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: 1997 Haut-Bergey, Pessac-Léognan

1997 Haut-Bergey, Pessac-Léognan

SKU #1124363 Wine Spectator

Outer quote mark Pleasant aromas of plums and chocolate. Medium-bodied, with soft tannins and a fruity finish. (JS) Inner quote mark (1/2000)

K&L Notes

Here's a ridiculous value in ready-to-drink Bordeaux. Time in the bottle helps integrate flavor compounds and soften tannins to develop greater complexity. This was really delicious to begin with and has only gotten better. Load up.

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1997 Haut-Bergey, Pessac-Léognan

Price: $29.99

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Product Reviews:

By: Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 3/8/2013 | Send Email

This is a delicious Bordeaux that is ready to drink now. It is not a big weighty monster but tends more towards elegance. There is nice fruit and impressive minerals flavors. It will go well with chicken or pork.

By: Mike Parres | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 3/8/2013 | Send Email

Classic 1997! Don't let the low price scare you away. This reminds me of the 1997 Cantemerle: it drank well young, but has aged very well. The palate shows, wild spicy berry and floral characters, med-bodied, with soft tannins with nice length on the finish.

By: Steve Bearden | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 3/8/2013 | Send Email

This starts with soft, dusty, earthy tones that continue to open up as the wine gets more air. The color is quite deep and reveals a middle of lively and sweet ranier cherry fruit and a finish showing pronounced minerality. The overall inmpression is of gentle yet still fresh elegance.

By: Jeff Garneau | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 3/8/2013 | Send Email

I am always on the lookout for well priced, older Bordeaux to enjoy during our Friday night steak and claret dinners. Over the past few years I have had great luck with the '97 vintage; the wines are generally well priced and aging beatifully. The 1997 Haut Bergey, Pessac Leognan offers terrific value for $23.99. Shows mature notes of truffle and cured meat. Rich in texture with appreciable breadth and weight in the midpalate. Intensely mineral with classic Graves character. Decant and enjoy!

By: Gary Westby | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 3/8/2013 | Send Email

I have been following the wines of Haut Bergey in Pessac Leognan for many years and buy them on pre-arrival with regularity. In the last month I have opened a number of vintages from the cellar and enjoyed them very much, so I was thrilled to see the 1997 come in. This light to medium bodied claret will appeal very much to fans of the more herbal style of Cabernet. I loved its supple, seamless texture and almost Chinon like olive flavors. I bought some right away!

By: Steve Greer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 3/8/2013 | Send Email

Another steal from the so-called "off-vintage" of 1997. This wine is for consumption now. Sweet tobacco, spice and dried cherry on the nose. Amazingly bright palate with nice acidity dried cherries, earthy spices and just a touch of tartness on the finish.

By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 3/8/2013 | Send Email

Lively, spicy wine with a good life ahead. Mineral undertones. One of the great values for drinking now. Open one hour and enjoy with a nice steak or burger.

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends

- Cabernet Sauvignon has come a long way from its role as a blending varietal, however dominant, in the wines of Bordeaux. Today it is the most planted red varietal in the world. Identified as a descendent of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon needs to be planted in warmer climates to fully ripen. Its small berries can easily be identified for their distinctive blue color, thick skins and high tannins. And while the varietal has its own definitive characteristics: green pepper-like aromas and black currant flavors among them, it is perhaps most prized for its ability to convey terroir, vintage and winemaking. A relatively new varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon started making inroads into the wines of the Médoc and Graves in the late-18th century. Today it is also dominant in the up-and-coming Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux and can also be found in Southwest France. It is the companion varietal to Sangiovese in Italy's Super Tuscans and is planted all over Europe, stretching to lesser-known winegrowing regions like Russia and Lebanon. In the Americas Cabernet Sauvignon has found champions in every nook and cranny of California and among winemakers in Washington, where it complements plantings of Merlot. In South America, Cab thrives in Chile, but can also be found in smaller amounts in Argentina and even in Mexico.

Country:

France

- When it comes to wine, France stands alone. No other country can beat it in terms of quality and diversity. And while many of its Region, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne most obviously, produce wine as rare, as sought-after and nearly as expensive as gold, there are just as many obscurities and values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country. To learn everything there is to know about French wine would take a lifetime. To understand and appreciate French wine, one only has to begin tasting them.

Sub-Region:

Bordeaux

Specific Appellation:

Pessac-Leognan/Graves

- Graves is the large red and white wine region located to the southeast of the city of Bordeaux along the Garonne River. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the red wines from the area, while the whites are mixtures of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The most important area within the Graves is the village of Pessac-Leognan. Most of the great chateaux, including Haut Brion, a premier cru and the only wine outside of the Medoc to be included in the 1855 Classification, are located in this small appellation. Graves derives its name from the rocky, stony terrain of the region. Many people believe that the stony soil radiates the day's heat at night and thus makes the grapes ripen earlier than the other regions in Bordeaux.