Château Haut Brion
AOC Pessac-Leognan
1st Growth
Located in Pessac, just a few kilometers from Bordeaux, Château Haut-Brion – the first of the three estates acquired by the Dillon family – is the oldest winegrowing property in the region.
Situation
48ha are planted with red grapes
Soil
The gravel soil lies on a single subsoil of clay, sand, limestone and falun (limestone shell)
Ageing
In new barrels for 20 to 24 months
Available Vintages
Alcohol
13,5°
Blending
51% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc
Description
Beautiful color, very deep with a mixing of the Haut-Brion ruby and its purple-violet shade of youth. Swishing the wine around in the glass gives a notion of its density. This complexity is followed up in the aromas that suddenly burst forth all at once: a woody hint of fine polished oak, mulberry jam, cherry pits, a touch of blackcurrant, and the bittersweet of mango. One discovers this complexness again with even more violence in the mouth. The specific notes of this vintage: the finesse of mocha, the toasted trace of praline all join with the above, melding together with tannins of great complexity and softness. The finish is never ending… Exceptional bottle.
Tasting
“Tasted from an ex-château bottle in Bordeaux, I was not surprised to find the 2000 Château Haut-Brion flirting with perfection. The nose is simply breathtaking – quintessential Haut-Brion with ebullient red berry fruit, roasted herbs, gravel, terracotta tiles on a warm summer’s day…it is simply wave after wave of intoxicating scents that could bring even the most stoic person to tears of joy. The palate displays heavenly balance, pitch-perfect acidity, perhaps spicier than previous bottles that I have tasted, and what depth and dimension in this outstanding wine. That hint of graphite on the finish is a cheeky nod to Pauillac, as if to thumb its nose at the First Growths, because alongside Château Latour, almost by stealth, the Haut-Brion is one of the greatest Bordeaux in this millennial year” – Wine Advocate
Alcohol
13,5°
Blending
52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc
Description
Extremely good color, dense and young for this vintage. The aromas of this young wine burst upon you. Again this is a wine that is aromatically perfectly balanced. Wood scents do not prevail in this young wine. The approach is soft, and unctuous. The aromatic balance melds in the mouth with soft dissolving tannins. No rigid tannin but rather a slight hint of licorice that melts into the softness of the finish. Thanks to its ageing, the wine will reach its apogee.
Tasting
“Des arômes intenses de violettes, de baies et d’épices se prolongent en bouche, avec des couches de tanins super-silencieux et une très longue finale. Un style très classique. Tout en élégance et en longueur. Je l’aime mieux que le 2000”. – Wine Spectator
Alcohol
14,5°
Blending
46% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc
Description
The purplish-red color is the first sign of this wine’s concentration. When swirled in the glass, it displays a deep, warm, very ripe bouquet. 2009 Château Haut-Brion is full of flavor from beginning to end.
Tasting
“The 2009 Haut-Brion is deep garnet colored and slightly closed and shy to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal sensuous notions of warm blackberries, plum preserves, mulberries and blackcurrant cordial with touches of star anise, mocha and damp soil. Full-bodied, taut and tightly wound in the mouth, the palate delivers mouth-coating black fruit and mineral layers with a very firm frame of ripe, grainy tannins, finishing long and earthy”. – Wine Advocate
Alcohol
15°
Blending
23% Merlot, 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc
Description
This wine is a superb ruby-red color with purplish highlights. The initially closed-in bouquet opens up nicely on aeration. The wonderfully subtle aromas follow through in quick succession, starting with oaky overtones, followed by red-berry fruit, leading into terroir character: cocoa powder, roasting coffee, and Havana cigars. The initial softness on the palate gradually evolves to reveal the tannic backbone. Despite their dense structure, the tannins are amazingly silky. The overall freshness carries the flavors through into an aftertaste that goes on and on.
Tasting
“Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Haut-Brion charges out of the gate with exuberant notes of crème de cassis, blueberry pie and baked plums followed by nuances of dark chocolate, licorice and cloves. Full-bodied, the palate has lots of subtle earth and mineral accents with a firm, finely grained texture and great freshness lifting the long finish.”. – Wine Advocate
Alcohol
14°
Blending
56% Merlot, 37,5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6,5% Cabernet Franc
Description
Bright red with garnet-red and purple highlights. The nose is very expressive and complex: a combination of red and black fruit, violets, etc., plus a remarkable impression of freshness! The wine starts out full-bodied and juicy on the palate, then develops with incredible refinement, showing rich tannin and plenty of volume, but no aggressiveness. The wine is broad-based and thick, but not heavy.
Tasting
“Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is at once profound and arresting, offering drop-dead gorgeous Morello cherries, lilacs and red rose scents with a core of Black Forest cake, warm blackcurrants and blueberry preserves plus wafts of sandalwood and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the elegantly crafted palate is completely packed with intense floral, mineral and cassis-laced flavors with a firm frame of very finely pixelated tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and achingly stunning”. – Wine Advocate
