Distinguished and feminine, Cantemerle is nonetheless a powerful wine. It is a perfect accompaniment to many dishes, including most meat dishes, red fruits, soft French cheeses , etc.

Its delicate nature marries particularly well with light game dishes, such as partridge or roast pigeon, calf sweetbreads, braised duckling, or simple roast veal with wild mushrooms.

• Young vintages : Contrary to popular opinion, it is rather the younger vintages that need to be decanted. This operation, which involves pouring the wine into a decanter to promote aeration, gives the wine a good deal of roundness and complexity. 'Frisky' young wines can benefit greatly from being served in a decanter and are unquestionably more expressive as a result. Choose decanters that are wide and bulbous with a resultant large oxygenating surface. A Cantemerle that is served young - between 3 and 10 years, depending on the nature of the vintage - should be decanted at least 2 hours before tasting.
• Old vintages : Old vintages (10-years-old and more) are often more transient and much more fragile, and thus need to be decanted delicately and virtually immediately before serving. Be sure to fetch them from the cellar 48 hours beforehand and keep the bottles upright. A narrower decanter is more suitable in this case. In all cases, the recommended serving temperature is the same as the temperature of the room in which they are to be tasted, providing it does not exceed 20°C (68°F). The shape of the glass is also important - a slightly closed, "tulip" shape allows better perception of bouquet.