Home > Producer Profiles > Bordeaux Profiles > Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme

Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme

I first encountered the wine of this estate with the 1996 vintage, hidden in amongst a formidable line-up; it was a blind tasting of wines from the left bank in this vintage, and it included Pontet-Canet - strutting its stuff, newly revitalised by the Tesserons - as well as an impressive Calon-Ségur and a number of other admirable wines. And so it wasn't an easy ride for little Caronne Ste Gemme, nevertheless to say it performed well might be something of an understatement. It certainly held its head high in this illustrious company. Since then I have been fortunate enough to taste many more vintages, and these early impressions have repeatedly been confirmed.

Caronne Ste Gemme: A History

The vineyards of Caronne Ste Gemme is located in the central Médoc, near St Laurent Médoc, not far from Chateau Camensac, Chateau Belgrave and Chateau La Tour Carnet to the north, and Chateau Lanessan to the east. The estate derives its name from Carona, a nearby spring, with Ste Gemme being a derivative of St James, a local parish. Modern maps do not show this parish, as it was abolished at about the time of the Revolution, by which time viticulture was firmly established here.Nevertheless, older maps do show the parish of St James just south of St Julien, near St Laurent.

The estate has a long history, and is first mentioned in local records as long ago as 1648. There was viticulture at this time, the records indicating that the land was let out to a farmer by its landlord Denis de Mullet in exchange for some of the wine produced. The modern history of Caronne Ste Gemme, however, begins in 1900 with the purchase of the estate by Emile and Eugène Borie. Eugène's descendants went on to own Chateau Batailley and then Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou, whereas Emile's continued managing Caronne Ste Gemme, and still do so today. In recent years the estate has been managed by Emile's grandson Jean Nony, and his nephew François. In 1999 François and his brother took over the running in its entirety, with the help of cellarmaster Bruno Guyomar and oenologist Olivier Dauga.

The Vineyards and Wines

Carrone Ste Gemme's 45 hectares of vines, which have the Haut-Médoc appellation, sit on a gravel plateau typical of the Médoc, over an iron rich clay-sandstone base at the western end and a more sandy mix towards the Gironde. The encépagement is is also fairly typical; there is a dominance of Cabernet Sauvignon, with a little less Merlot and just a few Petit Verdot vines. They are planted at a density of 10000 vines/ha, and have an average age of 25 years. A recent innovation introduced by François Nony is a green harvest which should improve the quality of fruit reaching the winery. After the September harvest, which is part by hand and part mechanical (an obvious focal point for further improvements), the grapes see a sorting and destemming at the winery, followed by a light crush and fermentation of fruit from distinct plots in either stainless steel or epoxy-lined cement. There is a light pumping over and a maceration of up to three weeks, before the wine is run into barriques for for twelve months, of which 20% are new each year. The first press wine may also be blended in. There is a little batonnage before several rackings, an egg white fining and bottling.

The grand vin is Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme, a fairly classic blend comprising about 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, although the exact proportions do vary with the vintage. The 1997, for instance, was a blend of 80% Cabernet and 20% Merlot, with no Petit Verdot. The wine provides excellent value for money, and in good vintages such as 1985 or 2000 (tasting notes below) holds the promise of excellence per se. The former of these two vintages, tasted blind one evening, showed all the finesse and exquisite balance that can be found in this vintage. As for the 2000, I will continue to enjoy reporting on this vintage in the future, as I have a few bottles tucked away in the cellar for a rainy day. More recent vintages have also come under the spotlight here though, courtesy of François Nony who sent them over for me to taste. Many are delicious, and not always in the most obvious vintages; I particularly liked the 2002, for example. (14/9/04, updated 9/2/10)

Contact details:
Address: Chateau Caronne-Sainte-Gemme, 33112 St Laurent Médoc
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 56 87 56 81
Fax: +33 (0) 5 56 51 71 51
Internet: www.chateau-caronne-ste-gemme.com

Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme - Tasting Notes

Click to locate stockists.

Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme (Haut-Médoc) 2007: One of the paler wines in the line up, with a dusty cherry-red hue, and more transparent than some. There's a little volatility at first, followed by some chalky red fruits. The palate is lean, as anticipated, but it is certainly not without merit. There is a thin texture here on entry, some structure too, increasingly so towards the finish where it comes to dominate the wine with a rather harsh grip. There is fruit, raspberry and cherry, albeit with a stony and rather hard but also muted character, also the green of bay leaf and a touch of tobacco. This really translates the difficult nature of the vintage very well. To its credit though, the structure suggests it will be drinking at its best in only a few years, so this wine will no doubt serve a useful purpose. From a Caronne Ste Gemme tasting. 13/20 (February 2010)

Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme (Haut-Médoc) 2006: A much darker colour than the 2007, against which this was paired. Dark and glossy right out to the pink rim, and a nose of dark, sweet, slightly high-toned and perfumed fruit. Still some honeyed oak present. Lots of flesh on the palate, covering the ripe but very firm and upright structure very well. The tannins do peak out from beneath the substance near the finish, but there is breadth and sweetness, and nice gentle acidity too. An impressive wine with an intriguing nose full of potential and yet to close down, clearly very young on the palate but with a textured finish, and a grippy length. A good future here. From a Caronne Ste Gemme tasting. 16+/20 (February 2010)

Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme (Haut-Médoc) 2005: A great colour, a dark and glossy black cherry hue. The nose is certainly captivating, and although there are some oak-derived elements still really quite prominent, with notes of charcoal and smoky caramel, there is also a fine, dark, clearly defined vein of deliciously crystalline fruit. The palate, however, does not quite have the flesh and substance that I expected, less so than 2003 at present for sure, and even the 2002 shows well against this. There is a very lean composition, with plenty of midpalate grip and acidity, but not the weight I would anticipate from this vintage. The nose though is captivating, and I suspect the palate may flesh out given time. With that in mind, a potentially fine effort here. From a Caronne Ste Gemme tasting. 16.5-17+?/20 (February 2010)

Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme (Haut-Médoc) 2004: A glossy hue, vibrant but not with a great density of colour or substance, especially out at the rim. Still a trace of honeyed oak on the nose here, yet to integrate. The fruit has a light, red character, crunchy but with a perfumed edge. There's a touch of cola, of charcoal and a green element too, rather leafy in style. Light, lean on entry and through the middle, with very bare bones in the middle and domineering and grippy structure picking up there and through to the finish. Not showing too well here, most likely an awkward phase, taking into account the age of this wine. From a Caronne Ste Gemme tasting. 14.5+?/20 (February 2010)

Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme (Haut-Médoc) 2003: A dark and deep and slightly glossy wine, with a good concentration of colour right out to the rim. Still with a good, matt, dark oxblood hue, maturing but certainly not advanced. The nose has a very deep and rich character, with a dense macerated-fruit style. There is a high-toned edge to the fruit, but a freshness too, a gentle perfume alongside a more vibrant but plump cherry note. Quite fresh on entry, but broad and dense, full of texture and body and grip. There is good acidity here despite the heat of the vintage, and the tannins although firm sit quite well behind the meat of the wine. A full-on style of wine, with lots of extract and tangible matter. The tannins have a ripe but clinging, slightly chewy quality. It finishes a little short despite its depth. Good potential but it needs more time to integrate; certainly not prematurely aged in any way. From a Caronne Ste Gemme tasting. 16.5+/20 (February 2010)

Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme (Haut-Médoc) 2002: A seemingly mature hue in the decanter, but in the glass it does display some more youthful tones, a glossy if rather dense and matt claretty hue. The nose has plenty of appeal for me, showing some nicely developed aromas of pencil shavings, graphite, and dusty cabinet laid over some violet and blackcurrant fruit, sweet but with a crunchy, mint and green peppercorn edge. The texture on entry exceeds my expectations, showing a nicely polished flesh, more than you would expect, if vintage generalisations were anything more than that - a generalisation - which is consistent through the middle and to the finish. It has plenty of backbone too, with gently firm acidity and a lick of peppery tannin. It draws in a little at the finish where it is tighter, more grippy. A little length too, not much, but it is there. This is a really nice effort from one of the more difficult vintages since 2000, and should appeal to those who reject the style of wine that has become predominant in Bordeaux in the last 10-20 years. Not quite at peak yet either - needs another year or two for that. From a Caronne Ste Gemme tasting. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 16+/20 (February 2010)

Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme (Haut-Médoc) 2001: Dense, dark, macerated fruits. Pure sweet, slightly brawny youthful fruit. Very good structure behind it. Rounded, fleshy. This is very good and needs six to eight years in the cellar. An under-rated vintage thanks to the success of 2000. 16+/20 (May 2004)

Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme (Haut-Médoc) 2000: Still a very dark colour here, still youthful, a rather matt hue, deep rather than bright, but certainly no real signs of maturity. This youthfulness is also there on the nose, where there are nuances of coffee and toffee - suggestions of sweetness - alongside some rather diffuse, distant, immature fruit. There are little fleeting moments of pleasure though, aromas that hint at tea leaf and rust, alongside a little greenness, subtle peppercorn or mint. The palate has a really appealing texture, gently creamy, neither too thin nor over the top, although through the middle it does have a more restrained, savoury, bitter grip which will appeal to many traditionalists. Still some very pure and direct fruit character here, a little more tangible than the nose suggested, with a savoury, cherry-stone edge to it. Good structure, ripe and rather svelte tannins, through to the finish where there is a warm, substantial length. Still needs time to show its best for sure, maybe another 3-5 years before it is really beginning to drink well. From a Caronne Ste Gemme tasting. 16.5+/20 (February 2010)

Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme (Haut-Médoc) 2000: A dense, macerated fruit nose. Full of texture and fruit on the palate. Plenty of tannin here, dominating the palate, despite the presence of some Super-ripe fruit. Intense, pure, structured, Less brawny than my previous tasting, but still needs a good decade to really shine. 16.5+/20 (May 2004)

Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme (Haut Médoc) 2000: Good, deep colour. Not giving away much on the nose after first, but after a long time in the glass it reveals some roasted fruit notes. The palate behaves in a similar manner, initially all structure and no fruit or texture. With time, however, it fills out to develop a full, fleshy texture, although the fruit remains hidden behind the tannin and acidity. Closed at present. I recommend this not for drinking now, but for three or four years in the cellar - after which I think it will be really singing. 16.5+/20 (November 2003) Label

Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme (Haut-Médoc) 1999: A lovely deep colour. Little on the nose. A full, sweet palate though, with good fruit. Background tannins and firm acidity, but it has the texture to cope. Tannic flourish at the finish. Good for the vintage. Needs four to five years. 15.5+/20 (May 2004)

Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme (Haut-Médoc) 1998: A good depth of smoky black fruits on the nose. Softly rounded, unpretentious palate with black fruits and firm acidity. The tannins come through a little on the midpalate. Black fruit profile on the palate too. Needs three to four years. 15.5+/20 (May 2004)

Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme (Haut-Médoc) 1996: Good, richly coloured red wine. Very young nose, loaded with toasted marshmallow oak aromas. Creamily textured palate apparent on entry, with layers of cassis fruit and new oak though the midpalate. Tannic. Maintains its attractive texture through to the big, spicy finish. Although approachable now, this wine will continue to improve for a few years. From a Bordeaux 1996 tasting. 16+/20 (July 2001)

Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme (Haut-Médoc) 1985: The nose here displays mature, sweet fruit. The palate is delightfully and gracefully balanced, with a beautiful integration of tannic structure. It has a firm touch but remains very fluid. Elegant fruit. Finishes well. Very typical of the 1985 vintage. From a Bordeaux tasting. 17.5/20 (October 2003)