Chateau Haut Beauséjour

Wine information: In 1992, Jean-Claude Rouzaud, oenologist and president of Champagne Louis Roederer, acquired and combined two Cru Bourgeois vineyards in the heart of the Medoc’s prestigious Saint-Estèphe appellation: Château Picard and Château Beauséjour. Together, these properties make up what is now called Château Haut-Beauséjour. After the assemblage, the wine develops for 12 months in barrels made from oaks grown in central France, 30 percent of which are new. The wine rests for 12 months in the bottle before finally being marketed. The 2005 vintage is 52% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Côt.

Tasting Notes: Chateau Haut Beauséjour 2005 is a richly colored, deep red wine. The nose is a hedonist’s delight: an endless array of red- and black-berry fruit, with notes of stewed apples and jam overlaid by discreet, elegantly classy hints of wood and aromas of spice and tobacco. On the palate, the taste is very slow to develop but remains elegant without a trace of hardness or dryness, and a finesse and elegance that echo the nose. This is sure to be a great, long-lived wine and already is quite exceptional. It would be no exaggeration to place this superb vintage on a level with such memorable Bordeaux as the 1945, 1961 and 1989 vintages.

Reviews: "A fruity red, with plum and currant character. Medium-bodied, light tannins and a fruity finish. Best after 2008. 12,080 cases made." 86 Points,James Suckling, Wine Spectator

 
     

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