The unique soil and microclimate are reflected in the wine's personality. Cantemerle has a brilliant color, a powerful bouquet, and a soft, lively flavor. It is rare to find such refined fruitiness. This great wine can be enjoyed young, when it is charming, fruity, and marked by a vanilla taste which comes from well-integrated oak. This makes Cantemerle an ideal choice for the modern wine drinker who likes fresh tannins.

However, it can also age extremely well. Fine, old vintages have impeccable class, with incomparable flavors of sheer elegance. Cantemerle therefore belongs to that rare category of the world's wines which can not only age, but also improve over several decades.

The 2009 Cantemerle Bordeaux Blend from Haut Medoc, France, showcases an impressive array of attributes that make it noteworthy among Bordeaux wines. This vintage is particularly renowned for its elegant and ethereal character. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate describes the wine as "dense ruby/purple" with notes of "lead pencil shavings, spring flowers, raspberries, and black cherries." Parker suggests that while it is not a blockbuster, it is "long and intellectual" with the potential to develop further with bottle age.

James Suckling offers high praise, awarding the wine a remarkable score of 95, citing its "gorgeous ripe fruit character with loads of blueberries, blackberries, and flowers." He emphasizes the wine's full body and "velvety tannins," noting it as the best ever from Cantemerle.

Wine Spectator also appreciates this vintage, giving it a score of 91, pointing out its "broad fleshy style" with "toasty spice and tobacco notes," complemented by "dark cocoa, crushed plum, and mulled blackberry fruit flavors." The review highlights its alluring dark fruit and velvety feel.

Wine Enthusiast and John Gilman both rate the wine at 92, with Wine Enthusiast noting its "very structured" profile, black currant fruit, and "dense acidity." Gilman praises the wine's purity and "broad-shouldered" nature, suggesting it needs time to blossom in the cellar.

Jane Anson's review, scoring it at 94, describes the wine as having an "exceptionally silky tannic frame" with flavors of raspberry, blackberry, and hints of Margaux typicity. She credits the estate's replantings and increased Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend for its standout performance.

Overall, the 2009 Cantemerle is a finely crafted Bordeaux blend, celebrated for its elegance, complexity, and potential for aging gracefully.