2011 Haut Brion Blanc Bordeaux White

2011 Haut Brion Blanc

From the critics:

95-97 RP-NM

94-97 VM

97 WS

95 JS

94 WE

This has terrific depth and cut, offering a core of dried pineapple, Jonagold apple and white peach fruit, along with quinine and gooseberry notes, all lined with a bracing jicama edge. The finish is backed by salted butter, brioche and shortbread details. Shows power and purity, with terrific length. Approachable now, but give this time. Best from 2017 through 2030.

Wine Spectator | 97 WS

This white from Haut-Brion is very full and rich, with apple pie, lemon and papaya. Full body, opulent and almost oily. This is decadent. Very delicious to drink now but wait at least three to four years. 58% sauvignon blanc and 42% sémillon.

James Suckling | 95 JS

A blend of 42.1% Sauvignon and 57.9% Semillon, the Haut Brion Blanc has a slightly deeper colour than the La Mission Blanc. It displays great minerality on the nose, with precision and clarity, notes of green apple, lime flower, zest and white peach. The palate is medium-bodied with great precision on the entry, lovely poise, very elegant with a beautiful, delicate white peach and mineral finish with hints of guava and lychee in the background. Superb. Tasted April 2012.

Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95-97 RP-NM

This wine has an intense herbaceous quality, with fruit and nutmeg flavors. It feels and tastes powerful, with alcoholic warmth and a taut and nervy character.

Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

(73% semillon and 27% sauvignon blanc): Pale straw-green. Lovely semillon aromas of white peach and beeswax complicated by lavender, jasmine and minerals. Multilayered and complex on the palate, showing more minerality to go with the very intense, pure flavors of peach, lemon and green fig. The sauvignon blanc really stands out on the long, deep finish. This very bright, focused wine is one of the stars of the vintage, red wines included.

Vinous Media | 94-97 VM

(Château Haut-Brion Blanc) The 2011 Haut Brion Blanc is also a very ripe example of the vintage, tipping the scales at 14.4 percent alcohol. The deep, complex and classy nose soars from the glass in a fine mélange of fresh fig, orange peel, fresh-cut grass, complex, chalky soil tones, petrol and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and impressively complex, with excellent mid-palate depth, lovely focus and a very, very long, slightly hot finish. Like the La Mission Blanc this year, I would be inclined to drink this delicious wine up on the early side, as the bit of uncovered heat on the backend does not augur well for long-term cellaring. Of course, with the threat of premox ever-present, perhaps this is the best strategy in any case. This reminds me quite a bit of the beautiful 1989 Haut Brion Blanc in its youth, except that this wine is obviously higher in alcohol and a shows a bit of heat as a result. (Drink between 2012-2025).

John Gilman | 93 JG

Type of Wine	Bordeaux White : In the world of wine, all other regions must bow before Bordeaux. The absurdly-talented white wine producers continue to assert their dominance by bringing out the true potential of varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Sauvignon Gris. If you have even the slightest bit of appreciation for fine white wine, these bottles will change your life.
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.