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Barde-Haut 15 and 16 blind
Tasted December 2, 2022 by Rbhan12 with 71 views
Introduction
Tasted the 15 and 16 single blind. The wines were known but the order was not. Surprisingly, it was very easy to tell them apart. In a lot of ways these wines are similar, but tasting side by side it is abundantly clear how different they are.
Flight 1 (2 notes)
Red
2015 Château Barde-Haut
92 points
Decanted off sediment for 2h, back to bottle (mid-high shoulder) for a few hours, then followed for a few more hours. 80% Merlot 20% CF. Served single blind next to 2016 Barde-Haut.
Natural cork. The color is dark ruby but there is the slightest bricking at the edges that is noticeable. Critics notes are spot on for this nose. Rich dark fruits, cassis, leather/tobacco. The palate is rather voluptuous and rich, definitely full-bodied. Lots of smooth dark fruits but not overwhelming or in your face. There was hints of secondary character as well, with cedar/tobacco/leather at the tail end of the palate. It does have the classic tannins and acid that somehow always points me to BDX. It has structural though it is well integrated. The finish shows some secondary fruit character that makes way for the structure to show off again.
Really enjoyed this. Helluva wine and a great value. When "classic BDX" drinkers describe recent StE as overripe and goopy, this is probably what they mean. In fairness, I would not have easily been able to call this blind as right bank BDX. You could have fooled me into thinking this was a Cali BDX blend with some restraint.
I personally felt the fruit was a notch or two lower powered than the size of the mouthfeel. I was also surprised to see some aged character on the wine (color and palate). The 15 had natural cork but the 16 had DIAM30, maybe that had some role to play? Compared to the 16 next to it (still blind), it was obvious that this was the 15 and that Merlot dominated this vintage.
Drinking very well now with proper preparation, has the stuffing to go another 10 years easily.
Natural cork. The color is dark ruby but there is the slightest bricking at the edges that is noticeable. Critics notes are spot on for this nose. Rich dark fruits, cassis, leather/tobacco. The palate is rather voluptuous and rich, definitely full-bodied. Lots of smooth dark fruits but not overwhelming or in your face. There was hints of secondary character as well, with cedar/tobacco/leather at the tail end of the palate. It does have the classic tannins and acid that somehow always points me to BDX. It has structural though it is well integrated. The finish shows some secondary fruit character that makes way for the structure to show off again.
Really enjoyed this. Helluva wine and a great value. When "classic BDX" drinkers describe recent StE as overripe and goopy, this is probably what they mean. In fairness, I would not have easily been able to call this blind as right bank BDX. You could have fooled me into thinking this was a Cali BDX blend with some restraint.
I personally felt the fruit was a notch or two lower powered than the size of the mouthfeel. I was also surprised to see some aged character on the wine (color and palate). The 15 had natural cork but the 16 had DIAM30, maybe that had some role to play? Compared to the 16 next to it (still blind), it was obvious that this was the 15 and that Merlot dominated this vintage.
Drinking very well now with proper preparation, has the stuffing to go another 10 years easily.
2 people found this helpful
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Red
2016 Château Barde-Haut
93 points
Decanted off sediment for 2h, back to bottle (mid-high shoulder) for a few hours, then followed for a few more hours. 80% Merlot 20% CF. Served single blind next to 2015 Barde-Haut.
DIAM30 cork. Color is a deep ruby with no signs of age (compared to the 15 which showed bricking). Similar to the 15, the nose showed plenty of dark fruit, but there was a clear freshness and herbal quality that made this wine more distinct. The palate was a true medium body and didn't feel rich or heavy. The acidity was focused and elevated the palate. Plenty of smooth dark fruit but so much elegant purple flowers and floral character. The tannin structure was strong as well, though the acid just elevated everything. The finish was a masterclass in purple florals. Violets, lilacs, etc.
I absolutely loved this wine. It had a freshness, elegance, floral character, and ripe fruits that made it incredibly appealing. It also had the structure to warrant years of cellaring. Compared to the 15, I found this to be more elegant and with more profound structure. They are both fantastic wines in their own right, though this probably could benefit from longer cellar time. Despite the blend being the same between the 15 and 16, I felt that the Cab Franc really shined through in this vintage.
Drinking well now with adequate preparation, but will be so much better in 3-5 years. Easily 20 years ahead for this wine.
DIAM30 cork. Color is a deep ruby with no signs of age (compared to the 15 which showed bricking). Similar to the 15, the nose showed plenty of dark fruit, but there was a clear freshness and herbal quality that made this wine more distinct. The palate was a true medium body and didn't feel rich or heavy. The acidity was focused and elevated the palate. Plenty of smooth dark fruit but so much elegant purple flowers and floral character. The tannin structure was strong as well, though the acid just elevated everything. The finish was a masterclass in purple florals. Violets, lilacs, etc.
I absolutely loved this wine. It had a freshness, elegance, floral character, and ripe fruits that made it incredibly appealing. It also had the structure to warrant years of cellaring. Compared to the 15, I found this to be more elegant and with more profound structure. They are both fantastic wines in their own right, though this probably could benefit from longer cellar time. Despite the blend being the same between the 15 and 16, I felt that the Cab Franc really shined through in this vintage.
Drinking well now with adequate preparation, but will be so much better in 3-5 years. Easily 20 years ahead for this wine.
6 people found this helpful
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