France

Sauvignon Blanc

Sémillon

Ch. Haut-Brion

Chateau Haut-Brion Blanc Pessac-Leognan

Bordeaux

Pessac-Léognan

Imponerende lys farge - meget delikat nese med stikkelsbær og voks - oljete silkemyk tekstur, ren, frisk, spice, salt, stein/skifer, sublim eleganse, meget lang - imponert (97)

Expert

After a little shaking, notes of orange blossoms, fresh grapefruit, and just-ripe pineapple slowly emerge from the glass, followed by hints of fennel seed, wet pebbles, and blanched almonds. The medium-bodied palate is so silky and seamless, melting in your mouth with saline-laced citrus and tropical fruit layers, finishing with epic length and depth. Incredible.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

Dette lukter røkt, varm stein, pære av kvalitet, modne gule Hardanger-epler, men mineraliteten her er noe jeg sjeldent har vørt borti. 

Smak av epler av peak, gule beskjedne plommer, moden pære, veldig floralske toner, men av det tykke. Balansen her er ekstrem, syren er så latterlig i takt med kons og resten av strukturen. 

En balanse som er så integrert og sammensatt, at jeg lurer på om jeg vil oppleve noe slikt igjen. 

The 2022 Haut-Brion Blanc, 51.4% Semillon and 48.6% Sauvignon Blanc aging in 40.4% new oak, charges from the glass with vivacious notes of lemon juice, lime zest, and yuzu, plus wafts of sea spray, jasmine tea, and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate shimmers with vibrant, energetic citrus and mineral flavors, supported by a racy backbone, finishing long with a spicy lift.

The 2021 Haut-Brion Blanc is very closed at this stage, needing a lot of shaking to uncover notes of yuzu, freshly squeezed lemons, lime blossoms, and struck flint, plus hints of wet pebbles and candle wax. The medium-bodied palate is tight-knit and intense, delivering layers of citrus, mineral, and floral notes, with a racy backbone, finishing with long, lingering, chalky notes.

A blend of 71.4% Sauvignon Blanc and 28.6% Semillon, the 2020 Haut-Brion Blanc races out with vibrant notes of lime juice, yuzu zest, and lemongrass, followed by suggestions of beeswax, wet slate, sea spray, and fennel seed. The medium-bodied palate offers a wonderfully satiny texture with beautifully balanced acidity cutting through the intense, tightly wound layers, finishing long and minerally. 

White pear, peach pit, grated ginger and bitter fennel give both impact and power on the opening beats. There is an austerity to the citrus fruit in the mid palate that is just delicious, and it shows real weight and structure - zero worries about putting this away and coming back to it in three, four, five years time or more. A serious white wine that is cleverly and skilfully crafted. 40% new oak, bottled with a Diam cork since 2017.

Inside Bordeaux

The white Haut-Brion 2018 offers pretty honeysuckle and lemon curd notes, with hints of spice cake and apple pie, together with cedar. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a lively line cutting through the rich, ripe layers, and an oily texture, with a long finish. 

The complexity is evident from the first time you approach the nose - this is candied lemon, wax, quince, cut through the sharper citrus peel and gooseberry. Just a gorgeous white wine at the stage where everything is fully open, with hints of tertiary, but still full of freshness, and with huge length through the palate. 3.2ph. Harvest August 28 to September 10, 45% new barrel.

The stand out First Growth in my recent retasting of the 2005s, and again here it blew us all away. This was a drought year, with almost no rain from May to October, but never excessively hot, and the balance is evident. The slightly dry tannins that affected many 2005s when young were never such a problem on the warm soils at Haut-Brion, and this is generous, exceptionally nuanced and flavourful, with vivid black cherry and cassis fruits, riven through with liqourice, cocoa bean, pomegranate, sage, cocoa bean and luscious acidities. Jean-Phillip Delmas winemaker, two years into his tenure at the time after taking over from his father Jean-Bernard Delmas in 2003. 100% new oak.

Pale golden colored, the 1964 Haut-Brion Blanc has a spectacular nose of candied orange peel, toasted almonds, preserved kumquats, and lemongrass, followed by wafts of cedar chest and talc. The medium-bodied palate has a satiny texture and racy line supporting layer upon layer of preserved citrus fruit flavors, finishing long and minerally. I tasted two different bottles of this simultaneously, and this note is based on the fresher bottle, although the other bottle was just slightly more evolved. Simply breath-taking!

2024	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
2023	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
2022	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
2021	kr 8 849.90Available	Extraordinary
2020	kr 8 654.40Not available	Extraordinary

Category	White wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Ch. Haut-Brion
Vintages	1961
Country	France, Bordeaux, Pessac-Léognan
Bottle

Alcohol	13 %
Acid	5,9 %
Sugar	< 3 g/l

Packaging
Cork type
Selection
Wholesaler
Carrier