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1961 Haut Brion
100 RP
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Featured
Review
The dark garnet-colored 1961 Haut-Brion is pure perfection, with gloriously intense aromas of tobacco, cedar, chocolate, minerals, and sweet red and black fruits complemented by smoky wood. This has always been a prodigious effort (it was the debut vintage for Jean Delmas). It is extremely full-bodied, with layers of viscous, sweet fruit. This wine is akin to eating candy. Consistently an astonishing wine! Anticipated maturity: Now-2005. Last tasted 3/97 Robert Parker
Robert Parker | 100 RP
Critic Reviews
The dark garnet-colored 1961 Haut-Brion is pure perfection, with gloriously intense aromas of tobacco, cedar, chocolate, minerals, and sweet red and black fruits complemented by smoky wood. This has always been a prodigious effort (it was the debut vintage for Jean Delmas). It is extremely full-bodied, with layers of viscous, sweet fruit. This wine is akin to eating candy. Consistently an astonishing wine! Anticipated maturity: Now-2005. Last tasted 3/97
Robert Parker | 100 RP
Drinking at point, the 1961 Haut Brion was opened and followed over the evening. This prodigious, mammoth wine is another example of true greatness in wine and thumbs its nose at all the so-called more “elegant” wines today. A huge nose of sweet tobacco, applewood, cedar, wood smoke, and ample black fruits all gives way to a deep, full-bodied effort that has a stacked mid-palate and the classic, gravelly minerality and smoky character that’s the hallmark of this magical terroir. It picked up richness and depth over the evening, yet also faded slightly, so this is a case where it’s going to hold nicely going forward but is certainly not going to improve. If you have them, drink them.
Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JD
One of the clear highlights of the night, the 1961 Haut-Brion races across the palate with remarkable opulence and power for a wine of its age. Layers of fruit build to a crescendo of pure pleasure, with hints of licorice, menthol, lavender, sage, cedar and leather that linger on the finish. In virtually any tasting the 1961 would steal the show, but here, in the presence of many of the estate’s legendary vintages, it is quite clear the 1961 doesn’t quite reach the heights of the 1959 of 1989. That in no way detracts from our immense pleasure, though. My sense is that the 1961 will offer its best drinking over the next 10 years or so, although it will clearly hold for much longer.
Vinous Media | 98 VM
Very mature, with a smoky, even slightly burnt nuance, but powerful with ripe cherry, toast and tobacco flavors that linger on the solid, smooth finish. A glorious mouthful of wine, at its best now.--Haut-Brion vertical. —
Wine Spectator | 96 WS
Robert Parker | 100 RP
Drinking at point, the 1961 Haut Brion was opened and followed over the evening. This prodigious, mammoth wine is another example of true greatness in wine and thumbs its nose at all the so-called more “elegant” wines today. A huge nose of sweet tobacco, applewood, cedar, wood smoke, and ample black fruits all gives way to a deep, full-bodied effort that has a stacked mid-palate and the classic, gravelly minerality and smoky character that’s the hallmark of this magical terroir. It picked up richness and depth over the evening, yet also faded slightly, so this is a case where it’s going to hold nicely going forward but is certainly not going to improve. If you have them, drink them.
Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JD
One of the clear highlights of the night, the 1961 Haut-Brion races across the palate with remarkable opulence and power for a wine of its age. Layers of fruit build to a crescendo of pure pleasure, with hints of licorice, menthol, lavender, sage, cedar and leather that linger on the finish. In virtually any tasting the 1961 would steal the show, but here, in the presence of many of the estate’s legendary vintages, it is quite clear the 1961 doesn’t quite reach the heights of the 1959 of 1989. That in no way detracts from our immense pleasure, though. My sense is that the 1961 will offer its best drinking over the next 10 years or so, although it will clearly hold for much longer.
Vinous Media | 98 VM
Very mature, with a smoky, even slightly burnt nuance, but powerful with ripe cherry, toast and tobacco flavors that linger on the solid, smooth finish. A glorious mouthful of wine, at its best now.--Haut-Brion vertical. —
Wine Spectator | 96 WS
Wine Details for 1961 Haut Brion
| Type of Wine |
Bordeaux Red
: Picture in your mind a combination of cedar, lead pencil, blackcurrant, plum and mineral aromatics, and texture that caresses your palate like a playful lover. The experience is thrilling from the first whiff to the final seconds of a tannic, generous finish - that is what you'll get from a Bordeaux Red |
|---|---|
| Varietal | Bordeaux Blend |
| Country |
France
: Wine is the lifeblood that courses through the country of France, pulsing with vigorous pride and determination. Viticulture is not just a hobby or an occupation in France; it is a passion, a cherished tradition that has been passed down through generations of wine stained hands. Winemaking is a beloved art that has been ingrained in the culture, an aptitude instilled in sons by fathers and the hallmark for which France’s reputation was built, allowing it to be renowned as, arguably, the most important wine producing country in the world. For centuries, France has been producing wines of superior quality and in much greater quantity than any other country in the world. It boasts some of the most impressive wine regions, coveted vineyards and prestigious wines on earth. The regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Sauternes and Champagne have become the benchmark, for which others aspire to become. Legendary producers such as Chateaux Margaux, Domaine De La Romanee Conti, Chapoutier, d’Yquem and Dom Perignon are idolized world-wide. France has stamped its name on nearly every style of wine, from the nectar-like sweet Sauternes to hedonistic Chateauneuf Du Papes classic Bordeaux and Burgundy, to its sparkling dominance in Champagne. Many of the most infamous grape varietals in the world, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay originated in France and are not only beloved, but utilized in the creation of some of the greatest wines on earth. French wine production commands the attention of the wine market year after year. With over 860,000 hectares under vine, and numbers close to 50 million hectoliters of wine produced annually, France dominates the market and sets the standard for not only product quality, but also quantity. France’s many contributions to the world of wine have been absolutely indispensable. The country is the originator of the term “Premier Cru,” coined the term Terroir (a French term so complex there is no literal translation) and has laid the blueprint for a structured appellation system, which others have implemented in their own countries. French vineyard techniques and winemaking practices are mimicked world-wide. California vintners have been replicating Rhone style wines for decades, South America has adopted the French varietal of Malbec and countries around the world are imitating Burgundian styled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. With vast diversity in terroir, France is home to some of the most hospitable winegrowing locations on earth. The combination of topography, geology, climate, rainfall and even the amount of sunlight combined with the long historical tradition of winegrowing and making, has allowed the vintners of France to not only hone their skills, but learn from nature to create a product that like the world in which it resides… is very much alive. |
Overview
| Producer | Haut Brion |
|---|