2009 Château Cantemerle, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux

The most famous red wine grape in the world and one of the most widely planted.

Despite being as visually unprepossessing as the rest of the Médoc, this large red-wine appellation is home to some of the world’s greatest wines. Its 4,500 hectares of vineyards form a largely continuous strip that follows the Gironde from St Seurin-de-Cadourne to Blanquefort. All the great communes of the Left Bank fall within its boundaries: Margaux, St Julien, Pauillac and St Estèphe.

Ch. Cantemerle's woodland setting is amongst the most beautiful of any château in the Médoc. It is located in the far south of the region, almost on the outskirts of the city of Bordeaux. It is the first major property on the Médoc Route des Châteaux, north of Bordeaux. Cantemerle has 94 hectares of vineyards, planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (30%), Cabernet Franc (6%) and Petit Verdot (4%). The wines are made under the guidance of consultant oenologist, Eric Boissenot, undergoing 12 months' ageing in French oak, of which 40% is new. Cantemerle is a Cinquième Cru Classé, with approximately 400,000 bottles produced each year and a further 160,000 bottles of the property’s second wine, Les Allées de Cantemerle.