You can read all there is to read, memorize the vintage charts, and otherwise do everything you can to avoid an “off” (in this case hot) vintage—or you can trust your own palate and, in so doing, walk away a winner. That’s the way I felt after sampling, then buying, this 2003 Pessac-Léognan from Château Haut-Bergey.
The wine does not show any over-ripe qualities and I would not pick this as a 2003 in a blind tasting. The 2003 vintage was described by the estimable Jancis Robinson as “a growing season never seen before or since,” with heatwave conditions so intense that grapes shriveled on the vine in rare cases. However, just as you can find plenty of ink devoted to 2003’s woes, you’ll find an equally robust number of “Hey, wait a minute”-type articles singing the praises of wines that succeeded in this difficult year. Today’s offer is one of the latter—a testament to trusting one’s own palate and bucking the conventional wisdom in search of value. With almost 15 years of age under its belt, this is a mature red in its peak drinking window, perfect for anyone who might not have a deep cellar but loves the idea of opening something mature (and affordable) tonight. It’s our latest effort to get well-aged red Bordeaux in front of a broader audience, and at this price, that audience should indeed be broad.
Long part of the Graves appellation—despite the fact that it includes First Growth Château Haut-Brion among its denizens—Pessac-Léognan was only ‘officially’ named an AOC in 1987, despite its long history of greatness of its red and white wines alike. In fact, the gravelly expanse between the villages of Pessac (where Haut-Brion is located) and Léognan to the south is a who’s-who of great Bordeaux properties. Château Haut-Bergey, situated just outside Léognan to the west, counts among its neighbors the Domaine de Chevalier and Château Malartic-Lagravière, to name a prominent few. Today owned by the family firm Vignoble Garcin, Haut-Bergey is one of a portfolio of Bordeaux châteaux that includes Château Branon (also in Pessac-Léognan), Château Barde-Haut in St-Émilion, and Clos l’Eglise in Pomerol.
Haut-Bergey was purchased in 1991 by Sylviane Garcin-Cathiard, and since then, her children, Helene Garcin-Levesque and Paul Garcin, have assumed management responsibilities at the ever-growing firm, which also includes the Mendoza, Argentina wine estate Bodegas Poesia under its umbrella. The family extensively renovated Haut-Bergey in the early 2000s, and over the years have converted the 28 hectares of vines at the estate to organic viticulture. The estate is planted predominantly to red grapes, with 26.5 hectares of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon and 46% Merlot, which effectively represents the blend of this wine. Hand-harvested and fermented in stainless steel, it was aged 16-18 months in 50% new French oak before bottling.
In both appearance and taste, the 2003 Haut-Bergey is a physically sound, well-balanced older wine at peak maturity, displaying a still-vibrant dark garnet core moving to some orange and brick colors on the rim. The juicier fruit of youth is now a more subdued mix of dried black cherry, orange zest, and red/black currant infused with savory notes of leather, wild mushroom, graphite, anise, tobacco, and sandalwood. The magic bullet here is a still-fresh level of acidity and only a trace amount of oxidation—the ideal amount given the wine’s age—lending notes of hazelnut on the finish. The tannins, likely not sharp to begin with, are pillow-soft and there’s no undue alcohol heat on the long and aromatic finish. It’s everything you want from a mature red, but rather than decant it, I’d say just pull the cork and stand it up a few hours before serving in Bordeaux stems at 60 degrees. Let it open up in the glass, which it will do quickly, and simply pour gently to keep any sediment at the bottom (or side) of the bottle. This will make a heady, aromatic companion to a wintry beef stew, the kind of wine I could imagine someone finishing off in their library, followed by a cigar (that’s not my style, but I’m not knocking it). However you consume it, I’m sure you will enjoy it. Cheers!
