Château Haut-Marbuzet () is a

Bordeaux wine Bordeaux wine (; ) is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city, the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the broad estuary called the Gironde; the Gi ...

estate in the Saint-Estèphe appellation area of the Haut-Médoc.
Although its origins go back to the 18th century, the estate only emerged as a leading quality producer from 1952 after Hervé Duboscq acquired it.Coates, Clive (1995). ''Grands Vins''. University of California Press. pp. 210. Today, his son

Henri Duboscq Henri is the French form of the masculine given name Henry (given name), Henry, also in Estonian, Finnish, German and Luxembourgish. Bearers of the given name include: People French nobles * Henri I de Montmorency (1534–1614), Marshal and Cons ...

is the winemaker and owner of Haut-Marbuzet, along with Château Chambert-Marbuzet and Château Tour de Marbuzet.
Initially listed among the ''

Cru Bourgeois The Cru Bourgeois classification lists some of the Château#Bordeaux, châteaux from the Médoc that were not included in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, 1855 Classification of ''Crus Classés'', or Classed Growths. Notionally, ...

'' in 1932, and later promoted ''Grand Bourgeois Exceptionnel'' in 1978, the estate was classified as one of 9 '' Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels'' in the 2003 official listing. According to

David Peppercorn David Peppercorn (born 1931) is a British Master of Wine, French wine importer and author, known for his books about the wines of Bordeaux and long experience in his field, having collected tasting notes since the late 1950s. He is married to ...

, "Today, Haut-Marbuzet is widely considered of a cru classé status, well off the bottom rung".

Production

Tucked between châteaux Cos d'Estournel and Montrose, the vineyard covers and is planted with 50%

Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebano ...

, 40%

Merlot Merlot ( ) is a dark-blue-colored wine grape variety that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of , the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color ...

, and 10%

Cabernet Franc Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux (wine), Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire (wine), Loire's C ...

. Overlooking the

Gironde estuary The Gironde estuary ( , US usually ; , ; , ) is a navigable estuary (though often referred to as a river) in southwest France and is formed from the meeting of the rivers Dordogne and Garonne just downstream of the centre of Bordeaux. Coverin ...

, it is mainly located on the gravel ridge of Marbuzet and the plateau of Long Treytin. The high proportion of merlot, rather unusual in traditional blendings, as well as a long maturing in new oak barrels, greatly contribute to the mellowness of the wine. Often described as exotic or opulent, Haut-Marbuzet wines develop a suppleness and an individual expressive character that are unusual in the normally austere style of Saint-Estèphe.

Jay McInerney John Barrett "Jay" McInerney Jr. (; born January 13, 1955) is an American novelist, screenwriter, editor, and columnist. His novels include '' Bright Lights, Big City'', ''Ransom'', '' Story of My Life'', '' Brightness Falls'', and ''The Last o ...

describes the wine's relationship to its neighbors as "if a bikini-clad

Juliette Binoche Juliette Binoche (; born 9 March 1964) is a French actress. She has appeared in more than 60 films, particularly in French and English, and has been the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Juliette Binoche, numerous accolades, ...

crashed a meeting of the

French Academy French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

." A

second wine Second wine or second label (French: ''Second vin'') is a term commonly associated with Bordeaux wine to refer to a second label wine made from '' cuvee'' not selected for use in the ''Grand vin'' or first label. In some cases a third wine or e ...

is produced from the vines under 12 years old, under the label

Château MacCarthy Château MacCarthy is a wine from the Saint-Estèphe AOC, Saint-Estèphe Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, appellation area, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux wine regions, Bordeaux region, France. Once a significant and independent estate, it was bought by t ...

,Kissack, Chris, thewinedoctor.co
Chateau Haut-Marbuzet
/ref>Suckling, James, ''Wine Spectator'' (March 31, 2007). "50 Best Bordeaux under $50", p. 81 which bears the name of the Irish Jacobite family who created the vineyard.

References

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