Chateau Barde Haut 2017
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Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The wine of Château Barde-Haut offer an admirably balanced dialogue between power and freshness, resulting in a product of rare elegance.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
The 2017 Barde-Haut was picked from 18 September to 2 October, matured in 80% new oak for 18 months. It has a sensual bouquet with black cherries, a touch of oyster shell and iodine, well defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, more volume than the Poesia, especially towards the finish that exerts a gentle grip in the mouth. It feels very silky in texture with a persistent finish. This is a really excellent Barde-Haut, in my opinion, with the upper hand over the Clos l’Eglise this year, frankly not far off the 2016 in quality. Bravo Hélène et Patrice Garçin-Léveque.
Barrel Sample: 92-94 -
James Suckling
A complex, composed impression on the nose with rich plum and earthy aromas, nicely framed in oak spice. All working well. The palate has a very smooth, supple feel with a plush build of attractive, fleshy fruit and a very impressive hold of juicy blue fruit on the finish. Drink of hold.
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Wine Spectator
This features a seductive core of anise-steeped plum, blackberry and black currant fruit flavors set against a backdrop of singed alder, savory and smoldering tobacco notes. A hint of licorice snap adds a kick on the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2034.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Barde-Haut didn't see any frost this year due to the altitude of the vineyards. Composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Barde-Haut gives notions of baked blackberries, blueberry compote and Black Forest cake with touches of potpourri, dusty soil and cast iron pan. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a firm frame of grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing long and minerally.
Barrel Sample: 91-93 -
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2017 Chateau Barde-Haut showed beautifully, with more dark fruits, red currants, sappy flowers, mocha, and hints of herbs all emerge from the glass. With plenty of classic Saint-Emilion minerality, medium to full body, ripe tannins, and good acidity, it's a very pretty, elegant 2017 that's going to benefit from just short-term cellaring and drink nicely for 15 years or more. Purchased late in 2000 by the Helene Garcin and Patrice Levêque, who also run Clos l’Eglise in Pomerol, this estate covers 17 hectares of a south-facing amphitheater on the eastern side of the appellation. This is an incredibly talented team, and since arriving, they’ve entirely renovated the cellars as well as raised the level of farming up with the top estates in the appellation. The wines shine for their purity and finesse yet still have beautiful fruit and richness.
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Wine Enthusiast
Ripe, luscious fruit flavors make this wine surprisingly approachable now. The smoky tannins and structure will allow the wine to age, but it is the generous juicy character of the wine that is immediately appealing.
Barrel Sample: 88-90
Other Vintages
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There has been significant investment in renovating the cellar so that all work is completely done by gravity to ensure that the precious grapes of the Chateau are well respected. The cellar is equiped with wooden vats, stainless steel tanks and concrete vats of 50 to 70 hl. A strict policy of selection to ensure the quality is undertaken and individual steps including pigeage are all carried out by hand. It is the combination of exceptional soil and the introduction of natural wine producing and winegrowing technologies combining tradition and modernity that have made CHATEAU BARDE-HAUT one of the rising stars of Saint Emilion.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.