CHÂTEAU CHARMAIL
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  • Millésime 2018
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Château Charmail 2018

The 2018 Château Charmail Haut-Médoc is a powerful and concentrated wine, showcasing the excellence of Bordeaux's Haut-Médoc region. This vintage is composed of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, offering a complex bouquet of dark fruits, sweet spices, and hints of cedar. On the palate, it is lush and juicy with well-integrated oak, structured tannins, and a long, elegant finish.

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Tasting notes

The First of the "Sunny" Vintages

  • Appearance: Deep ruby with purple tones.
  • Nose: Intense and expressive, with ripe black fruit—blackberries and plums—complemented by sweet spices, cedar, and a hint of leather.
  • Palate: Full-bodied and concentrated, the palate offers layers of ripe fruit, supported by velvety tannins. Flavors of black cherry, licorice, and cocoa are present, with a long, spicy finish. The wine has impressive aging potential.
Key wine facts
  • Country of Origin: France
  • Region of Origin: Bordeaux, Left bank
  • Appellation: Haut-Médoc
  • Varietals: 41% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 11% Petit Verdot
  • Type: Red Wine
  • Alcohol Content: 14% ABV
  • Vine Age: 28 years
  • Terroir: Clay gravels
  • Viticulture: Soil work, Manual leaf stripping, Green harvest, High Environmental Value (HVE3)
  • Harvest: 100% Manual, from September 20th to October 15th 2018.
  • Vinification: Cold pre-fermentation maceration (15 days at 5 degrees), extraction at a maximum of 26 degrees.
  • Aging: 12 months of aging in French oak barrels, with 10% of the harvest in egg-shaped concrete vats.
  • Oenologist: Hubert de Boüard
  • Production: 140,000 bottles of 1st wine

Poured at
  • Critic

    Reviews

    James Suckling
    92

    “Aromas of bitter berries, dark spices, pine, charred bark and dried flowers. It’s medium-to full-bodied with creamy, well-integrated tannins. Concentrated and fragrant. Drink from 2022.”

  • Critic

    Reviews

    Jeb Dunnuck
    93

    “One of those wines that punches well above its price point, the 2018 Château Charmail comes from the northern part of the Médoc and is a mix of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot brought up in mostly used barrels. Beautiful darker currants and cassis fruits as well as tobacco, chocolate, and damp earth give way to medium to full-bodied 2018 with a plush, rounded texture, a terrific mid-palate, silky tannins, and a great finish. It's a gorgeous wine and I think even a step up over the 2016. Enjoy bottles any time over the coming 10-12 years.”

  • Critic

    Reviews

    Decanter
    92

    “Polished and richly concentrated on the attack. With clear oak influence, this is out to make an impression and it does. A healthy yield of 46hl/ha, with 33% new oak. 15% Petit Verdot completes the blend.”

From vine to wine

Viticulture

The first of the three "sunny" vintages at the end of the 2010s, heralding scorching summers in Bordeaux. The 2018 growing season began with a rainy spring, which caused some challenges with mildew, especially in organic vineyards. However, the long, dry summer that followed was marked by intense heat, allowing the vines to thrive, particularly on Charmail’s gravel and clay-limestone soils. The summer heat concentrated the grapes, with cool nights preserving their freshness, leading to a vintage defined by balance, power, and depth.

Harvest

The 2018 harvest began early, on September 20th, with Merlot showing exceptional concentration due to the summer heat. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot ripened slowly through the extended warmth and were harvested into mid-October. Each grape variety was picked at its peak, ensuring a wine of intensity and finesse, thanks to the slow, even ripening during the season.

Vinification

For the 2018 vintage, a 15-day cold maceration was followed by a fermentation process designed to extract deep color and flavor without compromising freshness. The heat of the vintage was tempered by gentle extraction methods, ensuring a balance between the intensity of the fruit and the elegance of the tannins. The wine emerged as bold and structured, with a complexity that mirrors the hot, dry conditions of the year.

Aging

In 2018, 95% of the wine was aged in traditional 225L oak barrels, with 30% of them being new. A small portion (5%) was aged in concrete egg-shaped vats, which brought a subtle freshness to the blend. The use of both barrels and concrete allowed for a harmonious aging process, integrating the wine’s rich, ripe fruit with soft, well-rounded tannins. This vintage has the depth and structure to age gracefully over the coming decade.

Millésime
2018
Pairs well with
BBQ Brisket with Smokey Barbecue Sauce
Beef Bourguignon
Grilled Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Garlic
Charred Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze