Château Fleur Haut Gaussens has been a family estate since 1941, located in Vérac near Fronsac on Bordeaux's right bank. Hervé Lhuillier took over the property in the late 1990s, blending the traditional knowledge of his parents Pierre and Nicole, who managed the estate for nearly 50 years, with his own more modern, forward-thinking approach. The estate farms 40 hectares of clay-limestone soil and is considered one of the last Bordeaux Supérieur producers still making wines built for real aging, in the style of a Grand Cru.
This 2019 bottle carries the Bordeaux Supérieur appellation, which requires stricter yield limits and longer aging than standard Bordeaux, resulting in more concentrated wines. Made primarily from Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc rounding out the blend, it shows a deep purple color with an intense, complex nose of vanilla, cocoa, and fresh herbs. Expect ripe currant and blackberry fruit, fine tannins, and real structure balanced against fresh acidity.
The result is a serious, age-worthy Bordeaux Supérieur that punches well above its category, from a family estate recognized as a rising star of the appellation.