2014 Château Haut-Beauséjour

In 1992, Champagne Louis Roederer discovered two properties in the heart of the Saint-Estèphe region – Château Picard and Château Beauséjour – both of which received Cru Bourgeois status in 1932. Together, the pair formed an estate of nearly 31 hectares, including 27 hectares of vineyards. The new estate, called Château Haut-Beauséjour, was an estate that had great development potential and this appealed to Champagne Louis Roederer.

The most promising slopes covered about 20 hectares and intense work was carried out in these vineyards, restructuring them by limiting plant density. A quality charter for Château Haut-Beauséjour was drawn up, covering vine size, de-budding, green harvesting, a return to manual harvesting and double grape selection firstly in the vineyards and then again at the sorting table at the Château. In 1993, the cellars and cuverie were entirely renovated and the Château was kitted out with top-of-the-range equipment.

Château Haut-Beauséjour is made from a selection of grapes from the finest slopes of Saint-Estèphe combined with an expertise that brings the balance and distinction of the finest Médoc wines. With its fine tannic structure and rich colour from the Cabernet Sauvignon (40%) it also expresses a roundness and finesse of fruit from the Merlot (52%). Also present in the blend is Petit Verdot (3%) and Malbec (5%) which bring personality and complexity to the best vintages. Château Haut-Beauséjour drinks well when young but has a capacity for ageing for several years.