Château Barde-Haut: Vineyards
Château Barde-Haut is located about a kilometre east of St Emilion, just within the commune of St Christophe des Bardes. Near neighbours include La Mondotte and Château Troplong-Mondot to the south-west as well as a host of other domaines, although these first two are perhaps the most famous among the neighbours. Continue along the road heading east and you will soon come to Château Laroque. The château sits in a small dip as viewed from the road, although it actually enjoys a beneficial position at the top of a slope of vines forming a natural south-facing amphitheatre. The aforementioned Château La Barde lies slightly lower down the slope.
The estate accounts for 17 hectares of the St Emilion appellation, of which 16 hectares are planted to vines. The terroir is as expected on the St Christophe plateau, a superficial layer of clay over chalk. The vines are aged 35 years on average, and today they are 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, a rise in the former and a decline in the latter since the 1980s, as recorded by Ginestet.
