Château Cantemerle

Château Cantemerle  is one of the oldest estates in Bordeaux, the first reference (the Lords of Cantemerle or La Sauve Majeur Abbey) dates back to the 12th century. The name comes from a black bird 'Le Merle' that sang loudly during the hunt on the estate. "Canta Merla" also called the song of the blackbird! Around the 16th century, vines were first anchored in the deep gravel soil. The château is beautifully situated just outside the village of Macau, south of Margaux. If you drive from the city of Bordeaux on the D2 to the Medoc, Cantemerle is one of the first large chateaus you encounter. In the classification of 1855, Cantemerle is engraved in stone as 5th Cru, to remain there forever. Cantemerle's acreage is impressive with 92 hectares of vines, planted with 60% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 6% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. In the last 10 years, cabernet sauvignon has gained ground at the expense of merlot. However, the biggest change in planted varieties started in the 1980s when cabernet franc still accounted for 24% of the area.