| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan |
| Colour | White |
| Type | Still |
The undisputed king of Bordeaux's dry white wines. It is produced in miniscule quantities: the 2.8 hectare vineyard rarely makes much more than 500 dozen bottles a year from a blend of around 2/3 Sémillon and 1/3 Sauvignon Blanc.
The 2021 Haut-Brion Blanc also shows considerable promise, offering up aromas of pink grapefruit, nectarine and crisp orchard fruits mingled with notions of freshly baked bread, pastry cream and beeswax. Full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, it's satiny and seamless, with a broader-shoulders, more muscular profile than La Mission's white but similarly vibrant acids. At this early stage, this would appear to be one of the two or three finest Haut-Brion whites of the last 20 years.
The 2021 Blanc is a standout example of what this iconic estate is capable of producing, revealing a complex bouquet of pear, white peach, nectarine and spices. Full-bodied, round and fleshy with an enveloping core of fruit, it’s seamless and satiny, girdled by bright acids and framed by chalky, structuring dry extract. Drink 2024-2044.
The 2021 Haut Brion Blanc is 55% Sémillon and 45% Sauvignon Blanc. It is very hard to penetrate for now, very tightly coiled, but with time unfurls to show great potential. The nose shows gooseberry, clementine, beeswax and woody herbs together with hints of sweet spices. The palate is tense and led by acidity, with real vibrancy against a silky and succulent texture. Citrus oil, leesy tones, cream and hints of wood spice all build through the mid palate. A harmonious, very refined and deeply savoury example, this is a contemplative Haut Brion Blanc that should turn out brilliantly with full elevage.
A complex, thought-provoking white. Vibrant and exciting with green herbs, stones and hints of aniseed and wet sea weed. Sea salt, too. It’s full-bodied and tight on the palate and rather shy. But then it takes off at the end and accelerates. Phenolic, with fine tannins. Iron. Oyster shell. 57% semillon and 43% sauvignon.
The 2021 Haut-Brion blanc is composed of 55% Semillon and 45% Sauvignon Blanc. It comes prancing out of the glass with flashy notes of green guava, fresh pineapple, and lemon tart, plus suggestions of orange blossoms and chalk dust and a waft of candle wax. Light to medium-bodied, the palate delivers electric tension with vibrant, tightly knit citrus and tropical fruit layers, leading to a very long, chalky finish on this beautiful wine. Only about 500 cases are produced, of which 150 are kept by the property for its own use. 2025-2040
Gorgeous depth from first to last moment, nuanced, green apple, white pear, citrus, slate and gunsmoke, all beautifully drawn out through the palate, an impressive white that rises vertically. Harvest September 3 to 13. 44% new oak, with lees stirring once a week.
57% Sémillon, 43% Sauvignon (Blanc and Gris). Cask sample.
More opulent and aromatic than La Mission with a smoky, citrus-grapefruit edge. Aromatically more Sauvignon-led despite the dominance of Sémillon in the blend. Full and plush on the palate but still fresh and very, very long. (JL) 13.7%
Drink 2025 – 2036
