Raimonds Tomsons is welcomed like family by the Goudet-Liquard family and Bernard d’Halluin. Located in Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, this Médoc estate exudes a distinct “Bassin d’Arcachon” charm in its architectural style—a reflection of Bernard d’Halluin’s personal affection for the region.
Bernard acquired Château Charmail in 2008 and was joined by the Goudet-Liquard family in 2021. After strolling through the vineyard plots overlooking the Gironde estuary, Raimonds Tomsons discovered the new ambitions driving the estate: the original 26 hectares have since been expanded with the acquisition of a neighbouring property, effectively doubling the surface area and paving the way for an upscale hospitality project. “We want to offer a premium, turnkey destination where guests truly feel at home”. Backed by international experience, Valérie and her children, Augustin and Bertille, bring energy and ambition to this shared vision.
Sébastien Pineau, the estate’s technical director since 2007, soon joins the conversation. Deeply committed to expressing Charmail’s identity, he engages in lively exchanges with Raimonds. What begins with a single barrel tasting quickly evolves into a dozen samples—different grape varieties, diverse cooperages, even confidential experimental lots. In a word: passion.
What follows is a vertical tasting from 2011 to 2022. The terroir’s quality stands out immediately, asserting its role as the driving force behind Charmail’s steady ascent. Each vintage reveals the estate’s progress, with a distinctive signature that continues to refine over time. Some vintages speak volumes, like the 2015—a solar year but surprisingly vibrant for Charmail, with remarkable acidity: “Yes, we harvested fifteen days earlier!” notes the team. The 2022 vintage marks the first to be vinified under the joint stewardship of both families. “It also happens to coincide with an exceptional hailstorm that affected 75% of our crop”, Bernard jokes. Nonetheless, 2022 stands as one of the finest vintages in the estate’s history, alongside the acclaimed 2016.
Château Charmail is imbued with a warm, dynamic, and family-driven spirit, fully committed to showcasing the quality of its terroir. A true Médoc gem that will delight all those seeking a wine with both typicity and eloquence.
Xavier Lacombe
Color: clear, bright, a dense and dark ruby core, light purple-red rim.
Nose: intense, packed with dark spice and sweet ripe dark berries like cassis, Morello cherry, plum and even blueberry. Fine oak notes of sweet spice (vanilla), lightly roasted coffee. Just a wisp of evolution, still developing and gaining complexity.
Palate: full-bodied with great concentration and density, good freshness, very broad. Dense and finely grained tannins which will demand more time to resolve. The mid-palate is juicy and dense with sweet dark fruits, sweet spice like clove and cinnamon, smoke and cassis jam. Fine oak notes of cedar and charred wood. Long and persistent.
Comment: a great vintage for ageing. Excellent concentration, ripeness and purity of fruits combined with a balanced freshness. Will be perfect with a roast squab with rich cocoa jus and Jerusalem artichoke purée infused with black truffle.
Color: clear, bright, with a very dense and dark ruby core and light purple rim.
Nose: very attractive, with good complexity, ripe cassis, dark cherry and plum. Spicy notes of cinnamon, crushed black pepper and clove. Perfume of violet and cherry blossom, slight woodland notes of leather and smoke. Still very young, with a gaining complexity.
Palate: excellent bite, concentration and density, with great freshness and polished dense tannin, with an almost full body. The mid-palate is juicy, with sweet dark cherry, plum, cassis combined with vanilla, clove and cinnamon, but with a great sense of freshness going through the mid-palate. Very good persistence and length.
Comment: another great vintage for ageing with wonderful balance between weight, tannin, freshness and the fruit profile. Decanted a couple of hours before the meal it would wonderfully complement a grilled wild duck with a spicy glaze, served with a dense and sweet red wine reduction.
