I’ve long been a fan of Château Cantemerle. A previous owner is one of my historic heroines of Bordeaux. The property brings together so many things that define the best of Bordeaux. It has a long and fascinating history, an amazing terroir, fabulous architecture, an integrated approach to sustainability, produces a delicious wine at a sensible price and, again today, is run by another dynamic woman, Laure Canu.

In the prestigious appellation of Haut-Médoc, it’s a large property: 200 ha, with half dedicated to vines. It makes a lot of wine, averaging 600, 000 bottles pa, of which 70% is the ‘premiere vin’, Château Cantemerle Grand Cru Classé of Haut-Médoc. Size does matter: it ensures there’s enough wine to be found in the world market, making it easier to build recognition. Size and availability also contribute to the value for money. It is, after all, an 1855 classified wine – see the famous history of how the visionary and feisty Caroline de Villeneuve fought to get it included at the last minute.

Despite its location so close to the city, in the south of the Médoc, it wasn’t always easy to visit. Now, thanks to a three-year renovation, that has changed. Not only have the cellars been transformed and the château renovated, but there is also a whole new approach to wine tourism.  

Timely

Château Cantemerle is one of the oldest properties in the Médoc, dating back to 1147, with vines planted here as early as 1354 – nearly 700 years of wine production. But it has not been smooth sailing over the centuries, nor all good news. The original château was about 1 km further east than today: a medieval fortress built  on a ‘motte féodale’ a fortified hill in the  low-lying palus near the Garonne River, just before it runs into the Gironde Estuary. It was part of the fortifications keeping the French at  bay (back in the days when Aquitaine was under English rule). 

The original chateau was demolished during the Revolution and everything transferred to ‘Sauves’, an agricultural outpost of the estate. This became the property we see today. The Villeneuve family owned the estate from 1579 to 1892 , when Caroline de Villeneuve, won what was possibly the first legal wine trade mark battle, joining the 1855 classification at the last minute. But land was lost to the construction of the railway that runs from Bordeaux to Soulac-sur-Mer in the north of the Médoc, and the property was badly affected by Phylloxera in the 1860s

It remained in the hands of the family of Bordeaux négociant Dubos for almost 100 years, until 1980, when it was purchased by the SMA BTP. They were the very first of many insurance companies to invest in the Bordeaux vineyard. They are also the owner of Château Grand Corbin in Saint-Emilion.

It was a very different property back then: only 20 ha were under vine. They immediately began replanting, adding 33 ha within 2 years, reaching 67 ha by the 1990s, continuing to buy land to bring the property back to its historical size. In 1997, they changed the planting proportions by grafting Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot onto what they saw as an over-emphasis on Cabernet Franc in these deep gravel soils, using an innovative and successful ‘chip budding’ technique. Today, 68% of the vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, with an average age of 40 years. 

Renovation

Since 2001, investment has been vineyard-driven. Now, with over 90 ha in production, it was time for another look at the cellars – times and techniques change. The project started in May 2022. Local craftsman and builders brought this huge, three-year project in on time, finishing for the 2025 harvest. I visited back in early September, just as the renovations were finishing and days before the first grapes arrived in the new cellars weeks.  

The surface area of the vat room has tripled, and the whole renovation covers 13,000m2. 114 vats now replace the 40 dating from the 1990s, including some very clever split stainless-steel vats. The cellar welcomes grapes from 140 micro-parcels across 90 ha, into a space that is designed to use daylight to maximum effect.  

The new design increases speed and efficiency: they can now receive four tonnes of grapes an hour, bringing flexibility, allowing each plot to be picked at exactly the right time. The one-tonne ‘cuvons’, or hoppers, move the grapes rapidly into the relevant vats, using lifts for gravity flow and Air Pulse for effective, energy-saving and gentle  pumping over. 

The underground barrel cellar uses a natural water-cooling system, and Médoc-based Maison Juste had the original and sustainable idea of recycling used barrel staves to create a stunning, soundproofed ceiling. Do look up when visiting.

A Walk in the park 

Merle is French for Blackbird: these birds, known to relish ripe grapes, gave the name to the ‘black’ Merlot variety. Cantemerle would therefore mean the song of the blackbird., appropriate for a property deeply invested in protecting its unique natural environment.

Almost 30 ha of woodland and park surround the château buildings. Originally laid out in the 18^thcentury, it was redesigned by the French botanist Jean-Bernard Fischer, who also designed the Jardin public in the centre of Bordeaux. It’s a marriage of elegant parkland and wild woodland. Bridle paths run through the park to water features and lakes, opening up to beautiful vistas.

Ancient trees include a magnolia and intertwined plane trees, known as Les Jumeaux (the Twins), dating from the 1800s, and possibly planted by Caroline de Villeneuve in memory of her husband and son. There’s also a 450-year-old Yew tree, hinting perhaps at a distant religious history.

A survey found the park is home to over 150 different species of plants and animals in this park. The water attracts a range of wildlife, especially during the dry summers, including ten species of bats, deer, rodents and less-welcome wild boar, which leave their signature uprooting on the lawns!   

From park to vineyard 

Determined to preserve this precious biodiversity, Quality and Environment Manager, Alice Baudouin oversaw a seed-collection programme for the endemic species. Preserved and cultivated, these have been used to create eco-corridors throughout the large vineyard as part of their agro-forestry project. 

A family affair 

The chateau also has a kitchen garden for in-house entertaining and staff, some of whom are trained beekeepers who look after the hives. The bee population is an important indicator of biodiversity, as well as producing delicious honey. There are also chateau chickens and children of the staff have created bird boxes installed in the park.  

Come visit

This natural environment is fully integrated into the new visitor experience. Alongside visits to the stunning new cellars, guests are invited on a discovery trail through the grounds that highlights this biodiversity. A wooden vat from the old cellars, installed at the centre of a vegetal labyrinth, becomes a wildlife observation station and tasting platform. Bamboo tunnels and giant waterside ferns create an enchanted discovery as guests wander through the woods and park. 

Children love this tour and are encouraged to look out for deer, squirrels, rabbits and birds, including the rare Golden Oriole. 

The bees aren’t the only ones enjoying the flowers. Local herbalist Babette Poncet creates herbal tisanes from flowers and plants collected in the grounds and invites visitors to join her in an experience that awakens aromatic sensitivity, preparing the senses for the wine tasting.

Young and old discover where therapeutic plants are hidden, allowing everyone to make their very own take-home tisane. Further senses of sight, touch and smell are stimulated in the immersive ‘shinrin-yoku’ forest-bathing experience, the perfect preparation, for a mindful tasting. 

Guests can taste the wines of Chateau Cantemerle and of its sister property, Château Grand Corbin on the Right Bank in Saint Emilion.  Original food pairings with delicious and unusually local specialties offer a fun way to test the palate. These locally produced foods are also available to take home, or to create a picnic to enjoy on the terrace or in one of the park’s clearings. 

The château champions local creators, showcasing their wares alongside the wines. You’ll find château honey and tisanes, local veggie-based spreads and pâtés and ceramic art by Erwan de Rengerve. His interpretations of vines and vine leaves are available for sale in the boutique, alongside local author Camille Plantanida’s engaging books and illustrator Clémentine Sourdais’ colouring books.  

As well as the tutored tastings, the wine bar serves wines of both properties by the glass. Feel free to linger and discover and, while parents taste the wines, the younger generation have their own ‘Pause Raisin et Dessin’ a grape-juice and colouring activity inspired by Clémentine’s illustrations.

The property is open six days a week, Monday to Saturday. Booking advised.  And don’t forget to look up!

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