Learn everything about Chateau La Commanderie St. Emilion with wine tasting notes, wine and food pairing tips, best vintages, a history of the property, information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles
Chateau La Commanderie History, Overview
Chateau La Commanderie is a semi-obscure St. Emilion chateau with a long history dating back all the way to the 13th century. At the time, the vineyards were planted to provide wine for the Commanderie of Knights and Monks of St. John of Jerusalem.
Skipping ahead several centuries, Chateau La Commanderie was obtained by the current owners, Thibaut Decoster and Magli Decoster who also own 2 more Saint Emilion estate, Clos des Jacobins, in 2004, when it was purchased by Bernard Decoster from Gerard Frydman. In 2017, the Decoster family added to their holdings in the appellation when they purchased Chateau de Candale.
Once the purchase of Chateau La Commanderie was finalized, the Decosters conducted a complete renovation of the cellars and wine-making facilities.
They also changed how the vineyards were being tended. They began an organic, sustainable farming approach. The wine-making and vineyard management of Chateau La Commanderie is consulted by Hubert de Bouard of Chateau Angelus.
Chateau La Commanderie Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking
The 6 hectare Right Bank vineyard of Chateau La Commanderie is planted to 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. The terroir is sand, gravel, and iron deposits in their soil. This is typical of that part of the St. Emilion appellation, located just before the village.
However, they also have about one-third of their vines located close to Chateau Figeac and Chateau La Dominique, which is not far from the border of Pomerol and St. Emilion.
There you find more gravelly soils. On average, the vines are 35 years of age. The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 8,500 vines per hectare.
To produce the wine of Chateau La Commanderie, vinification takes place in 80-hectoliter, concrete vats. The wine is aged in 50% new, French oak barrels for 18 months before bottling.
The best vintages of Chateau La Commanderie are: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2010 and 2009.
On average, the production is 2,500 cases of wine per year. There is a second wine, Les Chemins de la Commanderie.
When to Drink Chateau La Commanderie, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau La Commanderie needs just a bit of time before it can be enjoyed. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 1. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume.
Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Chateau La Commanderie is usually better with at least 3-4 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. The wines offer their best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 4-12 years of age after the vintage.
Serving Chateau La Commanderie with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips
Chateau La Commanderie is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Chateau La Commanderie is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau La Commanderie is also good when matched with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, pasta, and a diverse array of both hard and soft kinds of cheese.
Château La Commanderie Wine Tasting Notes
16 Vintages 47,410 Views Sort by Vintage-Rating
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2022
Château La Commanderie (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Soft, silky, polished, and fresh, the fruits are sweet, creamy and supple. There is length, purity, as well as a nice polish to the tannins, and sweet, ripe fruits on the mid-palate, and in the finish. Drink from 2025-2037. 91-93 Pts. 1,710 Views Tasted May 8, 2023 |
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2021
Château La Commanderie (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Savory red fruits and herbs open the nose. The wine is soft, medium-bodied, and showcases its blend of herbs, tobacco, cedar, mint and bright, red fruits and green olives with ease. You can enjoy this on release. Drink from 2024-2032. 186 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2024Soft, supple, medium-bodied, fresh, bright, crisp and crunchy red fruits with a hint of peppery spice on the backend of the finish. Drink from 2023-2032. 88-90 1,183 Views Tasted May 20, 2022 |
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2020
Château La Commanderie (Pomerol)
Showing much better in the bottle than it did in barrel, the wine is supple, creamy, fresh and silky with layers of chocolate, cherries, plums, and spices. Medium-bodied, vibrant and elegant, the wine leaves you with more of those gorgeous, supple red cherries that you cannot get enough of. This is already a treat in your glass, but a few more years of aging will add more secondary nuances. Drink from 2023-2040. 628 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2023 |
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2020
Château La Commanderie (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Medium-bodied, silky, elegant, fresh, forward and already simply delicious in your glass, the wine delivers its sweet, ripe, plums, licorice and cocoa easily. Pop, pour and enjoy this on release without hesitation. Drink from 2023-2036. 647 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2023Medium-bodied, with smoky, licorice, herb, espresso and spice accents on the nose and palate. Soft and sweet, with a beautiful purity and elegance to the kirsch and red plums on your palate, you can drink this on release or give it a few years of age. 90-92 Pts 1,404 Views Tasted May 20, 2021 |
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2019
Château La Commanderie (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Roses, tobacco, herbs, forest floor, thyme and cherries permeate the perfume. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, fresh, sweet and vibrant with a polished, soft, black cherry and cocoa tinged, savory finish. Give this just a bit of time in the cellar and it will be even better. drink from 2022-2034. 867 Views Tasted Mar 29, 2022Already open, medium-bodied, soft, sweet and fresh, the tannins are polished and the fruits are ripe, earthy, sweet and lifted. 90-921 Pts 2,866 Views Tasted Jun 8, 2020 |
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2018
Château La Commanderie (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Floral, soft and silky, the wine is medium-bodied, fresh, bright and lifted with ample sweet plums, licorice and espresso on the palate and in the finish. You can drink this with pleasure within a year or two of release. 671 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2021You can taste the licorice laced plums on the palate and the nose will confirm it. Medium bodied and in an open style, the fruit is ripe, sweet and round. You can drink this with pleasure within a year or two of release. 90-92 Pts 1,308 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019 |
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2016
Château La Commanderie (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Already open, medium bodied, fresh and juicy, the fruit offers lift and sweetness and plenty of juice in the finish. This is clearly the best vintage of La Commanderie ever produced! 2,031 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2019Deeply colored, medium bodied with an earthy, licorice and black cherry character, the wine is fresh, vibrant and will be ready to drink with just a year or two of age. 1,513 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2017 |
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2015
Château La Commanderie (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Forward, medium bodied and already deceptively ready to drink, the soft textured, red fruits, licorice and floral character stands out. The wine can age for a decade or longer, but it's easy to enjoy this charmer on release. 2,166 Views Tasted Mar 12, 2018Medium bodied, forward and already easy to drink, the wine shows its earthy, ripe, red fruits and licorice with ease. The wine is soft textured, forward and already drinkable. 2,315 Views Tasted Nov 22, 2017Medium-bodied, forward, fresh and fruity with sweetness in the attack and soft, refined tannins in the finish. 2,048 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2016 |
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2014
Château La Commanderie (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
A medium-bodied, soft, black raspberry and herb-filled wine for early drinking. 87-89 Pts 1,469 Views Tasted Apr 27, 2015 |
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2013
Château La Commanderie (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Soft and open in character, the wine is brimming with light red berries, while the finish is all about the bright red fruits and herbs. 85-86 Pts 1,472 Views Tasted Apr 28, 2014 |
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2012
Château La Commanderie (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Medium bodied, with some greeness to the bright, sweet and tart red fruits. This is going to best enjoyed on the young side. 1,747 Views Tasted Nov 8, 2015Chalky, showing a bit too much oak and extraction at this stage, it should improve with age. 84-86 Pts 1,977 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2013 |
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2011
Château La Commanderie (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
With its earth, truffle, smoke and cherry aromatics, this is better on the nose than the palate. Light in style, with soft textures, drink this red berry dominated wine on the yoing side. 1,771 Views Tasted Nov 17, 2013Earth, stone, blackberry and raspberry aromas lead to a medium bodied, bright wine with a red berry dominated personality. 86-88 Pts 1,972 Views Tasted Mar 16, 2012 |
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2010
Château La Commanderie (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Early drinking, medium bodied, soft, wine with a core of black cherries, licorice and oak. 2,936 Views Tasted Mar 3, 2015 |
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2009
Château La Commanderie (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Earth, spice and cherries make up the perfume. Soft tannins and round textures are found in the sweet, black cherry and cocoa finish of this crowd pleasing, style of wine that will show best in its youth. This is showing much better than it did when it was tasted in barrel. 3,804 Views Tasted Mar 12, 20122009 La Commanderie, from 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, is an easy drinking style of wine that does not demand time before showing its light, red and dark berry charms. 4,333 Views Tasted Jun 28, 2010 |
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2005
Château La Commanderie (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Hints of licorice, blackberry, earth and herbs. Medium bodied, soft, but a little short and tart in the developed finish. Drink this over the next few years. 2,653 Views Tasted Jul 4, 2013 |
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2001
Château La Commanderie (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Light in color, fruit and style, the fruit is already beginning to slowly fade. Fresh, bright, red berries, red plums, earth, tobacco and olive notes are driving this medium bodied wine. Drink up, as it is not going to improve from here. 1,733 Views Tasted Nov 10, 2016 |
