Skip to content

Château Bernadotte 2009, Haut-Médoc

Sold out
£29.93

Our sales team are ready to help you with any questions.

Make an enquiry Download image Download factsheet (PDF)

"The finest Château Bernadotte made to date, this 2009 is an undeniable sleeper of the vintage. Composed of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, it reveals a dense purple colour along with a big, sweet kiss of black cherries, blackcurrants, charcoal, and spice. With layers of fruit, decent acidity, freshness, and precision, and an opulent, fleshy, succulent style, it should drink easily for a decade or more. Drink 2010-2020. 90-92 Points"
Robert Parker

  • Country: France
  • Region: Bordeaux
  • Subregion: Haut-Médoc
  • Vintage: 2009
  • Colour: Red
  • Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
  • ABV: 13.5%
  • Bottle Size: 75cl
  • Closure: Natural cork
  • Style: Robust
  • Drink With: Entrecôte aux cèpes

The grapes were picked by hand by a team of 75 pickers. The sorting of the harvest was carried out in the field so that only the best quality grapes entered the winery. Vinification took place in 23 large, temperature controlled, stainless steel vats and malolactic fermentation occurred in vat. Château Bernadotte was aged in 30% new French oak barrels for about 14 months.

From Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar:

Good full red. Redcurrant, mocha and cedary, smoky oak on the ripe nose, with a hint of peppery lift. Lush, ripe and concentrated, offering a dense, thick texture for this wine and a hint of salty herbs. Nicely subtle and perfumed in the mouth. Finishes with suave tannins and sneaky length. A sleeper of the vintage, for drinking over the next 15 years. 90 Points

About the grower

In 1997, Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande acquired Château Bernadotte in the Commune of Saint Sauveur which borders the Pauillac appellation to the west. Château Bernadotte particularly interested Madame de Lencquesaing, the owner of Pichon, because she was attracted by the quality of the soil (made up of a very fine plateau of gravel on clay) by its position close to Pauillac and by its proximity to prestigious classified growths.

The name Bernadotte was given to this property in honour of Marshal Bernadotte, appointed Sovereign Prince by Napoleon I and plebiscited in 1818 by the Swedish people to succeed their King Charles XIII, who died without an heir. The château is a stunning residence in the style of the Restoration, built in 1860 and renovated in 1989 by the previous owner Curt Eklund, a Swedish industrialist.

In 1998, May-Eliane de Lencquesaing and her team made important investments not only in the château, vat room and cellars but also in the vineyard. A study was made of the soil, vine-stock was replaced, and parcels of vines were replanted. New buildings for storage were built and the property was fully equipped with all the facilities necessary for the production of a great wine. The vineyard today is spread over 35 hectares, grouped together around the Château. The soils are mainly gravelly, sandy and naturally well drained, with an important quantity of clay to prevent the ravages of drought and to moderate water stress during the ripening period of the grapes.

In 2007, Château Bernadotte and Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande became the property of the Louis Roederer Champagne house, under the management of Frédéric Rouzaud, and the wines showed a marked improvement in style and quality. However, in December 2012, Château Bernadotte was sold once again, this time to the King Power Group of Hong Kong. The King Power Group has massive business holdings in a myriad of different industries, including real estate, food and beverages and retail.