A Cru Bourgeois in Saint-Estèphe, Château Haut-Marbuzet has built an excellent reputation for itself through its crafting of excellent wines that have been lauded by critics. Hailed as ‘the most sensual Bordeaux wine’ by the eminent Robert Parker, let’s have a look at what makes this property so outstanding.
Founded in 1770, Haut-Marbuzet didn’t enter into its glory days until 1952, the year in which Henri Dubosq acquired the property. A great wine enthusiast but without formal viticultural training, he began by rebuilding the vast vineyard that had been sliced up by the MacCarthy family a century before. A decade later, Hervé’s son Henri came to join him at the domain, and they worked together to raise Château Haut-Marbuzet to its current position as one of the finest crus of the Saint-Estèphe appellation.
This Chateau is one of the oldest Saint-Estèphe domains, a left-bank estate 50 kilometres north of Bordeaux. The vineyards are perfectly exposed, their grapes growing on slopes rich in gravel, chalk, and clay. The vines are planted at a density of 9,000 per hectare, covering 75 hectares shared between 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc. The vines are 30 years old on average, and they are cultivated responsibly, meaning that no chemical products are used int eh vineyard and the soil is ploughed and hoed. The final blend contains quite a lot of Merlot, and it is this flattering profile that undoubtedly evoked such high praise from Robert Parker.
The grapes are harvested by hand once they are pushing over-ripeness, and are sorted by parcel. The team vinifies the wine following traditional methods with the help of native yeasts, before maturing in new oak casks. This process confers a beautifully silky character to the Saint-Estèphe Cru Bourgeois. Recommended to be aged at length in order to best express the profile of its terroir, Haut-Marbuzet is also charming in its youth, carrying beautiful notes of spices and red fruit. The talent, kindness, and warm welcome of the Dubosq family have always been an important factor in the building a loyal base of passionate clients, all of whom remain enamoured with these supple, round cuvées with their softened tannins and intense aromas.
