Château Haut-Simard 2016

This wine has an attractively exotic feel, framed by tight tannins that have a slightly sticky character on the finish. 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc from gravel-clay-limestone soils.

The 2016 Haut-Simard is a very pretty wine. A high percentage of Cabernet Franc gives the wine its sense of energy, aromatic nuance and overall tension. Espresso, mocha, mint, rose petal and blood orange all infuse this striking Saint-Émilion. I very much like the sense of vibrancy here. Haut-Simard is one of the hidden gems in the Vauthier family's range of wines and a sleeper in 2016.

The 2016 Haut-Simard is a blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc and has a deep garnet-purple color. It rolls out of the glass with ready-to-go notes of plum preserves, blueberry compote, and dark chocolate–covered cherries, plus wafts of graphite, bay leaves, and forest floor. The medium- to full-bodied palate is taut with tightly wound black fruit and earthy layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins, finishing long and lifted.

Here it goes up to 35% Cabernet Franc, which shapes the mid-palate and is nicely extended by a chalky grain, making for a delightful finish.

The planting density of Haut Simard ranges from 5,500 to 12,600 vines per hectare. The soils are mainly clay-sandy and gravelly. Purple with violet highlights. An inviting bouquet of good intensity with notes of mint and a chalky touch. On the palate, the wine is tasty, compact, and endowed with powerful, very fine-grained tannins. The structure is racy, refreshing, and ideally carries the fruit. The finish is juicy, tasty, even slightly suave, and convincing! What persistence and what fruit! A great Haut Simard

The nose is fruity and offers power as well as fine concentration. It reveals notes of wild blackberry and small wild berries, with small touches of blackcurrant, violet, lily, as well as discreet hints of licorice, blond tobacco, and an imperceptible touch of Sichuan pepper. The palate is fruity, mineral, balanced, with good definition, a subtle mineral backbone, fine acidity, and a very slight tension. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of fresh/juicy blackcurrant and ripe/fresh blackberry, with small touches of small berries, violet, and rose, as well as discreet hints of juicy red berries, zan, and subtle spicy notes. The tannins are well handled, fine, and very finely tight and firm. Good length.

The best ever made with the 2015. Bright, intense, purple color. Very aromatic nose with ripe fruit. Precise on the attack, developing with refined texture and melting smoothness on the palate. The wine unfolds juicy and noble, bursting with flavor, with a long, sappy finish. A delight! Blend: 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc.

The reductive twist holds red and purple fruit, in a fresh and slightly exotic mode, with a plum-compote edge. The palate delivers a linear shape with good persistence and focus on the finish. A blend of 65 percent merlot and 35 percent cabernet franc. Try from 2022.

Dark crimson. Some energy and life to this though there is still a suggestion of oak. (JR)

Blending 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the combination of underbrush and ripe, smoky plums hits the spot. The wine has lushly textured, ripe fruit and ample sweetness on the palate, giving it more weight and depth than usual. This is quite nice to drink today, and it can age for a few years as well.

Dark colour and dark aromas, fine oak, and fine ripeness with inky wild berries; a dense and vigorous palate, layered and complex, with very good length, purity and elegance.

The team at Ausone turned out a brilliant 2016 Château Haut-Simard, with a fresh, elegant style that’s very much in the vintage. Pure crème de cassis, violets, spring flowers, and some obvious minerality all emerge from this medium-bodied Saint-Emilion that has high yet integrated acidity, fine tannins, and a terrific finish. Hide bottles for 3–4 years and enjoy over the following 15.

Kunz barrel sample 17: soft, sweet bouquet, red berries, raspberries, mocha, roasted notes, vanilla. Medium-bodied, fresh palate with good fruit, silky texture, sweet aromatics, finely muscular structure, delicately bitter finish. Has room to improve.

Soft, sweet bouquet with red berries, raspberries, mocha, roasted notes, vanilla. Medium-bodied, fresh palate with good fruit, a silky texture, sweet aromatics, a finely muscular structure, and a delicately bitter finish. Has room to improve. 16/20 2022 - 2035

This concentrated wine offers rich tannins, lots of spice and full-bodied fruits. Although dense, it still manages to keep the freshness of the vintage. Drink from 2022.