Cap Royal takes its name from the Cordouan lighthouse, France’s oldest of its kind, located where the Gironde River meets the Atlantic Ocean.
The man behind the wine is none other than Jean-René Matignon, who on a daily basis contests the title of technical director at Château Pichon-Baron, 2.Cru Classé in Pauillac.
The Cap Royal project began in 2013 with the desire for a good, well-made wine at a humane price, using the very highest expertise of the industry and La Compagnie Médocaine, a main player on the Bordeaux wine scene. Monsieur Matignon has been responsible for the selection and blending of the wine as well as for the proper aging in French barriques.
The grape blend in the wine is 2/3 merlot and 1/3 cabernet sauvignon. The wine is fermented in steel tanks, after which it has been left for 6-8 months in casks of varying age, which help shape the wine in the desired direction.
In the glass we are met by a dry, rich and intense aroma of especially ripe blackcurrants with a hint of blackberry, red fruit and slightly spicy notes of oak. The taste is full-bodied but rounded, and here – somewhat unusually for Bordeaux – good concentration, although this is not an expensive wine. This is Bordeaux in a newer interpretation with density in the fruit paired with a consumer-friendly softness.
This vintage can both be enjoyed now, but will also be able to be stored away for a handful of years.
Should be enjoyed in large glasses at 16-18° with game, lamb or a well-aged red steak.
90 points J. Suckling
89 points Wine Enthusiast
Gold Challenge International du Vin