Château Clos Haut Peyraguey is situated on the hill in Bommes, one of five communes in Sauternes & Barsac district. The closest neighbor is Lafaurie Peyraguey, which was once a part of Clos Haut Peyraguey but was separated from it in 1879. D'Yquem is also a neighbor.
The vineyard is 12 hectares, planted with 92% Sémillon and 8% Sauvignon. Vines are, on average, 35 years old. The wine stays in barrels for 20-22 months. Mrs Martine Langlais-Pauly took over managing the property from his father, Jacques Pauly, in 2003.
When I visited this property in April 2012, I was very impressed by its style, character, and the quality of its wines. The same character and style of the property were present in all 11 wines, undoubtedly from the soil and vinification. Depending on the vintage, these wines exhibited varying levels of concentration, intensity, acidity, and length.
In December 2012, it was sold to Bernard Magrez, the owner of several Bordeaux chateaux. Since then, high quality has been maintained.
-----
2024 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY (barrel sample) 93p
Tasted in April 2025. Aromatic nose of apricots, honeydew melon, and candied orange peel, elegant with finesse, delicate complexity, acidity, nice structure, and a lingering, honeyed finish. Adorable effort.
2023 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY (barrel sample) 96p
I tasted it in April 2024. It is an utterly impressive wine with a hugely intense nose of sweet pineapple, acacia honey, and candied peaches. On the palate, it boasts a perfect combination of remarkable sweetness, acidity, vibrancy, complexity, and length. The finish is long and honeyed. It's probably the best vintage yet for the property!
2021 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY (barrel sample) 93p
Tasted in April 2022. Aromatic nose of white flowers/fruit, acacia honey, elegant with finesse, delicate complexity, and acidity, nice structure, and lingering and honeyed finish. Terrific effort.
2020 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY (barrel sample) 92+p
Tasted in May 2021. 95% Semillon + 5% Sauvignon Blanc. Aromatic pineapple and orange peel, fresh and delicate, stylish, nice acidity, elegance, and finesse. Delicious stuff. 92+p.
2019 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY (barrel sample) 94-95p
Tasted in June 2020. 95% Semillon + 5% Sauvignon Blanc. Intensely aromatic nose of white flowers/fruit and acacia honey; elegant with finesse, splendid complexity and acidity, splendid structure and complexity, and a lingering and honeyed finish. Excellent stuff.
2018 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY (barrel sample) 94p
Tasted in March 2019. Despite not having perfect weather conditions through 2018, the property produced a wine with great flair, elegance, precision, freshness, and nice acidity.
2017 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY (barrel sample) 95p
I tasted it in April 2018. It is an impressive wine filled with freshness, great acidity, and remarkable sweetness. It is flavorful, with sweet notes of grapefruit and mango. It has a long, creamy finish.
2016 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY (barrel sample) 90p
I tasted it in April 2017. It showed a light style, elegance, and pleasant sweetness, but, regrettably, also a weak acidity. OK wine, but no more than that.
2015 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY (barrel sample) 92p
I tasted it in April 2015. It had a significant pineapple flavor, was aromatic, had a fine intensity on the palate, and was elegant and well-balanced.
2014 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY (barrel sample) 94+p
I tasted it in March 2015. It has intense botrytized flavors on the nose and is concentrated on the palate. It has many nuances, excellent acidity, and structure. It is a refined wine with a catchy sweetness. It is excellent for the vintage.
2013 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY (barrel sample) 93p
Tasted in March 2014. Delicate botrytized flavors, concentrated, with a lot of nuances, great acidity, and structure. Refined. Impressive for the vintage.
2012 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY (barrel sample) 90p
Tasted in April 2013. Lighter than usual, with good intensity of botrytized flavors, soft texture, sweetness, and acidity.
2011 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY (barrel sample) 94+p
I tasted it twice, the last time in April 2012. Consistent notes. It is very expressive on the nose with petrol, great intensity, excellent acidity and concentration of fruit (peach, apricot, and mandarins), and excellent balance and length. It is absolutely impressive stuff and a great success for the vintage.
2010 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY (barrel sample) 94p
I tasted it twice, the last time in April 2012. Consistent notes. This wine had a very intense, pure, and rich nose of botrytized flavors, such as pineapple and candied orange/lemon peel. It had stunning acidity, strong structure, superb balance, and a long, honeyed finish. It's a fabulous wine.
2009 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY 93+p
Tasted twice - last time in April 2012. Consistent notes. It is slightly less sweet than in 2010 and more elegant, with great finesse and a long, honeyed finish. Impressive wine.
2008 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY 93p
Tasted twice - last time in April 2012. Consistent notes. Very intense flavours of candied mandarin/orange peel and crème brûlée, with an impressive balance and honeyed finish. This is a stunning effort for the vintage, and the wine is undoubtedly among the top five in Sauternes & Barsac.
2007 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY 94p
I tasted it twice, the last time in April 2012. It has consistent notes. It retains the style of 2008, but with more flavors, acidity, greater concentration, and increased complexity. It is a marvelous wine with great class and style.
2006 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY 91p
I tasted it twice, the last time in April 2012. Consistent notes. It is a lighter version of 2008, with less intense and botrytized flavors, a lovely balance, and a shorter finish. Still, it is a well-made and tasty wine to consume before big vintages are ready.
2005 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY 94p
I tasted it twice, the last time in April 2012. Consistent notes. It is similar to 2007, but with additional botrytized flavors, such as crème brûlée, pineapple, and acacia honey. It is a beautifully balanced wine with great acidity and a very refined and caressingly honeyed finish. It is a stupendous wine.
2004 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY 93p
I tasted it twice, the last time in April 2012. It has consistent notes. It is intense and features excellent botrytized flavors, including notes of orange peel, great fruit sweetness, and balanced acidity. It is very complex and has an exceptional finish. It is an astonishing success for the vintage.
2003 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY 96p
I tasted it twice, the last time in April 2012. It has consistent notes. Tropical fruits like mango, guava, candied orange/mandarin peel, and honey melon are everywhere. There's a perfect balance between acidity and sweetness, magnificent richness, depth, and a honeyed finish. When tasted ten years ago, this wine already showed enormous sweetness and richness. With its significant sweetness and tropical flavors, this wine can easily pair with Indian/Thai/Japanese/Chinese cuisine, particularly those with chili and spice. It is a wonderful wine.
Excellent pair of sweeties!
2002 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY 92p
Tasted twice - last time in April 2012. Consistent notes. It is very similar to 2004 in style, slightly less complex, and less rich.
2001 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY 96p
Tasted twice - last time in April 2012. Consistent notes. Extremely intense on the nose, an explosion of aromas. This wine boasts a stunning richness of nuances, combined with great acidity and complexity, and a remarkable sweetness, depth, and a long, honeyed aftertaste. When tasted en primeur ten years ago, this wine showed stunning botrytized flavors and great acidity. Now, it has developed into a complete one. This is simply an excellent wine that oozes class and style.