CHÂTEAU BARDE HAUT
2017 Grand Cru Saint Emilion
80% merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. 80% new oak. Rich dark fruit on the nose. It is slick and medium-full bodied with real succulence. The acidity and the Cabernet Franc are what keep this full of energy and refreshment. Lovely fruit core of cassis and black cherry with a lick of some spice and leafy minerality on the finish. Should be drinking within five years and comfortably has the concentration to last. A superb 2017 Saint Emilion. Drinking range: 2022 - 2035 Rating: 91 L&S (Apr 2018)
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The 2017 Barde-Haut has an expressive bouquet with black cherries, blueberry, orange blossom and touches of vanilla pod. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly drier tannins than the 2016, but nicely balanced with an elegant finish, touches of cedar on the aftertaste. Tasted at the Barde-Haut vertical at the château. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2022)
Just as it was en primeur, the 2017 Barde-Haut possesses notable richness and power, while retaining a good bit of freshness. Inky dark fruit, cloves, licorice, chocolate and menthol are pushed forward here. Racy and voluptuous in the glass, the 2017 is positively gorgeous today. It should drink well with minimal cellaring. Drinking range: 2024 - 2037 Rating: 94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Mar 2020)
The 2017 Barde-Haut is deep garnet in colour. The bouquet is well defined, demanding just a little coaxing from the glass, unfurling with pure scents of blackberry, briary, faint cassis scents and potpourri. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, quite sapid in the mouth with a touch of white pepper and clove towards the finish. It is a classically-styled Haut-Barde with a briny aftertaste. Very fine. Drinking range: 2021 - 2038 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2020)
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. Drinking range: 2022 - 2042 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2018)
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. Rating: 91-93 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2018)
The deep, inky-colored 2017 Barde-Haut is a seriously good 2017 from Hélène Garcin-Lévêque that offers tons of kirsch, ripe black cherries, and spice aromas and flavors in a rounded, silky, sexy style. It has wonderful purity of fruit, no hard edges, and a great finish. I suspect it will be reasonably approachable on release yet capable of lasting for 10-15 years. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc which will spend 18 months in 80% new French oak. Rating: 92-94 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (Apr 2018)
Lovely plum, cassis and boysenberry fruit flavors glide through here, with polished toast and a bright red licorice accent on the finish. Nice energy. Rating: 90-93 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2018)
Very tight and direct with lots of limestone and salt aromas and flavors. Full body and firm and silky tannins. Tightly wound. Impressive. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2018)
Hélène Garcin-Lévêque seemed fairly content with the 2017 vintage at Barde-Haut. "We didn't have any problem with frost here, and the limestone and clay of the plateau acted like a sponge for water, and so we did not have much hydric stress during the dry weather", she told me. The harvest started on September 18th for the Merlot, and then moved on to Cabernet Franc on October 2nd. The vineyard has 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, and as far as I am aware that is what has gone into the wine. It has a rather perfumed nose, black cherry with some limestone lift, wrapped up with some spiced cinnamon and clove oak, although less prominently than in Poesia. A succulent, plush, polished style, textural, with plenty of fruit, spiced black plum, but here as per the nose dressed in cinnamon, tobacco, cigar and ashy-toasty oak. The finish is all grip and oak. There is a pretty limestone perfume here, but it feels a little overwhelmed. One for the modernists. Rating: 90-92 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2018)
Château Barde-Haut
Château Barde Haut is a 17 hectare estate located at the extreme east of the village of Saint-Emilion. The vineyard forms an natural amphitheatre and is particularly well exposed to the south. The soil is very typical of Saint Emilion being mainly composed of clay which is found on a layer of chalk. 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 Château 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 Château Barde Haut one of the rising stars of Saint Emilion.