Wine Advisor
Roc de Cambes 2017
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2017 Roc de Cambes is deep garnet-purple in color with a slightly reticent nose of blackberries, cassis and tar with nuances of pencil shavings, damp soil and dried herbs. The palate is medium-bodied, firm and grainy with great freshness and a long, lively finish.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2017 Roc de Cambes is even better from bottle than it was from barrel. Rich, dense and explosive, with tremendous power the 2017 is positively stellar from the very first taste. Macerated dark cherries, sage, spice, star anise, orange zest, mint and new leather give the 2017 an exotic, racy feel that is hard to fully describe. In the glass, the 2017 possesses off the charts aromatic intensity and tons of pure fruit richness, while the 100% new oak is barely perceptible. Readers lucky enough to find it will enjoy a wine of tremendous character and personality. This is an absolutely stunning wine from Francois and Nina Mitjavile.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2017 Roc de Cambes exudes energy, tension and class. The presence of Cabernet Sauvignon is felt in the wine's aromatic and structural signatures. Black cherry, plum, savory herb, menthol, tobacco, graphite and licorice give the 2017 a rather somber personality. Even so, there is terrific freshness, verve and energy to the 2017, not to mention tons of sheer appeal. The blend is 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Roc de Cambes has a vivid bouquet with ebullient redcurrant and cranberry fruit that "jump" out of the glass, yet the aromatics remain tender and graceful, to use two words uttered by François Mitjavile in describing the vintage. The palate is very well balanced with filigree tannins, dark berry fruit laced with clove and bay leaf, just a hint of tobacco on the aftertaste. Very fine and very classy.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Roc de Cambes, for a long time we considered changing the blend of Roc de Cambes by pulling up the Cabernet, but in the end we kept it the same blend as it is the character of the wine. This is matured in 100% new oak (although it is impossible to tell.) It has a very clean and pure bouquet, perfumed blackberry and bilberry fruit, a touch of seawater in the background. The oak here is nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannin, notes of mulberry, blackberry, brine and touches of brown spice. Like the Domaine des Cambes there is fine energy in situ and it feels long and full of tension on the classy, quite peppery finish.
About the Producer
This is his property in the Côtes de Bourg, a vineyard reminiscent of Tertre Roteboeuf, being as it is, a natural amphitheatre with a perfect aspect overlooking the Gironde River. It comprises fourteen hectares of old vines planted on the most highly reputed slope of the Côtes (les Croutes), where the heat of the sun on the slope is regulated by the effects of the estuary and cool clay/limestone soils. This makes for regular growth and wonderfully ripe, concentrated fruit. Essentially François Mitjavile’s approach was to coax optimal quality in a region with great, but often unrealised, potential. He made Roc de Cambes flourish. With his son Louis (now owner of L’Aurage) and his daughter Nina (increasingly at the helm) his experience and philosophy from St Emilion come into play here. Together they control vigour and pick only when the grapes are super-ripe. They have succeeded in creating a wine which has led to many an embarrassing moment at blind tastings when compared to received “great” wines, first growths included. Roc de Cambes has a wow factor in spades.
1989(1)1990(1)1998(2)2000(1)2001(2)2005(1)2006(3)2008(1)2009(4)2010(3)2011(3)2012(1)2013(6)2014(3)2015(2)2016(3)
Package Size
12 x 75cl3 x 75cl4 x 75cl
