Chateau Charmail Haut Medoc Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Charmail, Haut Medoc with wine tasting notes, and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, the 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 Charmail History, Overview

What we know of today as Chateau Charmail dates back to the 1500s when it was founded by the Trevey de Charmail family. Vines were not planted until the 17th century, about one year later, give or take. However, the modern era beings in 1982, when Olivier Seze purchased the Haut Medoc estate.

By the time Olivier Seze purchased Chateau Charmail, Olivier Seze was already well established in the Bordeaux wine community, due to his experience as an agricultural engineer.

Chateau Charmail and Olivier Seze are best known in the Bordeaux wine trade for being the first chateau to practice the now common and popular, technique of pre-fermentation, cold maceration, whereby the temperature of the fruit in the tanks is dropped to as low as 5 degrees Celsius and the berries are held in the vats for as long as two weeks. Olivier Seze sold Chateau Charmail to Bernard and Marie d’Halluin in 2008.

In 2021, Chateau Charmail was purchased by Olivier Goudet and Valerie Liquard. Additionally, they also acquired two neighboring estates, Chateau Bardis and Chateau Saint-Paul, with the plan to add those vineyards and increase the size of Charmail.

Chateau Charmail Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 27-hectare vineyard of Chateau Charmail is planted to 37% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc and 12% Petit Verdot. This shows a big change in the vineyard over the years, with a large increase in the amount of Cabernet Sauvignon planted here.

The vineyards are situated not from Chateau Sociando Mallet in the northern part of the Left Bank, giving the vineyard a naturally cooler terroir. The vineyards of Chateau Charmail are planted to a vine density that ranges between 6,666 to 8,700 vines per hectare. Newer plantings are done at the higher level of vine densities.

In 2010, 6 hectares of vines were replanted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, which brought the average age of their vines down for a while. The vineyard, which is in one, large parcel of vines has a terroir of clay and gravelly soils, located close to the Gironde estuary, which helps with the vineyards micro climate.

It is important to keep in mind that here, along with their location next to the river, it’s the large portion of clay in their soil that makes their vineyard perfect for the Merlot vines, while maintaining much needed moisture for their Cabernet Sauvignon. The Merlot helps impart richness to the character of the wine, rounding out the Cabernet. On average, the vines are close to 30 years of age.

A lot of effort goes into producing the wine of Chateau Charmail. This starts with a 15-day cold soak at 5 degrees Celsius prior to fermentation. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks with a 21-day cuvaison. Malolactic fermentation takes place in vat. The wine of Chateau Charmail is aged for close to 12 months in an average of 30% new, French oak barrels.

The best vintages of Chateau Charmail are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2005, 2000 and 1996.

There is a second wine, Les Tours de Charmail. Chateau Charmail produces close to 10,000 cases of Bordeaux wine per year. Value hunters take note, this is one of the better Bordeaux value wines from the Medoc.

When to Drink Chateau Charmail, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Charmail needs some time before it can be enjoyed. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 1-2 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Chateau Charmail is usually better with at least 5-8 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Charmail offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 8-14 years of age after the vintage.

Serving and Decanting Chateau Charmail with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Charmail is best when it is 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 Charmail is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes.

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

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