Chateau Cantemerle, Haut-Medoc, 2019 SO121425 and smoked roots—like amaro and

and smoked roots—like amaro and mezcal had a quiet

a hint of marmalade

steeping botanicals into a bitter liqueur built for the aperitivo hour rather than the mass market

Old-school

drawn largely from a north-facing village prized for its bright

Chateau Cantemerle, Haut-Medoc, 2019 SO121425 and smoked roots—like amaro andWhen in the market for serious, classically made Bordeaux that doesn't ask you to spend a fortune, it's really hard to beat Cantemerle. A 5th Growth in the 1855 classification with terroir that some experts believe deserves a higher ranking, the chteau sits at the southern edge of the Haut Mdoc near the Margaux border on excellent gravel soils. What makes Cantemerle stand apart is what they refuse to do: no malolactic fermentation in barrique, no