2019 Haut Simard
Buying options
Tasting notes
Floral, lifted and aromatic – the 2019 Haut-Simard is a world away from the previous vintage. Dainty berry fruit – blackcurrants and redcurrants – lead to an elegant, fine-boned palate. It’s precise and juicy, lithe and balanced with fine, chalky tannins. Blend: 60% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
From vines at the foot of the slope opposite Canon la Gaffelière comes the Vauthier family's 2019 Haut-Simard, a promising young wine that exhibits aromas of cherries, raspberries, violets, raw cocoa and sweet spices. Medium to full-bodied, lively and nicely concentrated, it's youthfully structured and will reward bottle age. It contains an appreciable percentage of Cabernet Franc planted at high density.
The 2019 Haut-Simard was picked from September 18 to October 5. Blind, you might think this was a Left Bank wine; the 40% Cabernet Franc is very expressive and imparts attractive cedar and light tobacco scents. The palate is fresh and vibrant on the entry, with supple but quite firm tannins. Much more saline and certainly more complex than the Simard, delivering impressive weight and a touch of spiciness on the finish. Very classy.
The 2019 Haut-Simard is powerful and a bit burly, but also pleasing in its own way. Black cherry, dried herb, tobacco, leather, spice, gravel and earthy notes give Haut-Simard its distinctive personality. I would leave the 2019 in the cellar for a few years to see if the slightly angular tannins soften.
About the producer
Ch. Haut-Simard is owned by the Vauthier family of Ch. Ausone. Since Alain Vauthier took over the Saint-Emilion estate in 2008, quality here has risen exponentially with vintages from 2019 onwards in particular showing the potential of this exceptional terroir.