Château Caronne Ste Gemme 2015, Haut-Médoc Bordeaux France

Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme is one of the older estates in the Medoc. In fact, its history can be dated all the way to the mid-1600s.

The estate takes its name from a water source in the commune, Carona. Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme began to gain notice as a wine producer following the French Revolution. At the turn of the 20th century, Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme became the property of the Borie family in 1900. The Borie family are better known for their numerous estates in the Left Bank including, Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou and Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste. Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme is owned by the Nony family today. The Nony family is related to the Borie family.

The vineyard of Caronne Ste. Gemme is planted to 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. The 40-hectare, Left Bank vineyard of Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme is situated not far from the southwest corner of the St. Julien appellation.

The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 10,000 vines per hectare. The terroir is gravel and sandstone-based soils. With its gentle slopes, the peak of their vines rises to 22 meters. The vines are on average 30 years of age. Harvesting is done using a combination of manual picking and machine harvesting.

To produce the wine of Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme, vinification takes place in a combination of stainless steel tanks and traditional cement vats. The wine is aged in 30% new, French oak barrels for 12 months.

Medium-bodied, firm, chewy and with a strong savoury accent to the crisp, red fruits on the palate, the wine leaves you with an herb-infused, minty, red currant finish.

Why not give it a blast with grilled lobster by adding Médoc vine shoots, tuna mi-cuit (half cooked) with lardo di Colonnata (Italian white bacon fat) and truffle, chervil mousseline (French parsley sauce) and black rice, duckling fillet, candied and cooked mango, and spiced cabbage or try roasting cauliflower with a rub of sumac or za’atar to add depth of flavour. Or a hint of cumin or turmeric with roasted root veggies