Château Haut-Marbuzet, Saint-Estèphe

Haut Marbuzet’s style of Saint-Estèphe is more generous and voluptuous, meaning they can be enjoyed now, along with the proper tannic structure means it will also cellar well. Ripe and exotically aromatic, this will drinking beautifully now.

Classic old-school Bordeaux: autumnal, oaky aromas with black cherries and smoky coffee. Toasty, new, French oak is supported by a backbone of ripe dark fruit and a proper tannic structure. Still youthful and voluptuous, the underlying style of Saint-Estèphe when made by Haut-Marbuzet is clearly evident.

The vineyard is located on the sunny, gravelly ridge of Marbuzet, which is naturally well draining and which contains clay and iron in the sub-soil, giving an individual character to the wine. The vines are pretty densely planted at almost 9,000 vines per hectare, forcing the vines to send roots deep into the soil to overcome the competition for water and nutrients. This serves to naturally reduce yields and increase the concentration and complexity of the grapes’ flavours. Haut-Marbuzet is only made with grapes from vines over 12 years old. The grapes are fermented with natural yeasts in a mix of glazed concrete and large wooden vats before ageing in 100% new barriques for 18-24 months.