Winemaker Notes
A garnet red color. On the nose, black fruits dominate, mixed with Provençal herbs and floral notes (dried roses), sign of the greatest terroirs of Graves. The aromatic intensity reveals subtle notes of roasting and leather, a sign of a well-controlled ageing in barrels. In the mouth, the attack is delicate, wadded, then the wine quickly asserts itself as dense and racy with a woody that does not exceed. We find a dominant fruitiness that lies on a final licorice. The tannins, both fine and structuring, guarantee a continuously balanced weft. This cuvée will seduce by its intense floral aromatic accompanied by a dense and elegant texture.
Blend: 55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
A bit closed on the nose, smells rich and dark but hidden. Fresh and feisty, this is fruit forward and alive in the mouth with a lovely vein of refreshing, minty raspberry and black cherry flavours. Succulent but not too much with fine tannins and a lovely pencil lead finish. Salinity and wet stone is there, and this is the focus right now. Well put together with precision on show.
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Wine Enthusiast
A velvet texture backed by serious tannins sets the scene for richness and density in this wine. Black-plum flavors and ripe acidity presage plenty of aging potential. Drink this wine from 2025.
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James Suckling
Raspberries, strawberries, mushrooms and cherry blossom on the nose. Medium-bodied with rounded tannins and a soft, juicy finish. Drink or hold.
Created from scratch, Château Haut Selve was born at the dawn of the XXI century. The vineyard was planted in the historical Graves Appellation over a pine forest where vines used to grow 120 years ago. With a deep gravel soil, a warm microclimate, and a subsoil rich in groundwater, this exceptional terroir offers unique conditions for the development of the roots and for an optimal ripening of the grapes. Each step of Chateau Haut Selve’s creation was thought and carried out as if it was a piece of artThe history of art and wine is the particularity of this property that is known to be part of the top five in the Graves. In 2018, Chateau Haut Selve has welcomed Stephane Derenoncourt consulting team whose expertise in vineyard management and winemaking techniques fall in line with the property’s goals and beliefs. Chateau Haut Selve is certified HEV3 and TerraVitis since 2018.
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.
Famous for both its red and white wines, Graves is a large region, extending 30 miles southeast of the city of Bordeaux, along the left bank of the Garonne River. Red wine producing vineyards cover well over three times as much area as the whites. In the late 1980s, the French created the separate appellation of Pessac-Léognan within the northern confines of Graves. It includes all of its most famous properties, and the southern suburbs of the city Bordeaux itself. In French "graves" is a term used to indicate gravelly soils.