Barde Haut 2015 (750ML)

96 JD / 95 JS / 93 WA / 93 WS

An awesome Saint Emilion, the 2015 Château Barde-Haut showed even better on this occasion than on release. A huge nose of sweet crème de cassis, jammy blackberries, violets, leather, and dried herbs gives way to a full-bodied wine that has a great mid-palate, ripe, silky tannins, not a hard edge to be found, and a great, great finish. I love it even today, yet it has a full two decades of prime drinking ahead of it. - Jeb Dunnuck

Aromas of blackberries, blueberries, wet earth and black tea. Full-bodied, dense and layered with medium, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Shows focus and power. Needs three or four years to start coming together. - James Suckling

The 2015 Barde-Haut has a fragrant bouquet with intense black cherry, cassis and oyster shell aromas that blossom in the glass (just as it did in barrel). The palate is medium-bodied with juicy ripe blackberry and raspberry fruit laced with white pepper and spices. I appreciate the balance and focus here, the acidity cutting through nicely on the finish lending tension and sappiness. Give this 3 or 4 years in bottle and you will have a very fine Saint-Émilion. - Neal Martin, Wine Advocate

A restrained style, with a core of damson plum, raspberry and cassis flavors held in check for now by fine-grained cedar, sanguine and iron hints. There's racy acidity running underneath and a long, focused finish, so cellar this to let the two sides meld fully. Best from 2022 through 2032. 5,000 cases made. - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator