The 2017 Barde-Haut was picked from 18 September to 2 October, matured in 80% new oak for 18 months. It has a sensual bouquet with black cherries, a touch of oyster shell and iodine, well defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, more volume than the Poesia, especially towards the finish that exerts a gentle grip in the mouth. It feels very silky in texture with a persistent finish. This is a really excellent Barde-Haut, in my opinion, with the upper hand over the Clos l’Eglise this year, frankly not far off the 2016 in quality. Bravo Hélène et Patrice Garçin-Léveque. 92-94 points

Barde-Haut didn`t see any frost this year due to the altitude of the vineyards. Composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Barde-Haut gives notions of baked blackberries, blueberry compote and Black Forest cake with touches of potpourri, dusty soil and cast iron pan. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a firm frame of grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing long and minerally. In terms of winemaking, Hélène and Patrice have made some small but significant changes over the years, with a distinct less-is-more approach in terms of maceration/extraction and judicious use of oak, with more of the larger 300-liter barrels being employed. They have also stopped using the optical sorting table, which selected berries based on size. Instead, they have gone back to hand sorting in the vineyard and the winery. No longer looking for uniformity in grapes, now they are looking for some diversity in sizes to offer more complexity. 91-93 points