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 had a vertical at this property in April 2012, I was very impressed by its style, character, and class of 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 had more or less 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.
-----
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, there is a perfect combination of remarkable sweetness and 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 complexity, 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, acacia honey, elegant with finesse, splendid complexity and acidity, splendid structure and complexity, 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 grapefruit and mango. It has a long, creamy finish.
2016 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY (barrel sample) 90p
I tasted it in April 2017. It had a light style, elegance, and nice sweetness but, regrettably, a weak acidity.
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 and 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 mandarines), 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, rich nose of botrytized flavors like 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 mandarine/orange peel and créme brulée, impressive balance and honeyed finish. This is a stunning effort for the vintage, and this wine is undoubtedly in the top five wines in Sauternes & Barsac.
2007 CLOS HAUT PEYRAGUEY 94p
I tasted it twice, the last time in April 2012. It has consistent notes. It keeps the style of 2008 but with more flavors, acidity, bigger concentration, and greater 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 other botrytized flavors like créme brulée, 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 has excellent botrytized flavors like f.i. orange peel, great fruit sweetness, and acidity. It is very complex and has a great 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/mandarine 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 match Indian/Thai/Japanese/Chinese cuisine with chili and carry. 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 has a stunning richness of nuances combined with great acidity and cooperation, with great sweetness, remarkable 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.