Château Haut-Bergey
Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend
Pessac-Léognan, Graves, Bordeaux, France
A back release from the winery. Lots of tobacco and red fruit. Good acidity
A back release from the winery. Lots of tobacco and red fruit. Good acidity
2 people found it helpfulDec 1st, 2015
Lovely with smashed potatoes in bacon fat, roast chicken, and asparagus.
Lovely with smashed potatoes in bacon fat, roast chicken, and asparagus.
1 person found it helpfulAug 10th, 2015
Nice value wine for $25. Beautiful evolution in the bottle. Bright fruits; blackberries, cherries, strawberries, black cherry cola, salted carmel, soft leather & black earth, dusty oak barrel toast with gravely pebbles/crushed dry rocks & a slight hint of green bell pepper.
Nice value wine for $25. Beautiful evolution in the bottle. Bright fruits; blackberries, cherries, strawberries, black cherry cola, salted carmel, soft leather & black earth, dusty oak barrel toast with gravely pebbles/crushed dry rocks & a slight hint of green bell pepper.
1 person found it helpfulJul 25th, 2015A glass of wine to finish up the night...good age, nice evolution and an extremely good value at $25. Recent direct Chateau purchase. While the 1998 Bordeaux vintage was panned by the critics as a whole on the Left Bank, Pessac-Leognan shined better than most on the Left Bank. It was Right Bank Saint Emilion that had the great year. This 98 Haut-Bergey is not quite the wine the 98 Haut-Bailly is. However, it is delicious for $25. Nose of; blackberries, dark cherries, cherries, strawberries leather, cedar, tobacco leaf, dry stones, vanilla, dark moist soils and fresh red florals. The body is medium to lean. Tannins are completely resolved. Ripe, lean, shining; blackberries, dark cherries, strawberries & cherries. Black moist earth, touch of funk, soft chewy leather, stones, crushed dry rock powder, cedar, tobacco leaf, steeped fruit tea, cola, dry underbrush, fresh & dry red florals, liquid violets with raining acidity. The finish has lean, bright mid red fruits, earth and dark spices. Nice wine for the $. While this will hold another 3-5 years, it's not going to continue to improve. So, drink em. Photos of; the Chateau, barrel room, view inside the Chateau and their shiny stainless steel fermentation tanks.
A glass of wine to finish up the night...good age, nice evolution and an extremely good value at $25. Recent direct Chateau purchase. While the 1998 Bordeaux vintage was panned by the critics as a whole on the Left Bank, Pessac-Leognan shined better than most on the Left Bank. It was Right Bank Saint Emilion that had the great year. This 98 Haut-Bergey is not quite the wine the 98 Haut-Bailly is. However, it is delicious for $25. Nose of; blackberries, dark cherries, cherries, strawberries leather, cedar, tobacco leaf, dry stones, vanilla, dark moist soils and fresh red florals. The body is medium to lean. Tannins are completely resolved. Ripe, lean, shining; blackberries, dark cherries, strawberries & cherries. Black moist earth, touch of funk, soft chewy leather, stones, crushed dry rock powder, cedar, tobacco leaf, steeped fruit tea, cola, dry underbrush, fresh & dry red florals, liquid violets with raining acidity. The finish has lean, bright mid red fruits, earth and dark spices. Nice wine for the $. While this will hold another 3-5 years, it's not going to continue to improve. So, drink em. Photos of; the Chateau, barrel room, view inside the Chateau and their shiny stainless steel fermentation tanks.
Jun 11th, 2017The pleasure of this wine is much greater than it's technological evaluation or rating. You simply can't decant a wine any length of time in an effort to duplicate the evolution that takes place in a bottle over nearly 20 years. There's just no faking that. The softness, elegance or complexity. The fruits load ripe and juicy and transition into dry. The fruits are older; blackberries, black cherries, stewed plum, raspberries and pouched strawberries & pomegranate. The leather is soft as suede, graphite reduction, dry stems, dark, rich earth, & dry stones. The acidity is perfect as is the harmonic balance of fruit & earth. The tannins are nicely resolved along with the structure. The 98 is somewhere just passed it's peak moment. The finish is smooth and elegant but with the steak, the score jumps to a 9.2 as the blackberries & black cherries really pop with the steak. This is a recent purchase at K&L for the ridiculous price of $25. I would rather drink this than any Cabernet old or new world from 10.11,12,13 or 14. Pessac really out shined Bordeaux as a whole in 98.
The pleasure of this wine is much greater than it's technological evaluation or rating. You simply can't decant a wine any length of time in an effort to duplicate the evolution that takes place in a bottle over nearly 20 years. There's just no faking that. The softness, elegance or complexity. The fruits load ripe and juicy and transition into dry. The fruits are older; blackberries, black cherries, stewed plum, raspberries and pouched strawberries & pomegranate. The leather is soft as suede, graphite reduction, dry stems, dark, rich earth, & dry stones. The acidity is perfect as is the harmonic balance of fruit & earth. The tannins are nicely resolved along with the structure. The 98 is somewhere just passed it's peak moment. The finish is smooth and elegant but with the steak, the score jumps to a 9.2 as the blackberries & black cherries really pop with the steak. This is a recent purchase at K&L for the ridiculous price of $25. I would rather drink this than any Cabernet old or new world from 10.11,12,13 or 14. Pessac really out shined Bordeaux as a whole in 98.
Mar 12th, 2017
Cork was in excellent shape for being a 1998. The wine is not likely to improve but it’s a solid wine now and still has life left. Medium body, medium acidity and gripping tannin but not harsh. The fruit has given way to earthier tones with a bit of Brett. There’s a singed element or perhaps tar. Stewed fruit and cigar box as well. This was seemingly better on day 2, if that is even possible (though tightly corked overnight). This I’m bumping this to the 90s.
Cork was in excellent shape for being a 1998. The wine is not likely to improve but it’s a solid wine now and still has life left. Medium body, medium acidity and gripping tannin but not harsh. The fruit has given way to earthier tones with a bit of Brett. There’s a singed element or perhaps tar. Stewed fruit and cigar box as well. This was seemingly better on day 2, if that is even possible (though tightly corked overnight). This I’m bumping this to the 90s.
Mar 24th, 2018Immediate tart fruit nose - raspberry and blueberry, rhubarb; gives way to ripe blackcurrant. Hints of charcoal.
Lovely palate - beautiful balance. Very smooth texture - very well integrated tannins. Starts with more tree bark-sequence notes, herbaceous and cinnamon undertones, before fading into rich, soft black and purple fruit, with exceptionally bouncy black currant again a dominating theme, and with minor forest floor undertones to add the equivalent of subtle crows feet.
It's like it tells you it's age first, then proceeds to flirt with you. This is a cougar wine: it snares you with a sense of mature yet bouncy fun and then proceeds to beguile you with a mix of old and new in both aroma, taste and texture. A slightly high level of acid from its advanced years is a low price to pay for drinking it all.
Lovely long finish that gives beautiful chewy fruit, yielding to herby zest after seemingly long time.
Only criticisms are a slight muddling of fruit flavours, and a slight preponderance of acid on the front of the tongue.
Immediate tart fruit nose - raspberry and blueberry, rhubarb; gives way to ripe blackcurrant. Hints of charcoal.
Lovely palate - beautiful balance. Very smooth texture - very well integrated tannins. Starts with more tree bark-sequence notes, herbaceous and cinnamon undertones, before fading into rich, soft black and purple fruit, with exceptionally bouncy black currant again a dominating theme, and with minor forest floor undertones to add the equivalent of subtle crows feet.
It's like it tells you it's age first, then proceeds to flirt with you. This is a cougar wine: it snares you with a sense of mature yet bouncy fun and then proceeds to beguile you with a mix of old and new in both aroma, taste and texture. A slightly high level of acid from its advanced years is a low price to pay for drinking it all.
Lovely long finish that gives beautiful chewy fruit, yielding to herby zest after seemingly long time.
Only criticisms are a slight muddling of fruit flavours, and a slight preponderance of acid on the front of the tongue.
I think it's done. Helene told me in 2015 to drink it now!
I think it's done. Helene told me in 2015 to drink it now!
Jan 22nd, 2017