Château Barde Haut Saint Emilion 2005

A tasty, opulent 2005 from proprietress Helene Garcin, this sexy wine exhibits a dense ruby/purple color followed by a sweet bouquet of licorice, black cherries, blackberries, oak, and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, opulent, fleshy, and disarming, it will drink well in 2-3 years, and should age for 12-15. By the way, I have recently begun sampling my 1998 Barde-Haut, which is just emerging from its adolescent stage. It, too, is a beauty!

Good full ruby-red. Explosive ripe aromas of redcurrant, minerals, chocolate mint and tomato. Large-scaled, voluptuous and sweet, with very intense berry and chocolate flavors lifted by minerals, menthol and spices. Finishes with wonderfully broad tannins and an extremely long finish that leaves the palate vibrating. From a very cold terroir (the soil is clay over rocky limestone) that takes longer to warm up each day, but in 2005 this vineyard obviously reached near-perfect ripeness. Offers an exciting combination of thickness and depth with lift.