1996 Camensac
Estimated value
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Tasting notes
Cinqième Cru Classé. Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 25%, Cabernet Franc 15% Starting to age at the rim. Quite aromatic and leafy on the nose – pretty subtle. Certainly refreshing and appetising. A bit light and lean overall – though not expensive. If you want to know what happens to a middle class red Bordeaux with age, here’s a chance to get your hands on a single bottle without enormous outlay. Serve reasonably warm to flatter it with some chewy food. Neat finish. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Wine Spectator
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The problem of musty aromas exhibited in many older Camensac wines appears to have been eliminated in the 1995 and 1996 vintages. The 1996 offers a dark ruby/purple color, plenty of sweet berry fruit, medium body, and a straightforward, muscular, ripe style with moderate tannin in the finish. It should drink well for a decade.
A very round and enjoyable '96. Pretty aromas of berry and porcini continue onto a medium-bodied palate, with velvety tannins and a fruity aftertaste. Best after 2001. – James Suckling, Wine Spectator 1999
Cinqième CruClassé.Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 25%, Cabernet Franc 15%Starting to age at the rim. Quite aromatic and leafy on the nose – pretty subtle. Certainly refreshing and appetising. A bit light and lean overall – though not expensive. If you want to know what happens to a middle class red Bordeaux with age, here’s a chance to get your hands on a single bottle without enormous outlay. Serve reasonably warm to flatter it with some chewy food. Neat finish.www.jancisrobinson.com, 19 Nov 2008
About the producer
A stone’s throw from Saint-Julien, Ch. de Camensac was long underperforming, but – under the ownership of the Merlaut-Villars family – was totally restructured, and quality transformed.