From the Winery:
In 1992, Jean-Claude Rouzaud, oenologist and president of Champagne Louis Roederer, acquired and combined two Cru Bourgeois vineyards in the heart of the Medoc’s prestigious Saint-Estèphe appellation: Château Picard and Château Beauséjour. Together, these properties make up what is now called “Château Haut-Beauséjour.” The appellation of St. Estèphe is unique by its proximity to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gironde River. The soil consists of gravel over clay, providing good drainage and a temperate, maritime climate, which is excellent for the maturation of the grapes.

In keeping with his passion for quality, Mr. Rouzaud made improvements in the vineyards, furnished the winery with state-of-the-art equipment, and surrounded himself with an accomplished team. Each year, Mr. Rouzaud participates in the blending of the wine himself to ensure excellence. Mr. Rouzaud adopted a series of measures constituting the "Château Haut-Beauséjour Charter of Quality": pruning, bud thinning, cluster thinning, and a resumption of manual harvesting.

Blended from a variety of different grapes grown on the estate, Château Haut-Beauséjour contains 52% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Côt. The proportion of Merlot has been increased, relative to other Châteaux in the area, to give the wine a more fleshy aspect. This makes the wine more approachable at a younger age yet provides enough structure for aging. After the assemblage, the wine is left to mature for 12 months in small casks made 100% from oaks grown in central France, 40% of which are new. The wine rests for a further 12 months in the bottle before being finally marketed. The wine represents an outstanding value for St. Estèphe designated wines. (Many wines at this price point are not appellation specific.)

Vintage Summary: Conditions in 2004 were quite unlike those in 2003—when the exceptionally hot summer and record-breaking drought produced an unusually small harvest—resulting in an even pattern of grape berry development, outstanding productivity and a bumper crop of grapes—something not seen since 2001. The well-balanced crop of grapes featured above average acidity levels for Bordeaux varieties—a factor that favors aging in the great red wines—and plenty of good, deep color. For the first time in three years, green harvesting was required to restrict growth. Much of the success of this vintage was due to the high standards of vineyard management. Harvesting lasted around 2-3 weeks and was generally complete by October 10. The winemaking process was entirely classical and without any major difficulties. The finished wines display elegantly fruity aromas and generally exhibit all the classical balance of the great Bordeaux vintages.

The 2004 vintage has a lovely dense, deep red color. The nose is very fruit-forward, with lush red fruits on the nose mixing with hints of spice and toastiness. The wine is lively on the palate, with all the verve and structure that great St. Estèphes are known for. The tannins still have quite a rasp, but they are surrounded by enough flesh and fat to sustain an impression of fullness. Alcohol: 13%. The wine shows harmoniously as it evolves, tinged with toasty notes of wood and ripe red fruit. The vintage has all the class and refinement of a true St. Estèphe.

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