2016 Clos Cantenac
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Tasting notes
100% Merlot. One-day cold soak. Fermented at 25 ºC over six days. 10 days’ post-ferment maceration. Malo partly in new barrels. 12 months in barrel, 45% new. Very dark crimson, almost black at the core. All pretty closed but there is just a suspicion of fine dark-fruited fragrance and a touch of oak’s sweet spice. But pretty dark and rocky/savoury overall. On the palate, it actually seems a little bit more fluid and more rounded in texture than the Petit Cantenac but also more compact in its structure with greater depth and intensity on the mid palate, and a longer finish. Plenty of firm tannin on the finish but starting already to melt into a chocolate-like smoothness. A long way to go nevertheless. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Clos Cantenac is a 100% Merlot picked from 21 September to 7 October, aged in 45% new oak barrels for 12 months. It has a concentrated bouquet with blackberry and cassis notes, just a hint of raisin, the oak neatly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with black cherries, blueberry and loganberry. I appreciated the tannin structure here and the acidic drive that reins in the finish and keeps it on track. This should be well worth investigating once in bottle.