In the Press

eRobertParker.com | 90 points
Supple tannins and attractive camphor, mulberry, black currant and dusty, earthy notes are present in this full-bodied, legitimate sleeper of the vintage. The purity, texture, pure charm and depth of this wine are impressive. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.

This beauty from proprietor Francois Nony is a two-thirds blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest mostly Merlot with a touch of Petit Verdot. A member of the Alliance des Cru Bourgeois du Medoc. Robert Parker

eRobertParker.com | 90 points.
Tasted at the Crus Bourgeois 2010 tasting in London. The Caronne Ste Gemme has a reserved, leafy bouquet with strong but attractive undergrowth aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with dry tannins. There is good grip and structure; plenty of tarry black fruit and a solid, graphite tinged finish. Surly at the moment, so leave this fine cru bourgeois for a couple more years. This is a fine wine from this estate.  Neal Martin –  Drink 2014-2020. Tasted September 2012.

Decanter Magazine Feb.2013 : 90+ 17.25
Lush but lifted blackberry nose, with a hint of menthol , cabernet black fruit and earth. Medium bodied, silky, fine acidity, an elegant rather than massive style, with a clean, almost tangy finish. Drink 2013- 2024.

The 2010 Clarets: A Modern Classic | 85 points
By Stephen Tanzer

(65% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot and 5% petit verdot, grown on deep gravelly soil close to Saint-Julien):  Bright, medium red-ruby.  Sexy aromas of cherry, currant, mocha, tobacco and smoky underbrush, with a peppery nuance emerging with air.  Dark cherry, mineral and menthol flavors show good intensity, with sound vinosity leavening the wine’s sweetness.  Finishes with dusty but even tannins and good acid spine and length.  This nicely intense midweight will probably be even more satisfying with a couple years of patience.

JS JamesSuckling.com | Score: 89-90 points
Very fine and racy, with licorice and blackberries and pretty and racy tannins.

James suckling 2013 | 92 Points
Aromas of plum, wet earth and minerals follow through to a full body, with velvety tannins that are polished and clean. I like the walnut and fruity character in a subtle and reserved way. Needs at least five or six years of bottle age to come together. Very fine indeed.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Situation : In the St Laurent Médoc area 500 meters south of the saint Julien strip and in the direct neighbourhood of the vineyards of Gruaud Larose, Lagrange, Belgrave, Camensac and Lanessan.

The vineyard, a resurgence of the St Julien occidental mound, forms an island of 38 hectares (94 acres) planted on first class günzian gravel on a base of iron rich sandstone, a little more sandy to the east, a little more clayey to the west.

The wine making The grapes are destalked, then slightly crushed and sent into stainless steel fermentation vats which are thermo-regulated. Fermentation is led at the temperature of 26/28° Celsius with light “over the top” pumping for a soft extraction of the skins. The maceration can last three weeks. The wine ageing of 12 months is made exclusively in French barrels of 225 L., of which 25% are renewed each year. The wine is fined and finally bottled at the vineyard 20 months after the harvest.

History of the vineyard

The vineyard was first reported in 1648 when a local Landlord, Denys de Mullet of La Tour St Lambert rented it to a farmer in exchange of the wines produced. Caronne is derived from “Carona” for a local spring source, and Gemme a corruption of “James”.
In the middle-ages the locality was a parish on the grounds of a subsidiary to the Templar Commanderie at nearby Benon a few kilometres inland. The Parish was abolished during the Revolution and it is about this time that the first records of wine production at Caronne begin to emerge. In 1900 ownership of Caronne passed to Emile and Eugène Borie. The sons of Eugène would later cede their shares to their uncle and purchase Ch. Batailley and later Ducru-Beaucaillou whilst Emile’s descendance would remain sole owner of Caronne until this day. The property is now managed by François, the fourth generation with his brother Georges and his two cousins Michel & Jean François.