90% Merlot & 10% Cabernet Franc. Dark red core but still translucent the 2009 Barde-Haut is fullly layered with delicious flavor. Soft red fruits and meld seamlessly with notes of cinnamon vanilla and red and blue flowers. Voluptuous and elegant this has good tannic strength making it a perfect St. Emilion for the cellar from the 2009 vintage. I am a true fan of Cabernet Franc in my Right Bank blends and Barde-Haut WAY over-delivers regardless of price! I would expect this to land in the 92-95 point range.

I loved the 2009 Château Barde-Haut. (This vintage always seems to rank in the top tier in any retrospective I do.) Still ruby/purple-hued with a huge nose of blackcurrants, black cherries, unsmoked tobacco, toasted spices, and loamy earth, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, no hard edges, sweet tannins, and remarkable purity of fruit. It's a stunning Saint-Emilion to drink over the coming two decades or more.

Made from tiny yields of 18 hectoliters per hectare (May hail damage resulted in this small crop) the opaque purple-colored 2009 reveals an extraordinary nose of mulberries black cherries charcoal barbecue smoke and forest floor. Rich full-bodied and opulent with silky tannins as well as a broad unctuous texture this beauty can be enjoyed now and over the next 15+ years. It is fashioned from a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. One of the super values in Bordeaux is proprietress Helene Garcin's Barde-Haut estate. (She has also done a magnificent job with several other Bordeaux properties particularly Clos l'Eglise in Pomerol and Branon and Haut-Bergey in Pessac-Leognan as well as in Argentina.)

This shows a lightly roasted edge leading to coffee and warm blackberry confiture flavors followed by slightly jammy plum and black cherry cobbler notes. The lush finish picks up definition though with a nice singed apple wood note and solid drive. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2013 through 2025. -JM

Loads of smoke, espresso, truffle, wet earth and ripe cherries are there for the taking. Soft, round, polished and open, this is really showing great today. And when the oak further integrates, the wine will be even better! Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-tasting-note/?vintage=2009&wine=Chateau%20Barde-Haut

Deep color. Initially restrained nose, but it opens nicely to reveal ripe cherry and raspberry scents with vanilla. Sweet on entry, with tongue-lashing tannins. This concentrated wine could be the richest, most complex, and densest in the first flight of five. Despite its size, #5 is balanced and harmonious. We really enjoy the big vanilla, candied fruit, and strawberry flavors. Long finish. A winner all the way, with a great future.

The 2009 Barde-Haut has a well defined, more mineral-driven bouquet with vibrant black fruit, black plum and raspberry coulis, orange blossom and crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with very fleshy tannins, smooth and slightly savory with hints of dried blood and quite irony towards the finish. One of the most Pomerol-inspired Barde Haut’s that is à point. Tasted at the Barde-Haut vertical at the château. -- Neal Martin