Consistently turning out "brilliant wines" according to critic Jeb Dunnuck while earning 90 plus pt. ratings over the last decade, the outstanding 95 pt. 2019 Chateau Barde-Haut hits the mark once again, a rich and luxuriously styled St. Emilion offering elegant layers of spiced dark fruit with fresh chalky minerality and a lively, uplifted finish, declared "a superb Barde-Haut that will give 20+ years of drinking pleasure" by Vinous critic Neal Martin and a breeze to stock up on at this value price.
Located in eastern St. Emilion next to Troplong-Mondot, Chateau Barde-Haut was purchased in 2000 by Sylviane Garcin-Cathiard, part of a long-time Bordeaux family who also owns Clos l'Eglise, Château Haut-Bergey and Chateau Poesia as well as Argentine's Bodega Poesia. Under the direction of Sylviane's daughter Helene Garcin and her husband Patrice Leveque, extensive improvements at the Chateau have been made including the construction of an eco-friendly contemporary winery, its roof covered with grass and solar panels and the building's exterior walls clad with sheets of rusty steel. Situated in a single, walled parcel at the end of the plateau, the nearly 17-hectare vineyard forms an amphitheater facing south overlooking the Dordogne Valley planted with 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc vines averaging 35 years of age in shallow clay soils over a limestone base typical of St. Emilion. Under the direction of renowned consultant Thomas Duclos who calls 2019 "the most beautiful vintage of the 2010's decade," the 2019 Chateau Barde-Haut was aged in 80% new French oak for 18-21 months, yielding ripe, textured fruit with supple tannins and a substantial underlying structure, impressive now but set to gain complexity over the next decades.
Described as "an excellent wine" with "clear ageing potential" by Inside Bordeaux's Jane Anson, the outstanding 95 pt. 2019 Chateau Barde-Haut reflects its stature as one of the Right Bank's rising stars, "an opulent, full-throttle Saint-Emilion" according to Vinous critic Antonio Galloni and a worthy, value-priced addition to any Bordeaux collector's cellar.
The 2019 Barde-Haut is beautifully defined on the nose, very pure with precise blackberry, briary, violets and iris flower, harmonious. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins, cohesive and mineral-driven; the terroir is very expressive towards the finish that lingers in the mouth. Wonderful, assured and with great potential. Tasted at the Barde-Haut vertical at the château.
95 points, Neal Martin, Vinous (Jun 2022)
Attractive black-fruit and berry character with some chocolate and toasted-hazelnut undertones. It’s full-bodied with chewy tannins and a juicy finish. Lots of flavor. Lots of polish. 80% merlot and 20% cabernet franc. Drink after 2024.
95 points, James Suckling (Feb 2022)
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Barde-Haut explodes with preserved plums, baked blackberries, and boysenberries plus notes of mocha, black olives, dried lavender, and cedar with a hint of cumin seed. Full-bodied, it is firm and grainy with lively acidity and loads of layers, finishing minerally.
95 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent (Apr 2022)
This beautiful estate is located on the eastern side of the appellation, and they consistently turn out brilliant wines. The 2019 Château Barde-Haut reveals a deep purple hue to go with classic limestone-influenced aromas and flavors of ripe black cherries, chalky minerality, chocolate, and white truffle. More medium to full-bodied and elegant than overtly powerful, its balance is spot on, it has beautiful tannins, and a great finish. It shows the vintage style perfectly and will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age, and cruise for over two decades in cold cellars.
94 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Apr 2022)
Juicy and ripe, offering a slightly burly-edged mix of plum, boysenberry and blackberry compote flavors laced with hints of licorice root and alder. Grippy, with adequate energy to the tar-lined finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024 through 2037. 6,000 cases made.
93 points, James Molesworth, Wine Spectator (Mar 2022)
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