Château Barde-Haut

Identity

Château Barde-Haut is a winegrowing estate located in Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes. It is owned by the Cathiard-Garcin family, and more specifically by Sylviane Garcin, who acquired it in 2000. Hélène Garcin-Lévêque and Patrice Lévêque manage the estate. Patrice Lévêque is also the oenologist and cellar master, with Dr. Alain Raynaud serving as consulting oenologist.

History and philosophy

The history of Château Barde-Haut dates back to at least 1780, the year of its first recorded mention under the name La Barde. It took the name Château Barde-Haut after 1830. In 1880, it was classified as a Second Cru of Saint-Emilion in the Féret guide. The Gasparoux family owned the property until 1944. Sylviane Garcin-Cathiard acquired the estate in 2000. Significant investments have since been made, including the renovation of the vat room in 1997 with the installation of concrete and wooden vats. In 2008, work began on the construction of new cellars and operational buildings, completed in 2011, designed to combine modernity with environmental care and earning Haute Qualité Environnementale (HQE) certification. Château Barde-Haut was promoted to Grand Cru Classé in 2012.

Appellations

Château Barde-Haut produces wines under the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru appellation.

Practical information

Château Barde-Haut is located in Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes, postcode 33330. The estate can be contacted by telephone on 05 57 25 72 55 or by email at helenegarcin@vignoblesgarcin.com. The tasting room is open to visitors from Monday to Saturday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, all year round. The estate offers direct sales, accommodates groups, and organises visits by appointment. English, Spanish, and French are spoken. The property also offers accommodation and dining facilities, and is accessible by coach. Mail-order wine purchases are also available.

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The vineyard spans approximately 17 hectares in the commune of Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes. Primarily south-facing, it forms a natural amphitheatre overlooking the Saint-Laurent-des-Combes valley and the Dordogne river, benefiting from optimal sun exposure. The terroir consists of clay-limestone soils. The vines have an average age of around 35 to 40 years. Viticultural practices follow traditional methods including ploughing, without the use of chemical fertilisers or herbicides, and harvesting is carried out by hand. Planting density is approximately 7,150 vines per hectare. The grape varieties are dominated by Merlot (around 80%), complemented by Cabernet Franc (around 20%).

Flagship cuvées

The estate produces two main cuvées. Château Barde-Haut, the grand vin, is a red wine crafted predominantly from Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Characterised by its deep colour, it reveals ripe fruit aromas often layered with spicy or oaky notes. On the palate, its structure is typically described as generous and dense, with well-defined tannins. The second wine is named Le Vallon de Barde-Haut, also a red wine made predominantly from the Merlot grape variety.

Vinification and ageing

The harvest is carried out by hand. Vinification takes place in various types of vats, including concrete, wood, and stainless steel. Ageing takes place in oak barrels. For Château Barde-Haut, ageing generally lasts around sixteen months in barrels, with a substantial proportion of new oak, often around 80%. For the 2020 vintage, the wine was aged 100% in oak barrels, with 80% or more new oak.