Château Haut-Marbuzet 2023

Intense nose, floral notes, blackberry; cool stone; soft attack, fine tannins, very well balanced, with poise and precision, very good length. Shows finesse.

Always as charming and sensual as it was at the en primeur tastings, the 2023 Haut-Marbuzet reveals a bright, elegant and highly distinctive bouquet of lead pencil, licorice, truffle, cherries and spices. Medium- to full-bodied, layered and deep, it is built around a fleshy, seamless core of fruit framed by powdery tannins, concluding with an ethereal, precise and mineral finish.

With thoroughly pleasing black cherry and blackberry aromas accentuated by floral notes and wet stone, this wine is a winner in 2023. While lacking the depth (and grip) of the 2020 or the 2019, this vintage succeeds with tannic finesse and very good length. The barrel ageing will ensure success!

The 2023 Haut-Marbuzet has a lively, fresh and vibrant bouquet that springs from the glass. Well-defined with blackberry, cedar and wild strawberry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with vivacious red cherry and strawberry notes, quite smooth in texture with veins of blue fruit surfacing toward the finish. Good potential and a quite lovely Saint-Estèphe.

Cocoa, espresso, licorice, and smoke add to the wine’s layers of round, lushly textured black and red fruits. Supple, fresh, and juicy, there is good length, energy, and a long, creamy finish. You can drink this on the young side, or age it for more complexity. Drink from 2028-2045.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Delicate notes of nougat and black cherry, a floral touch, with a hint of cassis underneath. Juicy and complex on the palate, ripe plum, ripe tannins, mineral on the finish—a well-balanced, old-school food companion.

50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 13.8% vol., 45 hl/ha. Seductive bouquet with ripe black cherry, airy violet perfume, summer truffle, and elderberry jelly. On the generous palate, silky texture, vibrant drive, magnificent extract richness, a noble mineral core, and a well-trained frame. In the concentrated, long finish, dark-berry contours, tarragon, and a granular astringency. “Saint-Estèphe is the macho of the Médoc,” adds René Duboscq with a mischievous smile.

Score: 89-91. A nose full of delicacy and elegance, like black silk velvet, with aromas of dried Provence herbs and earth. The acidity on the palate is balanced by vibrant, juicy, and powerful fruit.

The nose is spicy, racy, precise, candid, with a touch of power and depth/structure. It shows notes of blackberry, fairly ripe/dense red berries and, more lightly, grey pepper, combined with hints of cornflower, star anise and a touch of pepper. The palate is beautifully juicy, silky, gourmand, with lovely definition, a zesty backbone, accuracy, a touch of tension and suavity. It reveals notes of juicy/pulpy blackberry, creamy raspberry and, more lightly, star anise, with a hint of tonka bean/cocoa. Good length. Supple, racy tannins. An almost aromatic-herb/roasted note on the finish. Lovely persistence.

There are increasingly few truly old-school independent St Estèphes, making Haut-Marbuzet an outlier to celebrate. The tannic build-up starts pretty quickly, as they lean into the rich but slightly austere tannins of the vintage, balanced by savoury raspberry bud, fragrant tomato leaf and cassis fruits. Cocoa bean and espresso come through from the mid-palate, with lift on the finish. 100% new oak for ageing, the estate today is run by Bruno and Hughes Duboscq, with father Henri still very much involved.