Barde Haut 2018

St Emilion, Grand Cru

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Tasting Notes
The 2018 Barde-Haut is a powerful wine, but it is also rather closed. That won't be an issue in time; the 2018 needs quite a bit of air to show all of the rich, layered fruit readers have come to expect from this Saint-Émilion. Succulent dark cherry, chocolate, new leather, espresso and sweet spice build into the rich, layered finish. Score: 94 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2024 - 2038 25 August 2021
The 2018 Barde-Haut is a rich, heady wine. Crème de cassis, blackberry jam, chocolate, leather and spice race out of the glass in this flamboyant, exotically ripe Saint-Émilion. There is no shortage of stuffing, but the wine needs time to come together. Specifically, the new oak needs to integrate more fully, but this is a barrel sample, and it is not uncommon to see wines at this stage showing this way. The more exotic side of the vintage is very much on display. The harvest ranged from September 29 to October 12, which is relatively drawn out by the estate's standards. Score: 92 - 95 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 April 2019
The 2018 Barde-Haut is very pure and harmonious on the nose, offering a mixture of black cherries, blueberry, iris petals and a touch of India ink. It is backward but well defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins, perhaps more structured than I expected, although that bodes well for long-term aging. There is a lovely saline aftertaste. Cellar this for 3–4 years before broaching and you should have a winning Saint-Émilion. Score: 93 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2024 - 2040 18 August 2021
The 2018 Barde-Haut was picked from 21 September and was blended the week prior to my visit in September 2019. This has a very pure and perfumed, quite floral bouquet with black cherries, hints of cassis, marmalade and light mineral top notes. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannins matched with a fine bead of acidity. Barde-Haut has been in a good run of late and this continues that trend. I find the exotic side of the wine has been contained during its élevage. This has a lot of potential but it may benefit remaining longer in cellar than its peers. Score: 92 - 94 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2024-2040 01 November 2019
Showing brilliantly, the 2018 Château Barde-Haut comes from a beautiful, cooler terroir on the eastern side of Saint-Emilion. It has a wonderful sense of purity and elegance as well as ripe black cherry and blueberry fruits to go with medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of chocolate, spring flowers, violets, and a kiss of chalky minerality. It's beautifully balanced and has ultra-fine tannins as well as a gorgeous finish. It reminds me of the 2016, with maybe a touch more up-front charm. Give it 4-5 years if you can (it's drinking beautifully today as well) and it's going to evolve for 20-25 years or more. Score: 95 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2025 - 2050 18 July 2021
Deeply colored, the 2018 Château Barde-Haut gives up a powerful, yet elegant profile that carries beautiful black cherry, chocolate, liquid violets, and hints of minerality. It's medium to full-bodied, has beautiful mid-palate depth, integrated acidity, and thrilling tannin quality, which isn’t a given in the vintage. Opening up with time in the glass, it shows more and more minerality and freshness, and is flawlessly balanced. In short, it’s beautiful Saint-Émilion readers will love to have in their cellar. Score: 94 - 96 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 24 April 2019
The 2018 Barde-Haut is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it takes a little swirling to unlock the beautifully expressive notes of warm black plums, wild blueberries and black raspberries, plus hints of roses, underbrush, ground cloves and fertile loam. The full-bodied palate delivers a lively backbone and wonderfully ripe, satiny tannins supporting the generous black and red fruits, finishing long and fragrant. Score: 93 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2023 - 2043 11 July 2021
The 2018 Barde-Haut is a final blend composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it sashays sensuously out of the glass with effortless baked blackberries, preserved plums and blueberry pie notes plus hints of incense, powdered cinnamon, cigar box and star anise. Full-bodied and packed with spicy black and blue fruits, it is beautifully textured with firm, velvety tannins and just enough background freshness, finishing very long and seductive. Score: 92 - 94 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 23 April 2019
This has an amazing richness to the nose, with fruit that's ripe but supple, displaying the silky tannins of the vintage. It's a truly luxurious wine, combining liquorice, freshly shaved cherry wood, a gourmet touch of dark chocolate and pencil lead, but everything remains very much in balance. A great job from owner Helene Garcin Leveque. Harvested between 21 September and 11 October. 3.5pH. Score: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2027-2040 16 April 2019
Gorgeous purity of fruit in this wine with depth and beauty. Full-bodied. It really grows on the palate with a hyper fine tannin texture. Score: 95 - 96 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 11 April 2019
Very juicy, with lots of blackberry and black currant compote flavors. The ample toast has yet to be fully soaked up, with notes of licorice root and singed apple wood jutting out. A bit chewy on the finish. Slightly unbridled today, but if this rounds into form it will be a real winner. Score: 91 - 94 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 01 April 2018

Tasting Notes

The 2018 Barde-Haut is a powerful wine, but it is also rather closed. That won't be an issue in time; the 2018 needs quite a bit of air to show all of the rich, layered fruit readers have come to expect from this Saint-Émilion. Succulent dark cherry, chocolate, new leather, espresso and sweet spice build into the rich, layered finish.

Score: 94

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2024 - 2038 25 August 2021

The 2018 Barde-Haut is a rich, heady wine. Crème de cassis, blackberry jam, chocolate, leather and spice race out of the glass in this flamboyant, exotically ripe Saint-Émilion. There is no shortage of stuffing, but the wine needs time to come together. Specifically, the new oak needs to integrate more fully, but this is a barrel sample, and it is not uncommon to see wines at this stage showing this way. The more exotic side of the vintage is very much on display. The harvest ranged from September 29 to October 12, which is relatively drawn out by the estate's standards.

Score: 92 - 95

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 April 2019

The 2018 Barde-Haut is very pure and harmonious on the nose, offering a mixture of black cherries, blueberry, iris petals and a touch of India ink. It is backward but well defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins, perhaps more structured than I expected, although that bodes well for long-term aging. There is a lovely saline aftertaste. Cellar this for 3–4 years before broaching and you should have a winning Saint-Émilion.

Score: 93

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2024 - 2040 18 August 2021

The 2018 Barde-Haut was picked from 21 September and was blended the week prior to my visit in September 2019. This has a very pure and perfumed, quite floral bouquet with black cherries, hints of cassis, marmalade and light mineral top notes. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannins matched with a fine bead of acidity. Barde-Haut has been in a good run of late and this continues that trend. I find the exotic side of the wine has been contained during its élevage. This has a lot of potential but it may benefit remaining longer in cellar than its peers.

Score: 92 - 94

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2024-2040 01 November 2019

Showing brilliantly, the 2018 Château Barde-Haut comes from a beautiful, cooler terroir on the eastern side of Saint-Emilion. It has a wonderful sense of purity and elegance as well as ripe black cherry and blueberry fruits to go with medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of chocolate, spring flowers, violets, and a kiss of chalky minerality. It's beautifully balanced and has ultra-fine tannins as well as a gorgeous finish. It reminds me of the 2016, with maybe a touch more up-front charm. Give it 4-5 years if you can (it's drinking beautifully today as well) and it's going to evolve for 20-25 years or more.

Score: 95

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2025 - 2050 18 July 2021

Deeply colored, the 2018 Château Barde-Haut gives up a powerful, yet elegant profile that carries beautiful black cherry, chocolate, liquid violets, and hints of minerality. It's medium to full-bodied, has beautiful mid-palate depth, integrated acidity, and thrilling tannin quality, which isn’t a given in the vintage. Opening up with time in the glass, it shows more and more minerality and freshness, and is flawlessly balanced. In short, it’s beautiful Saint-Émilion readers will love to have in their cellar.

Score: 94 - 96

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 24 April 2019

The 2018 Barde-Haut is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it takes a little swirling to unlock the beautifully expressive notes of warm black plums, wild blueberries and black raspberries, plus hints of roses, underbrush, ground cloves and fertile loam. The full-bodied palate delivers a lively backbone and wonderfully ripe, satiny tannins supporting the generous black and red fruits, finishing long and fragrant.

Score: 93

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2023 - 2043 11 July 2021

The 2018 Barde-Haut is a final blend composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it sashays sensuously out of the glass with effortless baked blackberries, preserved plums and blueberry pie notes plus hints of incense, powdered cinnamon, cigar box and star anise. Full-bodied and packed with spicy black and blue fruits, it is beautifully textured with firm, velvety tannins and just enough background freshness, finishing very long and seductive.

Score: 92 - 94

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 23 April 2019

This has an amazing richness to the nose, with fruit that's ripe but supple, displaying the silky tannins of the vintage. It's a truly luxurious wine, combining liquorice, freshly shaved cherry wood, a gourmet touch of dark chocolate and pencil lead, but everything remains very much in balance. A great job from owner Helene Garcin Leveque. Harvested between 21 September and 11 October. 3.5pH.

Score: 94

Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2027-2040 16 April 2019

Gorgeous purity of fruit in this wine with depth and beauty. Full-bodied. It really grows on the palate with a hyper fine tannin texture.

Score: 95 - 96

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 11 April 2019

Very juicy, with lots of blackberry and black currant compote flavors. The ample toast has yet to be fully soaked up, with notes of licorice root and singed apple wood jutting out. A bit chewy on the finish. Slightly unbridled today, but if this rounds into form it will be a real winner.

Score: 91 - 94

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 01 April 2018

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