2014 Haut Beausejour
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Tasting notes
The 2014 Haut Beausejour has a rather conservative bouquet, blackberry and scorched leather, a touch of tobacco that surfaces with time, though it never really fires on all cylinders. The palate is medium-bodied with a curiously Pinot Noir-like entry: pure red cherry and strawberry fruit, light but tensile with fine tannin. It is a very polished Saint Estèphe, perhaps over-polished, although I have to commend the harmony on the finish. Drink over the next 5-7 years.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
More reviews and scores
The 2014 Haut-Beauséjour is delicious and expressive, if perhaps a bit less exuberant than it was from barrel. Fine-grained tannins add to an impression of restraint while giving the wine lovely persistence. Graphite, gravel, herb and dark fruit notes add nuance throughout. Today, the 2014 comes across as not fully expressive. It is easily the most reticent of the wines in the Rouzaud family's range, which includes de Pez and Pichon Lalande.
A dark, juicy wine, the 2014 Haut-Beausejour delivers superb fruit intensity and volume. Dark plum, blueberry jam, spice, graphite and sweet herbs open up effortlessly in the glass. The 2014 is juicy, forward and quite open, with a sweetness of tannin that is quite unusual for a young St. Estèphe. The blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc.