Millésime 2019
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Millésime 2019
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Château Charmail 2019

Château Charmail Haut-Médoc 2019 is an outstanding example of the Haut-Médoc appellation. This vintage blends Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc, creating a rich and expressive wine. It features aromas of smoked cherries, blackberries, and red and blue fruits, with underlying notes of sweet spices. The palate is full-bodied with a creamy texture, supple tannins, and a long, elegant finish.

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Tasting notes

Suave & Seductive

  • Appearance: Dense ruby with a purple rim.
  • Nose: A layered and gorgeous bouquet of ripe blackcurrant, blackberries, tulips, violets, red cherries, and white pepper, with subtle hints of menthol and Provence herbs.
  • Palate: Light and bright with subdued tannins, delivering flavors of black & red fruits, hints of fresh raspberries and aromas of forest floor and leather, with a clean, refreshing finish. This vintage offers elegance and balance with mineral traces and a hint of licorice.
Key wine facts
  • Country of Origin: France
  • Region of Origin: Bordeaux, Left bank
  • Appellation: Haut-Médoc
  • Varietals: 40% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 12% Petit Verdot
  • Type: Red Wine
  • Alcohol Content: 14% ABV
  • Vine Age: 33 years
  • Terroir: Clay gravels
  • Viticulture: Soil work, Manual leaf stripping, Green harvest, High Environmental Value (HVE3)
  • Harvest: 100% Manual, from September 25th to October 11th 2019.
  • Vinification: 21 days of cold pre-fermentation maceration 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: 115,000 bottles of 1st wine

Poured at
  • Critic

    Reviews

    Decanter
    94

    “A rich expressive nose so much going on here, ripe fruits, dried fruit, pepper, cinnamon, herbs and spices. A lovely combination of red and black fruits with tons of liquorice, cinnamon, mint and eucalyptus. So chewy, fruity, dense and plush, but great acidity. Complex and multifaceted with a really long length and good lift at the end. Give this time but will be great.”

  • Critic

    Reviews

    Jeb Dunnuck
    92

    “One of the top Haut-Médocs out there, the 2019 Château Charmail comes from a great terroir north of Saint- Estèphe and is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Deep ruby/purple, with a great nose of red and black currants, toasted spice, tobacco, and dried flowers, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a rocking core of sweet fruit, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It already offers pleasure but will shine for 10-12 years, if not longer. It's well worth a case purchase.”

  • Critic

    Reviews

    James Suckling
    91

    “This has a perfumed nose of wild strawberries, currants, lavender, chocolate orange and praline. Medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. Pretty and polished with a fresh finish. Drink or hold.”

From vine to wine

Viticulture

The 2019 vintage benefited from a hot, dry summer, interrupted by welcome rains in July and early September. At Château Charmail, vineyard management was meticulous, including soil cultivation, manual leaf removal, and green harvesting to control yields. These practices helped optimize the ripening process, ensuring that each vine was carefully tended to throughout the growing season. Additionally, Charmail’s commitment to sustainability was highlighted by adherence to High Environmental Value (HVE 3) standards, which focus on biodiversity and environmental responsibility. The combination of these efforts, along with the unique gravel and clay-limestone soils, resulted in a vintage marked by exceptional balance and concentration.

Harvest

Harvest began on September 25th with Merlot, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot into October. The sunny days and cooler nights allowed the grapes to be picked at optimal ripeness. The team at Charmail worked carefully to ensure that each plot was harvested at the perfect moment, capturing the richness and complexity that the 2019 vintage promised.

Vinification

In 2019, vinification focused on highlighting the intense fruit and fine tannins. The wine underwent a cold pre-fermentation maceration for 21 days, followed by a slow fermentation. Extraction was controlled to emphasize the purity of the fruit while maintaining balance. The result is a vintage that combines power and elegance, with layers of ripe berries and a refined structure.

Aging

The 2019 vintage saw 90% of the wine aged in 225L oak barrels, with 33% new oak, while 10% was aged in concrete egg-shaped vats. This combination allowed for a balanced integration of oak influence and freshness from the eggs, enhancing the wine’s depth and complexity without overpowering the fruit. The structured tannins promise longevity, making this a vintage that will continue to evolve beautifully over time.

Millésime
2019
Pairs well with
Roast Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic
Wild Mushroom Risotto
Duck Breast with Blackberry Sauce
Charcuterie and Cheese Platter (Hint: Stilton Cheese!)