2016 BWE WINE OF THE YEAR: 2012 CHATEAU BARDE-HAUT
Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 5:14 pm
In 2016 BWE makes history: The 2012 Chateau Barde-Haut is the Wine of the Year, our first selection from the right bank.
This St. Emilion property has been making outstanding wines for the better part of the new century. The 2005 Barde-Haut is really coming into its own right now, with seductive secondary chocolate and cherry flavors and a lovely perfume. The 2009 and 2010 are major efforts from those two great vintages.
I love the 2012 Barde-Haut. From what I can see this is a beautiful vintage on the right bank, with fresh, elegant efforts but just enough structure to bring them to the next level. This wine has great fruit and a stunning deep, opaque purple color, with violets on the nose. In the mouth it is rich, with licorice, cocoa chocolate, black cherries. A beautiful wine. The wine-maker, Sylviane Garcin-Cathiard has been getting rave reviews from the critics for the upgrades at the property and bringing out the best in the terroir. I enjoyed Jeff Leve's guide to the property on his website:
http://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/bor ... arde-haut/
I seriously considered adding Ms. Garcin-Cathiard's 2012 Haut Bergey as a co-wine of the year to recognize her efforts. This is another wine that combines top notch modern wine making while preserving the integrity of its terroir, at a very reasonable price.
Chateau Barde-Haut is a seductive, flowery, chocolatey, distinctive right banker that drinks well young and with some age on it. It always seems to be finished off quickly when I bring it to family or other social gatherings. Jeff Leve described it as "fun" in one of his notes and I think that's a good descriptor, although that by no means should be considered an insult: This is a serious wine. And the price, usually under $30 ($26.99 right now at www.bassins.com), is VERY reasonable.
Thank you to all for your suggestions, I also gave serious consideration to the 2012 Haut Bergey, 2011 Calon Segur, 2008 Leoville Barton, and 2011 d'Yquem.
Bravo to the 2012 Chateau Barde-Haut, the 2016 BWE Wine of the Year! It joins the great pantheon of excellence that defines past wines of the year of Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts, the greatest wine web site on the internet:
2000: 1996 Sociando-Mallet
2001: 1989 Lynch-Bages
2002: 1995 d'Yquem
2003: 1999 Haut Brion Blanc
2004: 2000 Pichon Baron and 2000 du Tertre
2005: 2000 Margaux
2006: 2003 Pontet-Canet
2007: 2002 Leoville Poyferre
2008: 2005 Burgundy vintage (protest vote)
2009: 1989 Lafite Rothschild
2010: 2005 Cantemerle
2011: 2008 Leoville Poyferre
2012: 2009 Giscours
2013: 2004 Smith Haut Lafitte
2014: 2010 Chasse Spleen
2015: 2012 Leoville Las Cases
2016: 2012 Barde-Haut
Happy New Year to everyone, and I look forward to a great 2017 with all of you!
JimHow
This St. Emilion property has been making outstanding wines for the better part of the new century. The 2005 Barde-Haut is really coming into its own right now, with seductive secondary chocolate and cherry flavors and a lovely perfume. The 2009 and 2010 are major efforts from those two great vintages.
I love the 2012 Barde-Haut. From what I can see this is a beautiful vintage on the right bank, with fresh, elegant efforts but just enough structure to bring them to the next level. This wine has great fruit and a stunning deep, opaque purple color, with violets on the nose. In the mouth it is rich, with licorice, cocoa chocolate, black cherries. A beautiful wine. The wine-maker, Sylviane Garcin-Cathiard has been getting rave reviews from the critics for the upgrades at the property and bringing out the best in the terroir. I enjoyed Jeff Leve's guide to the property on his website:
http://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/bor ... arde-haut/
I seriously considered adding Ms. Garcin-Cathiard's 2012 Haut Bergey as a co-wine of the year to recognize her efforts. This is another wine that combines top notch modern wine making while preserving the integrity of its terroir, at a very reasonable price.
Chateau Barde-Haut is a seductive, flowery, chocolatey, distinctive right banker that drinks well young and with some age on it. It always seems to be finished off quickly when I bring it to family or other social gatherings. Jeff Leve described it as "fun" in one of his notes and I think that's a good descriptor, although that by no means should be considered an insult: This is a serious wine. And the price, usually under $30 ($26.99 right now at www.bassins.com), is VERY reasonable.
Thank you to all for your suggestions, I also gave serious consideration to the 2012 Haut Bergey, 2011 Calon Segur, 2008 Leoville Barton, and 2011 d'Yquem.
Bravo to the 2012 Chateau Barde-Haut, the 2016 BWE Wine of the Year! It joins the great pantheon of excellence that defines past wines of the year of Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts, the greatest wine web site on the internet:
2000: 1996 Sociando-Mallet
2001: 1989 Lynch-Bages
2002: 1995 d'Yquem
2003: 1999 Haut Brion Blanc
2004: 2000 Pichon Baron and 2000 du Tertre
2005: 2000 Margaux
2006: 2003 Pontet-Canet
2007: 2002 Leoville Poyferre
2008: 2005 Burgundy vintage (protest vote)
2009: 1989 Lafite Rothschild
2010: 2005 Cantemerle
2011: 2008 Leoville Poyferre
2012: 2009 Giscours
2013: 2004 Smith Haut Lafitte
2014: 2010 Chasse Spleen
2015: 2012 Leoville Las Cases
2016: 2012 Barde-Haut
Happy New Year to everyone, and I look forward to a great 2017 with all of you!
JimHow