2018 Haut Simard
Buying options
Tasting notes
The nose of the 2018 Haut-Simard is instantly more expressive than the 2016 – combining red fruit and an herbaceous note with a toasty sweetness. It’s more linear on the palate. The intense core of fruit is rich and tightly packed, framed by grainy tannins at this relatively youthful stage. The finish is long and savoury, with a hint of blackcurrant leaf. Blend: 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Haut-Simard is tangibly more complex on the nose compared directly with the Simard. It evokes sea spray and estuary scents, all beautifully interlaced with black fruit and showing very fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy blackberry and bilberry and distinctly finer tannins than the Simard that enhance its focus and precision. Quite linear on the finish, it will need 3–4 years in bottle before it hits its stride.
The 2018 Haut-Simard is brisk and aromatically expressive, with mid-weight structure and tons of verve. Sweet red cherry, blood orange, mint, sage, lavender and rose petals all grace this beautifully layered, vibrant Saint-Émilion. Drink it over the next decade.
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.