Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme Haut Medoc Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme Haut Medoc with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, a history of the property, and information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme History, Overview

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 is better known for their numerous estates in the Left Bank including, Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou and Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste. Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme was owned by the Nony family until 2022. They sold the estate to Bernard Magrez who owns Chateau Pape Clement in Pessac Leognan as well as other vineyards in 2022.

Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

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 close to Chateau Lagrange and not from Chateau Belgrave, Chateau Lanessan, and Chateau Camensac.

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. Malolactic fermentation takes place in vat.

The wine is aged in 30% new, French oak barrels for 12 months. The production is close to 24,000 cases per vintage. There is a second wine, Les Viviers de Caronne. The family produces another wine, Chateau Labat, which is also located in the Haut Medoc appellation. Antoine Medeville is the consulting winemaker.

The best vintages of Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2010 and 2009 and 2005.

When to Drink Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme needs to be decanted for an average of 1 hour or so. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme is usually better with at least 3-5 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Citran offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 4-10 years of age after the vintage.

Serving and Decanting Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. The wine of Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes.

Chateau Caronne Ste. Gemme is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta as well as cheese.