in the background. The Romans began making wine in St Emilion almost 2 millenniums ago! You could almost envisage Jesus sharing such a wine among his disciples at the last supper. This wine is unmistakably produced from the distinct terroir that has made St Emilion so famous.

The 2018 Vintage was expectional. The area was the warmest, driest, sunniest vintage conditions since 2003. Barely any rain fell from July to harvest. This wine has already won a gold medal at the Berliner wine awards 2020. On the palate is blackberry, cassis and a snippet of blueberry with violet and herb notes also present on the nose. It is slightly over medium bodied with very fine tannins. Fleshy texture on the palate with a savory and supple feel to it. Easy finish and a super fun wine.

This wine although drinking beautifully now will develop further over many years if you have the patience.

Popsy & JJ tasted and food matched February 2022

Glass

Bordeaux

Cellaring

Would cellar for over 20 years but good luck with that.

Decanter

30+ minutes