The 2009 vintage was punishing to most BordeauxMay hail cut yields to a meager 18 hectoliters per hectareyet Barde-Haut’s tiny crop became pure intensity. This blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc shows opulent power: an opaque purple robe, extraordinary aromas of mulberries and charcoal, and silky tannins that have aged gracefully into rounded, complex maturity. Hand-picked grapes fermented in concrete and steel, aged 18-24 months in new French oak. Pleasure now with structure for another decade.