Domaine de Cambes Bordeaux AOC 2019

The 2019 opens with a seductive, dark-fruited nose: black cherry, damson, ripe blackberry and warm plum, all laced with sweet tobacco, cocoa, and that unmistakable Mitjavile roasted note. There’s a graphite edge too — a cool, mineral thread that gives the aromatics real definition.

On the palate, the wine is plush but controlled. Silky fruit glides across the tongue — cassis, dark cherry, raspberry coulis — supported by fine, ripe tannins and a pulse of bright acidity that lifts the whole mid-palate. You get layers here: mocha, cedar, clove, a touch of smoked spice, and a savoury depth that reminds you how serious this “humble” appellation wine actually is.

The finish is long, warming, and quietly powerful — classic Mitjavile: generous fruit wrapped in finesse.

Critics saw exactly what was happening:

• Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate called the 2019 “deep, expressive and beautifully balanced,” noting its purity and unusually refined structure for Bordeaux AOC.

• Vinous praised its “succulent texture, layered fruit and sheer charm,” pointing out that it punches “well above appellation boundaries.”

This is Cambes at its best: irresistible now, but structured enough to age.

Drink 2024–2036.