Château Roc de Cambes Côtes de Bourg 2019

This Côtes-de-Bourg, crafted by François Mitjavile, is situated on a south-facing clay-limestone hill. The brilliant owner of Tertre-Rotebœuf (in Saint-Émilion) has developed it with the same meticulous attention to detail to create a great wine. With a neighboring yet distinctly different terroir—one with more alluvial soil—Cambes is not a second wine but rather another expression, more supple and velvety, of the talent of François Mitjavile and his daughter Nina. Both wines have developed their own distinct personalities in recent vintages, revealing a style that is original and brilliant—a far cry from the polished and conventional Bordeaux!

The 2019 Roc de Cambes has shown itself brilliantly, offering aromas of blackcurrant, sweet berries, cigar wrapper, top notes, and rich spices, followed by a full-bodied palate, layered, elegantly robust, deep, and concentrated, with a fleshy core of fruit framed by ripe acidity and ripe, powdery tannins. This is a fine wine that may well rival the 2016 vintage. Despite its modest appellation, don’t hesitate to cell it, as Roc de Cambes is invariably better integrated and more interesting after a decade of aging than when first released.

Here is an estate that piques the curiosity of wine enthusiasts seeking a distinctive Bordeaux style. Inspired by François Mitjavile of Château Tertre Rotebœuf in Saint-Émilion, the production consists of the Domaine de Cambes (Bordeaux, located in the marshes) and Château Roc de Cambes (Côte-de-Bourg, on the hillsides). The latter is characterized by highly ripe grapes, aged in the traditional manner using the finest barrels from the Radoux cooperage. The wines, instantly recognizable, with intense, very oaky noses when young, age with charm but may prove overwhelming to some palates seeking a fresh, thirst-quenching bottle. The “smaller vintages,” with lower levels of ripeness, often stand out as true successes, such as the 2007. A distinctive style, but one that can be divisive at times.