2005 Barde Haut

[dstgolf]

Jim must have been a clairvoyant when he named this WOTY. I just came back from the LCBO and there it was behind lock and key selling for a lofty sum of $105 cdn which is ludicrous. It wasn't a great wine then...spoofalated I think was used and I can't see this being worth that kind of money 14 yrs out. Maybe I'm wrong but I can't believe the price escalation of wines in the local stores.

[JimHow]

The How Effect...
I think we need to establish a How Market, with the opportunity for all kinds of exotic options, even bundle investments for riskier bets.
Just think of the new wealth we could create.

[brodway]

It can also be called fake news

[OrlandoRobert]

Faux news.

This is a Euro-centric site.

Barge Haut was a BWE WOTY?

[brodway]

Howe you doing?

[OrlandoRobert]

Popped the 2005 Haut Bergey - same Chateau owner - last night along with a bunch of other stuff for a dinner party of about 20. This is some glossy, modern drink. A lactic note as well. Not a fan, but I was the distinct minority. Definitely a crowd pleaser at a table of people that appreciate wine but are not like the rest of us kooks. I am not a buyer of Garcin wines. They can fool at big wine tasting events to showcase new releases, but I do not like where they go with time as the baby fat starts to peal off.

[JimHow]

I think that's a fair assessment, OB.

I've said many times:

Barde Haut and Haut Bergey should be drunk young. Indeed, in their infancy.

They are what they are.

[OrlandoRobert]

Indeed, sir.

So when are you coming to Florida? You mentioned a 2020 possibility. Expect pain and suffering.

[JimHow]

yes I'll be there in February, more details to come.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

Interesting comments. On release I found the BH and HB to be distinctly different. The BH I christened the Brigitte Brade Haut. I thought it very nice, yes in a sweet and modern way, but not what I would call overdone or anything. In fact I found it a relief compared to quite a few other wines, from the same price range and pedigree, which were heavy and treacly, see, e.g., my review of the Cambon la Pel-ooze. On the other hand I found the HB much stricter, drier and more classically styled. Interesting that, according to at least one of us, the two wines I found quite different on release appear to have converged a decade+ on.

[DavidG]

The 2005 Barde Haut was ok, a good QPR, fairly modern, but well enough balanced for me. I drank one in 2015 to check it out and sent the rest off to auction when we downsized. A "cellar defender" but it didn’t make the cut.

The Haut Bergey is also a good QPR and fairly modern WRT ripeness and oak, but still essentially a Pessac-Léognan and distinguishable from St. Emilions like Barde Haut. Since I’m a fan of Pessac-Léognan, I brought the Haut Bergey when we moved. But I stopped buying it after the 2009/2010, preferring to pony up for the Haut Bailly which is a far better wine and more traditional.

To drift further into Pessac-Léognan territory in a St Emilion thread: While Haut Bailly does some modern stuff like cold soaks, they use only 1/2 to 2/3 new oak for aging and the team has been pretty traditional. At least I don’t think Rolland has any significant input there. They’ve reduced the amount of Cab Franc in the wine (Alfert won’t like that!). But the wine remains quintessentially "Graves-y" (forgive me for using an old and favorite made up term that’s not geographically precise) and is my favorite affordable wine from that commune. If I hit the lottery HautBrion will be my favorite affordable wine from the commune.

If I want a really inexpensive early-drinking wine with Graves-y character, Rochemorin, a wine that Marc F (BobbyG) turned me on to, seems to fill the bill. Though I haven’t seen it around the last few years.

[marcs]

I think that's a fair assessment, OB.

I've said many times:

Barde Haut and Haut Bergey should be drunk young. Indeed, in their infancy.

They are what they are.

HB and BH are pretty different wines

The 2000 HB gives the lie to the claim that HB should be drunk young as it aged into being a terrific wine.

Robert is right that the 2005 HB is not that good but not sure if that’s because they just missed the boat in that vintage or because there was some change in winemaking style between 2000 and 2005 that screwed up the wine