Château Haut-Simard 2012

A fine, balanced red with dried-berry and mineral character and hints of mineral and salt. Medium body, firm tannins and a fresh finish. Drink now.

The 2012 Haut-Simard offers good mid-palate depth for the vintage, with a distinctly gamy, pleasantly rustic personality that distinguishes it in the Vauthier family's range of wines. Tobacco, savory herbs, leather and dark-fleshed fruits open into the finish. The tannins are a bit rough around the edges, but otherwise this is a fine effort.

From a typical Right Bank blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Merlot, the wine will be aged in 50% new French oak for 12 months. Spicy black raspberries, coffee bean and earth lead to a soft, medium-bodied wine that ends with sharp cassis and cherry notes. 87-89 Pts

Rather sweet and perfumed nose of flowers and red berries; juicy, attractive palate with fresh, crunchy fruit and fairly good persistence, rounded tannins.

Deep purple, dense at the core, with garnet highlights at the rim. Plenty of red cherries on the fairly compact nose, with a hint of coffee in the background. On the palate it is firm, distinctive, with balanced astringency, showing character and a potential for around 15 years of optimal drinking.

Deep purple, dense at the core, with garnet glints on the rim. Plenty of red cherries on the fairly concentrated nose, with a hint of coffee in the background. On the palate, firm and precise, with balanced astringency; it shows character and also the potential for around 15 years of drinking maturity.

Silky, light, fresh bouquet with red berries, vanilla and a hint of fine chocolate. Balanced, delicate palate with sweet fruit, fine tannins, good aromatics and a refined finish. Can improve further. 16/20 2018 - 2030

Aged with 50% new oak, Haut-Simard shows elegance and freshness, lovely fruit, persistence, and present tannins.

Ruby red with purple highlights. A fruity, complex bouquet revealing notes of blackcurrant and a hint of tobacco leaf. Pleasant herbal touch with a bit of mint and then licorice. Lively, appealing attack. Juicy, supple character with slightly grainy tannins. Lovely fruit intensity and plenty of finesse. Fruity finish. A wine that would benefit from some cellaring.

Beautiful wine with a fruity nose and a soft, supple palate, with good body and well-coated tannins. Blend of 70% merlot and 30% cabernet franc.

89–91. Barrel sample. Juicy blackberry and red-berry fruits are partnered with firm tannins and a fine, elegant structure. The finish is marked by a fruit cake and spice note.