Château Cantemerle 2010, Haut Médoc, is quite possibly one of the best values in the outstanding 2010 vintage in Bordeaux; Robert Parker calls it “a major sleeper of the vintage” and “a modern-day version of their legendary 1949.”

Rated 94+ by the Wine Advocate, this wine should be on every wine collector’s list. This is the kind of wine worth cellaring and enjoying over many years to come.

The following review is from Robert Parker:

The wine needs a good 7-10 years of cellaring and should keep for 30 more years, but this is the finest Cantemerle I have encountered in my professional career of tasting young vintages (dating back 34 years now). Stunningly deep ruby/purple, with a beautiful nose of spring flowers intermixed with perfumed raspberry and blueberry notes, it exhibits a sort of cool-climate character. Broad, rich and intense on the palate, the wine has plenty of tannins, but they are sweet and well-integrated. Everything is delicately entwined into this beautiful, medium to full-bodied, dense purple wine, which shows stunning character and a prodigious potential for development. This is definitely a major sleeper of the vintage and even better than I thought from barrel.  With its 2010, this classified growth located in the southern end of the Médoc may well have made a modern-day version of their legendary 1949. 94+ - Wine Advocate

Château Cantemerle is located in the Haut-Médoc appellation of Bordeaux, in the commune of Macau. Its long history dates back to the 12th century, when the château was part of a military fortification line defending the shores of the Médoc; wine has been made here since at least the 14th century.

The estate comprises 94 hectares planted with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, with 30 years average age of the vines.

Cantemerle was the last château included in the Official Classification of 1855; its absence from the classification map featured at the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, created some controversy.

It has been included on all listings dated 1856 and later. This was the result of an intense lobbying effort by Caroline de Villeneuve-Durfort, the owner at the time, who had supplied documentation to the brokers originally responsible for the price-based 1855 classification. The absence of Château Cantemerle from the original list is explained by the fact that the negociants didn’t have sufficient price information on their wine, despite the fact that Cantemerle has been traded on Place de Bordeaux since 1854.

The 2010 Château Cantemerle, Haut Médoc is available in select ABC Fine Wine & Spirits stores for only $47.99. Quantities are limited, don’t let it get away!

Atanas Nechkov, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwineatanas