The history of Château Haut Marbuzet is a great success story that started in 1952 when Hervé Duboscq bought 7 hectares of vines in Saint-Estèphe between Cos d’Estournel and Montrose. His son Henri, a mythical figure in the Médoc, took over from his father in the 1960s and the estate grew to its present-day 75 hectares under his leadership. His three sons now look after the vineyard and cellars.
Haut Marbuzet is different from other Médoc châteaux in a number of ways. Although the original vineyards belonged to the Irish Mac Carthy family in the 19th century, the terroir had completely lost its identity. So, there was no brand recognition whatsoever and everything had to be done from scratch. The estate nevertheless went on to acquire a fine reputation in short order and was designated a cru bourgeois exceptionnel in the 2003 classification. The Live-ex exchange (the reference market for fine wine) considers the château on a par with a fourth growth.
Unlike most other Médocs, the wine is made with a majority of Merlot and aged 100% in new oak barrels. This confers a unique style that unquestionably stands out when tasted alongside other wines from Saint-Estèphe. I have always placed Haut-Marbuzet stylistically somewhere between the Médoc and the New Word.
Haut Marbuzet is also unusual in that the château has a thriving business selling directly to clients, including private customers, bypassing the traditional Bordeaux négociants. The wine is well-distributed in local restaurants.
I visited Haut Marbuzet for perhaps the fifth or sixth time in late October. But this occasion was different because I was able to sit down for an hour with Danish wine writer Izak Litwar and taste through seven vintages in the presence of the venerable Henri Dubosq, whom I had never met. Monsieur Duboscq, 82 years old, is a real character. As opposed to the smooth besuited types that proliferate in the Médoc, he is very salt-of-the-earth, with strong opinions and a great sense of humor.
Haut Marbuzet is one of those estates with an indelible personality in all vintages. This was confirmed at the tasting, where I was especially impressed with the 2018 and 2019 vintages, followed by the 2022 and 2020. There was a round, upfront sort of fruitiness and while the new oak unquestionably had a role to play, it didn’t actually overpower.
Haut Marbuzet has aspects of classic Médoc (blackcurrant, graphite) and a rich, fresh, somewhat assertive flavor. There’s a certain hardness and the aftertaste is often slightly dry, even with age.
Last Sunday I thought I would open a bottle of 2005 Haut Marbuzet at home.
Bordeaux lovers will long quarrel over the relative merits of the great vintages of the first decade of the 21st century: 2000, 2005, 2009, and 2010. Keeping my ear to the ground, I’m hearing most plaudits for 2005 and 2010, but the jury is still out. 2005 Haut Marbuzet had a deep dark color, a nose of sweet black fruit, and the telltale graphite and cassis notes mentioned above. It was rich and fresh on the palate, rather masculine in character. I’d say it is right in its drinking window, but will stay there for some time to come. I might add that Haut Marbuzet frequently shows well quite young.