Haut-Médoc 2014

Provenance

The late David Brice was a respected wine connoisseur, collector and co-founder of Brice and Burnett – The Fine Wine Specialists (formerly Wine Cellar). His lifelong passion for wine from all corners of the world wine, and generosity, helped develop a culture of fine wine in South Africa and beyond. Always with value and authenticity in mind, the collection spans a wide range of styles from leading producers and diverse regions. The wines were professionally imported under refrigeration and carefully stored at Brice and Burnett (formerly Wine Cellar) thereafter. Many of the producers are not available in South Africa and provide an excellent buying opportunity.

David studied and tasted Bordeaux more than any other region and he purchased en-primeur, or pre-release, for more than 3 decades. He bought the great vintages, loved magnums, and enjoyed the sweet wines of Sauternes. The cellar contains the famous names, but also highly regarded but lesser-known Chateaux and appellations.

For more detailed information on the lots, please feel free to contact Roland Peens (roland@winecellar.co.za). Roland spent many years sharing and enjoying these wines with David Brice and is happy to provide further insight into the collection.

Critics Ratings

'Herbal, leafy nose. Tight and youthful though meaty and fresh in style, if a touch chewy and on the rustic side. Wait awhile.' - Decanter.com (Oct 2018)

'The great dominance of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend has given this wine both a fine structure and crisp swathes of black-currant fruit. It is a firm wine at this stage, although the fine fruitiness will become an important part of the taste. The estate is named after one of Napoleon's generals who became King of Sweden. Drink from 2021.' - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast, 91/100 (Apr 2017)

'The 2014 Bernadotte is dense, plush and inviting. Succulent red stone fruit, pomegranate and expressive floral notes are all fused together in this deep, pliant Haut-Médoc. The 2014 is best cellared for another year or two, as the tannins are a bit firm today and the oak needs to fully integrate. Even so, the 2014 is gorgeous.' - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, 91/100 (Feb 2017)

'Attractive walnut and cassis character married to some spicy oak, and there's a balance of dry tannins, fresh acidity and a sleek body that's really classic and harmonious. Hard not to drink now.' - James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (Feb 2017)

'The 2014 La Bernadotte has a brisk black cherry and raspberry-scented nose with dried leaf and graphite notes lending complexity. This is well defined and displays good vigor. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, supple in the mouth with clean, fresh and quite minerally red fruit. This is a pretty Bernadotte that should give plenty of drinking pleasure over the next decade.' - Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (Oct 2016)