Château Haut-Bergey 2021

Shows a Band-Aid edge over some dark, slightly burly fruit, along with a subtle spritz throughout. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 3,808 cases made, 250 cases imported.

Concentrated blackcurrants on the nose, almost with a perfumed liqueur touch to them – very intriguing. Clarity and precision on the palate; the fruit feels well handled and has a bright, playful nature while still having a concentrated core of flavour – blackcurrants, black cherries, raspberry leaf and violets. It’s lightly framed so you don’t get plushness or density, but it’s structured with an aerial, linear quality. Stops a little short perhaps, but ageing should help round this out and give a little more weight to the mid-palate. A good effort. 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec complete the blend.

55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot. Demeter-certified biodynamic. Cask sample. Deep purplish crimson. Intense, energetic nose. Quite sweet and floral in its impact with tobacco-leaf sensations on the finish. Tannins well worked and quite a bit of acidity, counterbalanced by relatively fleshy fruit. Burgundian hint? (JR)

The 2021 Haut-Bergey comes across a bit muddled on the nose and misses the typicité one expects. Oddly, there is something almost Burgundian here. The palate seems to have some residual sugar and exhibits some CO2. I am sorry…this just comes across as faulty winemaking that is totally avoidable. Tasted from two bottles—the second even more wretched than the first.

Deep dark ruby, fading to purple at the rim. Inviting scent of blueberries along with a little vanilla and nougat, elegant, blackberry compote. Medium-bodied, red berry fruit, fine tannins, fresh, salty finish; a lively food companion.

The 2021 Château Haut-Bergey shows lots of horsey, spicy, exotic, and wild notes, along with ripe blue fruits, medium-bodied richness, and some firmer tannins. It’s for those who can handle plenty of brett in their wines.

Kunz Barrel Sample 2022: (organic, 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, 12.5% alc./vol., production 40,000 bottles) Velvety, dark bouquet, plums, fine woods, coffee beans, smoke. Fruity, fresh, velvety palate with powerful fruit, good tannins, a finely bourgeois structure, strong aromatics, long finish.

An estate that offers great value wines in Pessac, one to look out for, but it struggles in the vintage. There are black and blue fruits here, but they skirt full ripeness, with angular tannins.

The 2021 Haut-Bergey is produced organically and is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It has a sweaty saddle and iodine-inspired nose, over a core of stewed plums and dried herbs. The light-bodied palate is tart and leathery, with rugged tannins and a rustic finish.

Herbal notes mark the nose, and one looks for the fruit, which doesn’t quite know how to emerge. Surprisingly, the palate is far better structured, with small red and black berries bringing their natural acidity, and tannins that know they will fade and are already discreet. A mouthwatering wine with a minty finish, trailing a few alluring floral notes in its wake.

The nose is fruity, revealing a fine grain, good definition, a certain density, delicate freshness and a slightly elongated profile. It shows notes of dense boysenberry, crushed strawberry and, more subtly, crushed blue fruits, with touches of licorice, fine hints of camphor and caramelization, and a subtle hint of toast and smoke. The palate is fruity, offering juiciness, energy, beautiful acidity and well-judged bitters. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy blackberry and juicy/bright cherry, and more subtly fresh cornflower, joined by small touches of lily blossom and nutmeg, with fine hints of fresh tobacco, racy minerality and a subtle hint of Bourbon vanilla. Good length. The tannins are precise and finely tight.

(Organic, 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, 12.5% alc./vol., production 40,000 bottles) Velvety, dark bouquet, plums, fine woods, coffee beans, smoke. Fruity, fresh, velvety palate with powerful fruit, good tannins, finely bourgeois structure, intense aromatics, long finish. 17/20 2027 - 2045

91–93. Barrel Sample. The fruit is ripe and generous in red berry flavors. The gentle tannins presage some early development, although in the background the tannins show concentration.