Chateau de Camensac

Chateau de Camensac is a winery in the Haut-Médoc appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château de Camensac is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus (Fifth Growths) in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.

After several decades of relatively mediocre performance, the chateau has since revived the tradition of quality that earned the estate a place in the 1855 classification. This is due mostly to the efforts of the Forner family who, since 1964, have launched a series of renovation programmes.

With the installation of ultra-modern equipment and having entirely renovated the winemaking facilities, the quality of the wine was elevated. The chateau itself was restored, now standing as a symbol of this renaissance. The chateau (a simple, refined and altogether beautiful 18th century manor house) is flanked on either side by cellars and outbuildings. The estate gives the impression of being a hub of viticultural activity, and there is little of the loftiness found in certain other estates with their elaborate gardens. At Chateau de Camensac, the business at hand is wine.

The vineyards of Château Camensac are in the commune of Saint-Laurent-Médoc, just beyond the boundary of the Saint-Julien-Beychevelle appellation. As such it is entitled to only the Haut-Médoc appellation for its wines. The estate's 65 hectares of vines (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot) are planted at a dense 10,000 vines per hectare and have an average age of 35 years. The estate limits yields to 45 hectolitres per hectare and grapes are picked and sorted by hand.

As is common for wineries in the Médoc, Château Camensac produces two wines, its first label, Château Camensac, and a second label, La Closerie de Camensac, into which lesser quality lots are blended. After harvest, the wines undergo primary fermentation in stainless steel vats before being transferred to oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and 17-20 months of aging. In recent years, oenologist Michel Rolland has been a consultant.