hateau Cantemerle is a fifth growth Bordeaux estate in the Haut-Medoc which has a long history dating back to the Middle Ages. It had been under ownership of the Villeneuve de Durfort family for over three hundred years until it was sold by Jeanne Armande to the Dubos family in 1892.

The Dubos family managed the estate until it was sold in 1981 to the SMABTP group. Many parcels of vines were pulled up during the war and the difficult years of 1930-1940, leaving only 20 hectares planted on the estate’s 70 hectares of vineyard land.

Cantemerle was a property in distress after a long period of difficulties, thus, renovation of the technical facilities and replanting of the vineyard was undertaken in successive steps. Thirty-five hectares of land which had lain fallow for almost 50 years were planted within 2 years and by 1987, the vineyard had grown to 60 hectares. Now, 144 years later, Cantemerle had returned to its original size at the time of the 1855 classification—90 hectares.

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.