Drink 2011-2025
-Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide No 7

One of the finest under-the-radar estates in Pessac-Leognan, Haut-Bergey’s 2005 (a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot) offers up aromas of scorched earth, wet stones, burning embers, charcoal, and copious black currant and cherry fruit. The sumptuous bouquet is accompanied by a full-bodied wine displaying dazzling purity, sweet tannin, and a long, opulent finish. This beauty will be drinkable at a relatively early age for a 2005. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025.

Full ruby-red. Expressive aromas of cassis, dark chocolate, loam, truffle and smoke. Ripe and dense but not at all overly sweet, with harmonious acidity framing and intensifying the flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, burning tobacco and smoke. I like the fruit/acid balance here. Finishes with firm, slightly drying tannins, sexy oak tones and very good length.

Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Very high VA. Dangerous and as though the flavour had been cooked out. Falls away. (JR)