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Barde Haut 2009

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot

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Label

Tasting Notes

Made from tiny yields of 18 hectoliters per hectare (May hail damage resulted in this small crop), the opaque purple-colored 2009 reveals an extraordinary nose of mulberries, black cherries, charcoal, barbecue smoke and forest floor. Rich, full-bodied and opulent with silky tannins as well as a broad, unctuous texture, this beauty can be enjoyed now and over the next 15+ years. It is fashioned from a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.

One of the super values in Bordeaux is proprietress Helene Garcin's Barde-Haut estate. (She has also done a magnificent job with several other Bordeaux properties, particularly Clos l'Eglise in Pomerol and Branon and Haut-Bergey in Pessac-Leognan, as well as in Argentina.)

94
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, March 2012

Tasted at Clos l'Eglise. This has a very seductive nose, pure red-berried fruit, well integrated creamy new oak, very fine definition with kirsch, cranberry, wild strawberry and cedarwood. Just a little gas on the entry, a full-bodied, very tannic, sinewy palate, very powerful with layers of black, cedary fruit, in fact, more akin to a Left Bank than a Right Bank wine. Well balanced but very primal, almost broody at the moment. Grippy finish. Tasted March 2010.

91/93
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, April 2010

Love the blueberry and mineral character in this young wine. Full-bodied, with silk tannins and a fruity, chocolate and light vanilla cream aftertaste.

89/92
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, April 2010

Particularly deep crimson. Luscious nose with real zip and an edge of morello cherry bitterness - attractive. Supple, lots of fruit almost smothers the tannins. Dramatic and delicious. Date tasted 29th March 2010. Drink 2015-2025.

16.5+
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2010

This shows a lightly roasted edge, leading to coffee and warm blackberry confiture flavors followed by slightly jammy plum and black cherry cobbler notes. The lush finish picks up definition, though, with a nice singed apple wood note and solid drive. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2013 through 2025.-J.M.

93
James Molesworth, Wine Spectator Insider (Vol 8, 3), January 2012
Read more tasting notes...

A tiny crop of 18 hectoliters per hectare (the result of the mid-May hail damage) lead to an opaque purple-colored, richest, most concentrated, biggest Barde-Haut made to date. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2009 possesses an intense bouquet of mulberries, boysenberries, charcoal, toast, and graphite. Extremely full-bodied, thick, and viscous with good freshness and definition as well as sweet, but high tannins, this beauty can be enjoyed over the next two decades. (Tasted two times.) Drink 2010-2030.

Robert Parker added an asterisk to this wine score to signify that it is a wine he considers has the finest potential of all the offerings he has ever tasted from this estate in nearly 32 years of barrel tasting samples in Bordeaux.

93/95
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188), April 2010
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.