Château Charmail - Haut-Médoc 2018

Vinous

85-87 / 100

byNeal Martinthe11/15/2019

The 2018 Charmail has an exotic bouquet of kirsch, black cherries and violet aromas, missing some complexity compared to its peers. The medium-bodied palate displays angular tannins and a little hardness at first, but the finish is fresher, with better delineation. I would like some improvement by the time of bottling.

WeinWisser

17 / 20

the5/7/2019

The Wine Cellar Insider

90-92 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/23/2019

Opaque in color, the wine is powerful, concentrated, lush and juicy. There is some noticeable oak, but there is so much fruit, the oak should integrate into the wine by the time it is bottled. The wine is made from blending 39% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 11% Petit Verdot. Charmail remains one of the most popular Haut Medoc wines for price and quality.

Wine Advocate

89-91 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe4/23/2019

The 2018 Charmail comes from the lieu-dit Charmail in Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne. The blend is 39% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and 11% Petit Verdot. Aging is projected to run 12 months in 30% new oak barrels. The rest of the wine is aging in 17-hectoliter concrete eggs and 500-liter barrels. Deep garnet-purple colored, it gives up very spicy notes of cracked black pepper, cumin seed and cloves over a core of warm plums, blackcurrant cordial, underbrush and a waft of cedar. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm, grainy line cutting through the muscular fruit, finishing with a lively herbal lift.