Enjoy this Saint-Estèphe from Château Haut-Marbuzet, boasting ripe bramble fruits and cedar smokiness on the nose. Generous, savoury fruit meets supple tannins on your palate and finishes with a delightful lift. Ready to drink now but will age gracefully given half a chance. Perfect for richly-flavoured dishes such as beef stews or duck cassoulet.

Critic Review

Decanter Magazine: 91Pts (2016 Vintage)
Drinking Window: Now - 2040

"The Duboscq family are part of the old guard of the Médoc. This wine delivers deep, rich cassis and liquorice alongside some attractive charcoal; flavours that are clearly prepared for some long ageing. Firm tannins exert their influence, and the acidity is a touch more marked than in some. It is more vertically constructed than many in St-Estèphe this year - it is a serious, well built wine that could do with a few years in bottle"
Jane Anson

About the Producer

In 1952, Hervé Duboscq, whose family were from Gascony, had the foresight to purchase the 7 hectare Haut-Marbuzet plot in Saint-Estèphe from the MacCarthy family, one of the famous Irish ‘Wild Geese’ families who had settled in Bordeaux in the 17th century. Although located between Châteaux Cos d’Estournel and Montrose, the quality of this unique terroir was not appreciated during the post war period and Hervé gradually bought all of the MacCarthy family's other vineyard plots, eventually building up a 76 hectare estate.

This was passed on to his son, Henri, who firmly established the wine’s pedigree and reputation. The estate is now run by his sons, Hugues and Bruno. From the outset the Duboscqs developed their own style, less muscular and more approachable than the firmer structured wines of other Saint-Estèphe estates.

Classified as a Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel in 2003, Haut-Marbuzet sits very comfortably alongside its more illustrious classed growth neighbours.

Vineyard and Winery

The vineyard is located on the sunny, gravelly ridge of Marbuzet, which is naturally well draining and which contains clay and iron in the sub-soil, giving an individual character to the wine. The vines are pretty densely planted at almost 9,000 vines per hectare, forcing the vines to send roots deep into the soil to overcome the competition for water and nutrients. This serves to naturally reduce yields and increase the concentration and complexity of the grapes' flavours. Haut-Marbuzet is only made with grapes from vines over 12 years old. The grapes are fermented with natural yeasts in a mix of glazed concrete and large wooden vats before ageing in 100% new barriques for 18-24 months, depending on the vintage. Henri Duboscq believes the scent and unctuousness of the new oak adds to the natural richness of the wine and helps to soften 'Macho Médoc'.