Château La Cardonne 2016

We sell this wine because it's really good and we persuaded our friend Andrew McInnes to sell it to us for a more than reasonable price. (We also assist him in selling his wines in Switzerland, so that helped.) The 2016 Château La Cardonne is from a terrific Bordeaux vintage and a classic blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, aged for 14 months in French oak. This is an excellent, medium-to-full bodied claret that's just opening up beautifully, with lovely ripeness and a full texture.

The back label: 'Sitting proudly on the Médoc's highest plateau, our Merlot (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon (45%) and Cabernet Franc (5%) vines grow on perfect gravel and limestone clay terroir, delivering an elegant, fruity and delicately spiced wine. Open a bottle, let it breathe for a little while at 17-18˚C, and enjoy every drop with a simple lunch or gourmet dinner. 14% vol.'

Stop press. Email from Andrew 12/4/24:

"Dear Duc, Duchesse,

Do you remember that pallet of La Cardonne 2016 that you forced me to sell you at breakfast for peanuts..

I think I mentioned that I had sent Decanter a sample for a blind tasting the same week.

I received this in my mailbox today

‘Nous sommes ravis de vous confirmer que nous publions un supplément spécial pour les Grands Vins de Bordeaux avec le Decanter de juin 2024. Votre vin Château La Cardonne 2016 est très bien noté avec 93/100 dans cette dégustation à l'aveugle des Grands Vins des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc par Andy Howard MW que nous publions dans ce supplément prestigieux’. "

Well done, sir.

By the way, Andrew's strategy is a most unusual one for Bordeaux - to cellar his wines until they're ready to be enjoyed (Château Latour have been doing the same over the last decade or so). And what a cellar he has: a vast cathedral-like space comprising hundreds of thousands of bottles at a perfect temperature underground. And that's after the time spent in barrel in equally sound conditions. There are four châteaux under one roof, the others being Châteaux Ramafort and Château Cardus - the latter really being the second wine of La Cardonne. The immaculate vineyards stretch for miles above, down towards the Gironde estuary.

 

Do have a quick glance at the small selection of photos below.