Millésime 2020
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Millésime 2020
Contagiously Delicious

Château Charmail 2020

The 2020 Charmail vintage embodies a bold and confident persona, rich with complexity and depth. This vintage is like a charismatic leader who commands attention with a blend of intensity and sophistication. With an alluring bouquet of dark fruits, spices, and floral notes, the 2020 Charmail is both powerful and refined. Its polished tannins and well-integrated oak offer a balanced structure that promises a long-lasting, elegant finish. This vintage is dynamic, with a vibrant energy that shines through in every sip, making it a memorable and striking wine.

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Tasting notes

Brilliance & Balance

  • Appearance: Burmese ruby with bluish hues, intense and deep.
  • Nose: Black fruits—blackberries and blueberries—dominate the nose, accompanied by floral hints of violet, cedar, and licorice.
  • Palate: Soft and creamy in texture, this vintage is rich with dark fruit flavors. The palate offers a balanced structure with notes of spice, sage, and a touch of vanilla. The finish is long and persistent, marked by fine tannins and a refreshing acidity.
Key wine facts
  • Country of Origin: France
  • Region of Origin: Bordeaux, Left bank
  • Appellation: Haut-Médoc
  • Varietals: 36% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Petit Verdot, 16% Cabernet Franc
  • Type: Red Wine
  • Alcohol Content: 14% ABV
  • Vine Age: 30 years
  • Terroir: Clay gravels
  • Viticulture: In conversion to organic farming, Soil work, Manual leaf stripping, Green harvest
  • Harvest: 100% Manual, from September 18th to October 2nd 2020.
  • Vinification: 10 days of cold pre-fermentation maceration at 5 degrees, extraction at a maximum of 18 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: 120,000 bottles of 1st wine

Poured at
  • Critic

    Reviews

    James Suckling
    92

    “Ripe dark plums, cassis and some fine, baking spices and minerals to the nose. The round, medium- to full-bodied palate has nice, mid-palate tension with fine-grained tannins and bright cherry fruit. There is lovely finesse here. Drink now or hold.”

  • Critic

    Reviews

    Jeb Dunnuck
    91

    “I always enjoy the wines from this château, and their 2020 Château Charmail is up-front and forward, with beautiful red and black fruits as well as some spicy, dried tobacco, and subtle oak aromas and flavors. Based on 40% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, raised in one-third new barrels, one-third used oak, and one-third concrete eggs, this medium to full-bodied, balanced, rock-solid Haut-Médoc is perfect for drinking any time over the coming 10-15 years.”

  • Critic

    Reviews

    Decanter
    92

    “Owner Bernard d’Halluin is delivering an easy-going, unfussy wine that is easy to recommend. Nothing is overplayed here, with balance to the brambled fruits and friendly tannins. Enjoyable, no need to wait to open after bottling.”

From vine to wine

Viticulture

The year 2020 brilliantly concludes a trio of exceptional consecutive years, marked by its hot, dry summer and balanced climatic conditions. Château Charmail continued its conversion to organic farming, a step above HVE 2, continuing sustainable practices. The meticulous soil cultivation, manual leaf removal, and green harvesting ensured that the vines were well-prepared to handle the summer’s intensity. The terroir, with its unique blend of gravel, colluvium, and clay-limestone soils, once again demonstrated its ability to regulate water supply and produce complex, vibrant fruit. This vintage stands out for its freshness, surprising given the heat of the season.

Harvest

The 2020 harvest began early on September 18th, benefiting from the ideal conditions of warm days and cool nights. Charmail's team expertly balanced the timing of the harvest to ensure optimal ripeness for each variety, with Merlot coming in first, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The fruit was healthy, concentrated, and rich in flavor, showcasing the full potential of the vintage.

Vinification

For the 2020 vintage, the vinification process followed Charmail's philosophy of gentle extraction, allowing the natural character of the fruit to shine through. A 10-day cold pre-fermentation maceration at 5 degrees was followed by fermentation, with temperatures not exceeding 18 degrees. This slow, precise approach preserved the freshness and depth of the wine, yielding a beautifully balanced expression with excellent aromatic complexity.

Aging

The 2020 vintage marked a turning point at Château Charmail with the introduction of 500L Burgundy-style barrels for 25% of the wine—an innovative step rarely seen in Bordeaux. 60% of the wine was aged in 225L oak barrels, while 15% saw time in concrete egg-shaped vats. This diverse approach to ageing enhanced the wine’s structure and texture, with the larger barrels adding subtlety to the oak influence, allowing the purity of the fruit to take center stage. The integration of these methods produced a vintage of remarkable depth and balance.

Millésime
2020
Pairs well with
Duck Breast with Port and Cherry Sauce
Grilled Eggplant with Herbed Goat Cheese
Beef Wellington
Lamb Shank with Rosemary and Garlic