Jancis Robinson (17+)

Same winemaking as the regular Valtellina. Cask sample. Lustrous mid ruby. Really pretty perfumed nose with great focus. Concentrated but fine. Succulent, minerally fruit with a saline note on the finish. Fine, long-lasting, clinging tannins. (WS)

Jancis Robinson (17+)

Same winemaking as the regular Valtellina. Cask sample. Lustrous mid ruby. Really pretty perfumed nose with great focus. Concentrated but fine. Succulent, minerally fruit with a saline note on the finish. Fine, long-lasting, clinging tannins. (WS)

Wine Advocate (93)

Disgorged in June 2024 with a dosage of one gram per liter, Robert Barbichon’s 2020-based NV Blanc de Blancs is a blend of 70% Chardonnay from Gyé-sur-Seine and 30% Pinot Blanc from Celles-sur-Ource. It opens with attractive aromas of orange zest, ripe peach, pear, brioche and a hint of Timut pepper. Full-bodied, fleshy and vinous, it offers a broad attack that leads into a deep core of rich, layered fruit, animated by vibrant acidity and enlivened by a pillowy mousse.

Wine Advocate (93)

Disgorged in December 2024 without dosage, Robert Barbichon’s NV Blanc de Noirs is a blend of 97% Pinot Noir—from Gyé-sur-Seine, Celles-sur-Ource and Neuville-sur-Seine—and 3% Pinot Meunier. This is a beautifully ample yet harmonious Champagne, evocative of cherry, orange oil, pear and brioche. Medium- to full-bodied, fleshy and pillowy, it combines racy acidity with excellent concentration and concludes with a long, aromatic finish. A blend of the 2020 and 2019 vintages, it is well worth seeking out.

Direct from France's esteemed Champagne region, we present the distinguished Barbichon Brut Nature NV. This fine wine, crafted by the Barbichon family, renowned Champagne producers since the 19th century, exudes unmatched sophistication. The Barbichon Brut Nature NV, a blend of 40% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier, and 30% Chardonnay, embodies subtlety and balance. Expressing the sheer brilliance of organic farming, this wine's grapes are nurtured in the limestone-rich Kimmeridgian soils allowing a distinct minerality to emerge.

Fermented using natural yeasts, aged for over two years, and bottled without dosage, the Barbichon Brut Nature NV is a splendid display of French winemaking tradition. Its remarkably clean profile offers crisp apple, soft brioche, and elegant citrus notes, leading to a fresh, enduring finish. Discover the exquisite delicacy of this true Champagne, where blended mastery meets timeless elegance.

Wine Advocate (91)

Robert Barbichon’s 2021-based NV Réserve 4 Cépages, disgorged in December 2024 with a dosage of 4.5 grams per liter, is a blend of parcels from Gyé-sur-Seine, Celles-sur-Ource and Neuville-sur-Seine. Dominated by Pinot Noir (66%), it also includes a substantial proportion of Chardonnay (26%), with smaller amounts of Pinot Blanc and Pinot Meunier. Bursting with aromas of peach, pear and lime blossom, mingled with notes of quince and rosemary oil, it is medium- to full-bodied, fleshy and textural, with a more precocious, giving style than the domaine’s other cuvées. Balanced by vintage-typical incisive acidity, it concludes with a long, saline finish.

Delve into the world of fine Champagne with the exquisite Barbichon Rose Saignee Brut NV. This awe-inspiring wine comes from the highly-regarded Barbichon family in the Champagne region of France. Fourth-generation vintners, they display utmost dedication to their craft, cultivating their vineyards organically and making wine traditionally.

The Barbichon Rose Saignee Brut NV, a standout offering, offers an exquisite balance of complexity and freshness. The base wine is created solely from Pinot Noir grapes and gains further complexity and texture by being aged in oak barrels for a minimum of three years. The wine offers robust flavours of ripe raspberry, lemon zest, and subtle hints of smoke.

A shining example of the Barbichon family’s commitment to excellence, the Barbichon Rose Saignee Brut NV is a true testament to the finesse and elegance associated with the finest Champagnes. Savour this wine to truly appreciate its intricate balance of fruit, freshness, and undeniable complexity.

Wine Advocate (96)

All the wines go through malolactic in barrel, including the white 2022 Nelin, a blend that has been changing over time. In 2022, it was produced exclusively with local varieties, Garnacha Blanca, Macabeu, Xarel·lo, Cariñena Blanca, Picapoll Blanco, Trepat Blanco, PX and Escanyavelles from four small organic vineyards. The juice from the pressing of the full clusters fermented with indigenous yeasts in 1,200-liter oak foudres, with a slow and long fermentation that takes between three and nine months. It matured in foudre for one year and then was transferred to stainless steel for six to eight more months. Despite the dry conditions and the heat waves, it came after the 2021, and the vines had enough reserves, so the wines are fresher than expected. It's a Mediterranean blend with 14% alcohol and 5.3 grams of acidity, clean and harmonious. The north-facing plots behaved very well, and the varieties can take the conditions without a problem, so the wine doesn't seem affected at all. In fact, it's quite fresh, medium-bodied and very tasty, serious and characterful, a triumph over the extreme conditions of the year. It's a white with aging potential. 9,000 bottles were filled in April 2024.

Wine Advocate (94)

Made from tiny yields of 18 hectoliters per hectare (May hail damage resulted in this small crop), the opaque purple-colored 2009 reveals an extraordinary nose of mulberries, black cherries, charcoal, barbecue smoke and forest floor. Rich, full-bodied and opulent with silky tannins as well as a broad, unctuous texture, this beauty can be enjoyed now and over the next 15+ years. It is fashioned from a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.

Jeb Dunnuck (95)

Ripe black cherries, darker currants, smoky earth, truffle, and smoke tobacco-like nuances all emerge from the 2010 Château Barde-Haut, a quintessential Saint-Emilion that brings considerable elegance and purity, as well as the richness and depth of the vintage. It's just now at the early stages of its drinking window and has another 10-15 years. Drink 2025-2040.

Jeb Dunnuck (96)

An awesome Saint Emilion, the 2015 Château Barde-Haut showed even better on this occasion than on release. A huge nose of sweet crème de cassis, jammy blackberries, violets, leather, and dried herbs gives way to a full-bodied wine that has a great mid-palate, ripe, silky tannins, not a hard edge to be found, and a great, great finish. I love it even today, yet it has a full two decades of prime drinking ahead of it.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)

Readers will find a rich, flamboyant wine in the 2016 Barde-Haut. There is not a ton of subtlety here, but I am not sure that matters all that much given how immensely pleasing the 2016 is. Crushed rocks, graphite, lavender, blackberry, plum, and violet infuse a Saint-Émilion that offers tremendous textural richness as well as vibrancy. Most importantly of all, the 2016 is flat-out delicious. This is a decidedly opulent, dark Saint-Émilion with all of the elements impeccably balanced. I loved it.

Vinous - Neal Martin (95)

The 2019 Barde-Haut is beautifully defined on the nose, very pure with precise blackberry, briary, violets and iris flower, harmonious. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins, cohesive and mineral-driven; the terroir is very expressive towards the finish that lingers in the mouth. Wonderful, assured and with great potential. Tasted at the Barde-Haut vertical at the château.

Vinous - Neal Martin (95)

The 2019 Barde-Haut is beautifully defined on the nose, very pure with precise blackberry, briary, violets and iris flower, harmonious. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins, cohesive and mineral-driven; the terroir is very expressive towards the finish that lingers in the mouth. Wonderful, assured and with great potential. Tasted at the Barde-Haut vertical at the château.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (95)

The 2020 Barde-Haut is just as compelling it was from barrel. Blueberry jam, crème de cassis, hard candy, spice, new leather and lavender infuse the 2020 with exotic beauty. Soft contours and silky tannins add to its immediacy. Bright acids lend vibrancy to play off all the natural opulence. The 2020 is a fine vintage of Barde-Haut, one of the best in recent memory. The intensely saline finish alone is a thing of beauty.