The inside track on great value Saint Emilion, from a great vintage & drinking now...
From 2016, the vintage that re-set the bar for quality in modern Bordeaux
Drinking beautifully now
Made by the elite team at Saint Emilion’s epic Chateau Ausone
Offered at a special pre-arrival price
Direct from the cellars of the Vauthier family
Today I am delighted to re-visit an old favourite and offer an exclusive parcel of Chateau Haut Simard 2016 direct from the cellars of the proprietors, the Vauthier family of Saint Emilion’s legendary Chateau Ausone.
2016 is a benchmark vintage that re-set the bar for quality in Bordeaux. It is a contender to be considered the greatest of recent years – I constantly waver between 2016 and 2019 – and also coincides with the dawning of a new era of quality in Saint Emilion.
At eight years from vintage, wines at the level of Haut Simard are open for businessand hitting early maturity.
Chateau Haut Simard has an enviable pedigree, being under the same ownership as 1st growth legend Chateau Ausone and crafted by the same talented winemaking team. I first tasted this wine during a visit to Ausone last spring and immediately snapped up an ex-chateau parcel for Vinum customers. That stock is long gone, so I was delighted to be approached yesterday and offered a second tranche of this delicious Saint Emilion at the same advantageous price.
A classically-proportioned Saint Emilion of energy and finesse, this is impressively scored for a wine of its level and Neal Martin calls it, “the finest Haut Simard I have tasted.” 35% Cabernet Franc brings freshness, peppery spice and aromatic complexity.
Currently lying in the cellars of the chateau – provenance doesn’t get any better – at our special pre-arrival price this is just $45 a bottle (ex-GST) and even less if you double up on two cases.
Decidedly superior Saint Emilion at a mid-week price point, I highly recommend securing a couple of cases – one for drinking over the next few months and a second to tuck away in the cellar for 5 years or so.
Matthew Hemming MW
The Offer:
Offered ex-chateau, lying in Saint Emilion and available in SG in Q3 2024.
Chateau Haut Simard 2016
$270 per case of 6 OC (w/ GST $294.30)
$255 per case for orders of multiple cases (w/ GST $277.95)
Aromatics of berry fruit, spice and more savoury influences with impressive intensity. Touch of oak but sat beautifully against the fruit, whose peppery elements betray teh 35% Cabernet Franc. Brisk, compact and complete with a sense of self-contained poise. Energy and scent on the finish.
92/100 – Matthew Hemming MW
The 2016 Haut-Simard has a top-notch bouquet of gorgeous, well-defined blackberry, briar and raspberry aromas that burst from the glass. There is a floral aspect to this Saint-Émilion that the 2016 Simard does not possess. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, fine density and concentration and a very fine line of acidity. The oak (30% new) is seamlessly integrated, with a long tail on the finish. This is the finest Haut-Simard I have tasted. Excellent.
93/100 – Neal Martin / Vinous
The 2016 Haut-Simard is a blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc and has a deep garnet-purple color. It rolls out of the glass with ready-to-go notes of plum preserves, blueberry compote, and dark chocolate-covered cherries, plus wafts of graphite, bay leaves, and forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate is taut with tightly wound black fruit and earthy layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins, finishing long and lifted.
93/100 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW / The Wine Independent
Terms & Conditions
Offer ends on Friday 29th March 2024 l No further discount l Immediate payment required l Delivery fees ($32.72) waived for purchases above $500 before GST excluding airports | Cancellation of orders not allowed l Orders to be collected/delivered within 3 months upon stock availability l Offered Ex-Singapore & subject to remaining unsold