Chateau Barde-Haut - St.-Emilion 2016

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Vinous: 96 Points

Readers will find a rich, flamboyant wine in the 2016 Barde-Haut. There is not a ton of subtlety here, but I am not sure that matters all that much given how immensely pleasing the 2016 is. Crushed rocks, graphite, lavender, blackberry, plum, and violet infuse a Saint-Émilion that offers tremendous textural richness as well as vibrancy. Most importantly of all, the 2016 is flat-out delicious. This is a decidedly opulent, dark Saint-Émilion with all of the elements impeccably balanced. I loved it.

Jeb Dunnuck: 95 Points

Lastly, the 2016 Château Barde-Haut might end up being the best wine ever made at this address from the Garcin-Lévêque family, and it certainly ranks with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Dense purple-hued with awesome notes of cassis, black cherries, spring flowers, damp earth, and violets, it hits the palate with incredible purity and precision, a deep, multi-dimensional texture, sweet tannins (from ripe fruit, not sugar), and a building sense of minerality that shows on the finish. It has the depth of fruit and elegance to shine even today yet will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and evolve for two decades.

Wine Advocate: 93 Points

The 2016 Barde Haut is composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it gives up expressive wild blueberries, kirsch, baked plums and spice box notes with hints of cracked pepper, lavender, garrigue and Provence herbs. Medium to full-bodied and richly fruited in the mouth, the palate bursts with blue fruits, framed by firm, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long.

Wine Spectator: 92 Points

A very fresh, juicy style, with pretty floral hints framing a core of cherry, pomegranate and red currant fruit flavors that meld into one another while light anise and rooibos tea accents fill in on the finish. A mineral note knits it all up nicely. Best from 2021 through 2033.