| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Without doubt one of the world's greatest and most individual wine estates. The family traditions continue here with Jean-Philippe Delmas running the wine-making as his father and grandfather did before him and Clarence Dillon's great-grandson Robert de Luxembourg in overall charge of this wonderful property. Haut Brion is one of the most consistently great wines of Bordeaux. Since 1958 it has been bottled in the unique and iconic Haut Brion bottle. Situated in the suburbs of the city of Bordeaux, the 48 hectares of red grape varieties are planted with 45% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The second wine used to be known as "Bahans Haut Brion" but is now called "Clarence Haut Brion". Under the same ownership is neighbour La Mission Haut Brion and Quintus in St Emilion.
Haut-Brion has produced exceptional wines in 2023 across both Le Clarence and the main estate wine, and there is so much to enjoy here. Squid ink, oyster shell freshness and orange peel alongside deep waves of muscular tannins holding cassis, bilberry and blackberry fruits, tobacco leaf, cigar, espresso coiled power and pinpricks of energy. Knitted together, vertical lift, beautiful. A decades-delivering wine. Jean-Philippe Delmas director, Jean-Philippe Masclef technical director, no outside consultant. 69% new oak for ageing.
The 2023 Haut-Brion exhibits a more Cabernet-inflected personality than the richer 2022, offering up a deep but youthfully reserved bouquet of dark wild berries, licorice, smoke and pencil lead mingled with notions of cigar wrapper, nicely integrated new oak and spices. Full-bodied, deep and velvety, it’s layered and concentrated, with a deep core of fruit structured around abundant but velvety tannins, concluding with a long, controlled finish. Somewhat reminiscent of the estate's successful 2006, it's a blend of 52.3% Merlot, 38.6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9.1% Cabernet Franc.
Opulent and laden with black fruit on the nose, this has notes of liquorice, nutmeg, cassis and damsons. The ripe Cabernet at the core offers ample black fruit, but there is a persistent backbone of ripe tannin that provides real focus and vertical intensity. The texture is very refined, supple but always present. The cassis and kirsch is rich for the vintage, giving a slight warmth, but this seductive, hedonistic Haut Brion is a triumph. Very pure in fruit, the oak integration and profile is superb, showing spice box, liquorice and incense but never in excess. Slick and yet focused through to a very long finish, this is chock full of potential. Superb.
This is tight, yet so upright and proper, with a vertical line of fine tannin that runs true and deep. It’s medium- to full-bodied with an exquisite texture and a long, structured finish. 52.3% merlot, 38.6% cabernet sauvignon and 9.1% cabernet franc.
A blend of 52.3% Merlot, 38.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9.1% Cabernet Franc, the 2023 Haut-Brion has a pH of 3.7 and a deep garnet-purple color. It is quite closed to begin, needing a lot of patient swirling to coax out notes of plum preserves, black cherry compote, and wild blueberries, leading to perfumed hints of peonies, crushed stones, rose bud tea, and licorice, with a touch of wood smoke. The medium to full- bodied palate delivers black and blue fruit layers that shimmy and swirl in the mouth with jaw-dropping energy, accented by mineral and exotic spice notes and supported with a firm backbone and plush, plush tannins, finishing with a breathtaking firework display. Very clever wine!
52.3% Merlot, 38.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.1% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample.
Seems to have more intensity than La Mission. Deep, floral and fresh. Very fine tannins with that plush, velvety texture only Haut-Brion can do. Builds on the palate to a persistent finish so there’s a certain power as well. Stony-fresh finish. (JL) 14.6%
Drink 2034 – 2055
This is an exceptional Haut-Brion, offering juice and elegant balance alongside classically structured layers, generous but restrained, sense of architecture and building blocks of a truly great Left Bank wine. Rippling with sinewy muscles, juicy and controlled, packed with cocoa bean, espresso, liouqorice root, but none of these flavours dominate, knitted together, with a vertical lift. 100% new oak, Jean-Philippe Delmas director, Jean-Philippe Masclef technical director, no outside consultant.
