97-98pts James Suckling
The transparency of fruit and the finesse is really something here. There’s depth and beauty to the pristine, fresh fruit. Full-bodied and muscular with wonderful tannins that provide tension and form. Subtle and weightless, this is a thought-provoking young wine. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc.
95pts Jane Anson
All about tannins and texture, extremely well assembled with grip and personality. Smoky grilled coffee bean, gorgeous depth of fruit, liquorice root and freshly cut herbs, clear intensity set against floral fragrance, mouthwatering finish. 50% new french oak 3.4ph, 45hl/h yield, harvest September 14 to 29.
92-94pts The Wine Independent
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Barde Haut prances out with gregarious notes of wild blueberries, juicy plums, and black raspberries followed by hints of licorice, tar, and Sichuan pepper. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers grainy tannins and bold freshness to support the vibrant black and red berry flavors, finishing long with a peppery lift. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, with pH 3.40.
92-94pts Vinous
The 2023 Barde-Haut is a powerful, dense wine from Saint-Émilion's Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes sector. Ample and resonant, the 2023 wraps the palate in blue/purplish berry fruit, mocha, spice and new leather. There's terrific breadth here.
- Antonio Galloni
91-93pts Jeb Dunnuck
The 2023 Château Barde-Haut is another healthy purple-hued 2023, and it has gorgeous aromatics of cassis, mulberries, spicey herbs, and spicy wood, with a hint of espresso. I love its purity, and it's medium to full-bodied, with fine tannins and terrific overall balance.
91-93pts Vinous
The 2023 Barde-Haut is a blend from the entire property that was picked from September 14th to 28th, vinified without SO2 until just before bottling in order to preserve aromas. This has an intense, attention-grabbing bouquet with layers of black plum and wild strawberry fruit, cohering with aeration after five minutes. The palate is medium-bodied with quite plush tannins, plenty of grip in the mouth. A finish with layers of blackcurrant and blueberry fruit with a liberal sprinkling of black pepper complete a fine and quite Rubenesque Saint-Émilion.
- Neal Martin
History
Chateau 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 Chateau 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 CHATEAU BARDE-HAUT one of the rising stars of Saint Emilion.
