Haut Brion

wines

Rose petals, sandalwood and currants with some plums and fruit tea. Full-bodied, tight and focused. Incredibly straight and minerally. Toned muscles here. Tannic. Traditional and unwavering. Try in 2024.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2015 La Mission Haut-Brion is blessed with an outstanding bouquet of brilliantly focused and delineated black fruit laced with graphite and cedar - pure class. The medium-bodied, harmonious palate delivers fine-grained tannin and impressive depth. There is a slight savory element (just like the Haut-Brion) that infuses the middle, and brown spices and sage linger on the finish. This is a profound La Mission Haut-Brion that dares surpass Haut-Brion on this showing. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 98 VMMore opulent, sexy and concentrated, the 2015 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion is a tour de force that has everything you could want from Bordeaux. A huge nose of smoke tobacco, gravelly earth, graphite, cassis, and blackcurrants gives way to a full-bodied, concentrated, perfectly balanced beauty that has incredible depth of flavor and intensity, yet with no weight. While the overall impression is upfront and in your face, it has incredible elegance and length on the finish (as well as ripe tannin) and will keep for three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe deep garnet-purple colored 2015 La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 58% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. Youthfully mute with bright, youthful red currants, black raspberries, cassis and freshly crushed blackberries notions, it slowly unfurls to reveal an earthy/minerally undercurrent of damp soil, charcoal, iron ore and truffles plus a waft of violets. Medium to full-bodied, decadently fruited and yet wonderfully elegant with very ripe, very silky tannins, freshness that sits well in the background and an almost electric intensity of vibrant red and black fruit flavors, it finishes long and minerally. Just. Beautiful. Consider giving it 6-7 years in bottle before broaching and drink it over the next 30+.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPAlluring, with steeped plum, blackberry and açaí berry fruit imparting a distinctive edge. Slightly burly tannins roam underneath but the fruit is so fleshy and broad they are easily absorbed, while dark pudding, warm tar, licorice snap and roasted alder notes flow in on the lengthy finish. Reveals a gorgeous Turkish coffee accent at the very end. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2040. 6,800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis wine, rich and opulent, defines the terroir of this estate. It has a rich, dense character, powerful and concentrated. The juicy black fruits enhance the impression of generosity as well as concentration. Drink from 2027. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WETaut and tense from the off: coffee, smoky almond and pulsing with vibrancy and energy. Reservations over the high alcohol at 15.1%abv but 3.74pH means you barely feel it. Such beautiful tannic grip and sense of forward motion, showing great ageing potential. Beautiful length of damson and loganberry fruits and fragrant heather and garden herbs. Lovely texture, structured and tannic hold. 78% new oak.Decanter | 96 DEC

The 2018 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a rock star of a wine and is based on a unique blend of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 29% Merlot that was brought up in 80% new French oak. Offering a deep ruby/purple color as well as a thrilling bouquet of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, chocolate, violets, damp earth, and truffle, it hits the palate with a full-bodied yet almost understated, building style that carries ripe, supple tannins, gorgeous amounts of smoky black fruits, and an endearing, layered, multi-dimensional texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. A dead ringer for a great vintage of Haut-Brion, it is far from unapproachable today yet needs 7-8 years of bottle age for the fireworks to develop and will have 50-years or more of longevity! Hats off to Guillaume Pouthier for a magical, seamless, singular beauty!Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDA beautiful nuance of salty caramel is clear even on the nose. On the palate, the concentration and focus is immediately clear, uplifted by touches of gentle salinity. There is really a sense of place and of being itself which I always love about this wine. It’s closed of course, but with an unrolling of sappy black fruits, and a freshness that gives you confidence in its future. So much pleasure to be had here, with notes of chocolate, peony and liquorice. Extremely successful, as it was en primeur. 3.62pH. 53% whole-bunch fermentation. IPT95. Harvested 13-28 September. Ageing is mostly in large oak casks, 76% new, plus 9% aged in amphorae. Drinking Window 2026 - 2044.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a total knock-out, just as it was from barrel. Soaring in its aromatic intensity, Les Carmes dazzles from the very first taste. Inky red fruits, mocha, new leather, licorice, dried flowers, sage and mint envelop all the senses. Today, the 2018 appears to be slightly closed, but time brings out tons of aromatic energy and nuance. Cabernet Franc plays the leading role, unusual for this part of the region. Franc aromatics and a fair amount of whole cluster savoriness lend energy but also a feeling of richness without weight that is especially appealing. This is a masterpiece from Les Carmes Haut-Brion and Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThe essence of black fruit here, offering blackberry and brambleberry aromas with dried flowers and licorice. Crushed stones and some iodine, as well as nuts. Full-bodied palate that opens and delivers an encompassing mouth feel of fine, creamy tannins. Some whole-berry fermentation. A special wine with elegance and complexity. Try after 2026, but already so in tune.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is composed of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot. It was made using 52% whole cluster and has 13.75% alcohol. It was aged in 75% new oak barriques, 16% foudres and 9% amphorae. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a little coaxing before bursting from the glass with vibrant scents blackberry preserves, redcurrant jelly, mulberries and Black Forest cake, leading to an undercurrent of pencil lead, black truffles, cast-iron pan and charcoal with an emerging waft of violets. The elegantly crafted, medium-bodied palate dances with red and black fruits before bursting into earth and mineral sparks. It has a sturdy frame of firm, grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and savory. The stem tannins lend this wine a firmness and textural interest, which should integrate further with another 5-6 years in barrel, allowing the nuances to shine through even more, then you can continue to enjoy its slow evolution for a further 30+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThis throws off a stream of cassis, cherry preserves and raspberry fruit that is pure and bright, laced with a racy mineral edge through the finish. Stands apart from the pack for its purity and finesse. Really beautiful. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.Wine Spectator | 95-98 WSThis wine has bold, ripe black fruits and fine acidity. Its structure shows well through the fruitiness of the wine. This will certainly age well.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

This is a dense and lively La Mission white with lemon, lime and cream character and a light mineral and salty undertone. White pepper and salt at the finish.James Suckling | 97-98 JSThe La Mission Haut-Brion 2018 Blanc is a blend of 57.4% Sauvignon Blanc and 42.6% Sémillon. It sashays out of the glass with gregarious notes of white peaches, fresh pears and pineapple with nuances of lime blossoms, crushed rocks and sea spray, plus a waft of beeswax. The racy, medium to full-bodied palate is charged with energy, delivering vibrant citrus and tropical fruit layers with a satiny texture and fantastic length. Completely exceeding my barrel tasting expectations, this promises to be an earlier drinking style, albeit multilayered, dripping with class and, yes, it’s downright sexy. Give it just a few more months in bottle and then it should offer decadent drinking for the next 15+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPSeriously dark and winey, showing a deep core of black currant preserve, warmed fig paste and plum reduction flavors inlaid with racy graphite, mouthwatering tobacco and enticing singed alder, bay leaf and freshly plowed humus. Delivers density, grip and definition on the long finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2040. 2,880 cases made, 262 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSA richer, more textured wine than the Haut-Brion Blanc, no doubt due to its larger Sémillon content, the 2018 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc reveals a medium gold hue as well as beautiful pineapple, honeyed lime, star fruit, and floral aromas and flavors. Nicely concentrated on the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied and offers beautiful acidity, plenty of depth and richness, and a great finish. A slightly softer wine, it doesn’t have the precision of its counter mate yet brings more texture and opulence. It’s another brilliant white that will benefit from short-term cellaring and evolve for 15+ years or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe white 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion explodes with notes of guava, pineapple, and ripe peaches, plus touches of honeyed toast and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is taut and layered, with lovely zesty sparks and a long, spicy finish.The Wine Independent | 95 TWIA serious wine that is just beginning to show its white flower and honeysuckle notes. A vintage that shows its warmth in a slightly lower acidity, but it is still an impressive textured white. 3.27pHDecanter | 94 DECThere is a light herbal touch to this wine that comes from the Sauvignon Blanc. However, it also has concentration and weight, offering a texture that brings freshness to balance the ripe fruits. The wine will age well. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2018 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc has really come together nicely since I last tasted it. Bright and finely cut, with terrific creaminess, the 2018 is already very easy to taste, and, I imagine, drink. Lime, lemon peel, mint, white pepper and jasmine give the 2018 striking effusiveness.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Much more Semillon-based compared to its stablemate, the Haut-Brion Blanc, the 2019 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a much more subdued, classic Semillon, offering ripe peach, honeyed lime, sappy herbs, and chalky mineral nuances that show even more on the palate. Rich, layered, and medium to full-bodied, it’s another blockbuster of a white from this estate that has everything you could want from a Bordeaux Blanc. It opens up beautifully with time in the glass, is flawlessly balanced, and just a thrill a second. It should evolve for 20-30 years as well.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDGreen apple, lime, aniseed and stone. Some green mango, too. Full-to medium-bodied with a compact palate of beautiful fruit and refined phenolics that last for minutes. Creamy finish. Tight at the end. Needs four or five years to open. Best after 2026.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2019 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, 69.9% Semillon and 30.1% Sauvignon Blanc, is locked tight on the nose to begin, eventually offering glimpses at lime leaves and sea spray with wafts of white pepper and dill seed. Medium-bodied, the palate has plenty of tension and mineral layers, finishing savory.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIThe La Mission Haut-Brion 2019 Blanc is composed of 69.9% Semillon and 30.1% Sauvignon Blanc, harvested from the 30th of August until the 10th of September. The estimated label alcohol degree is 14%. Notions of freshly squeezed limes, grapefruit juice and white peaches come wafting out of the glass followed by suggestions of yuzu zest, coriander seed, underripe pineapple, wet pebbles and green mango with a touch of fennel. The medium to full-bodied palate offers layer upon layer of citrus fruits and mineral accents wrapped in a beautiful satiny texture and featuring seamless freshness, finishing long and chalky.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RPThe 2019 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc has quite an intense nose with apple blossom, flint and slice Williams pear scents that develop with aeration. The palate is well-balanced with fine acidity, quite steely with a gooseberry and spicy finish that is driven by the Sauvignon Blanc. It’s backward and close but the breeding is there. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.Vinous Media | 94+ VMExtroverted, with an energetic display of white peach, Key lime, verbena, oyster shell and quinine notes that are well-defined as they extend through a lengthy finish. Features real tension and drive too, which most whites in this vintage lack. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Best from 2023 through 2033.Wine Spectator | 94 WSWet wool, something a little bit waxy to the nose with touches of lemon curd - very welcoming. Lovely mouthfeel here, enveloping, rich and concentrated but also fresh and vibrant. Nuance and structure with a spicy almost bitter orange tone to this. A great balance of bright lemon citrus fruits - juicy and lively then with a creminess that comes in and calms everything down. I love the interplay between the richness and fat from the Semillon and precise intensity of the acidity from the Sauvignon. 69.9% Semillon and 30.1% Sauvignon Blanc.Decanter | 94 DEC

A bigger, richer white, especially in the context of the vintage, the 2021 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc offers up a medium to full-bodied, vibrant, concentrated style as well as classic notes of honeyed melon, crushed stone, white flowers, and dried herbs. I love its mid-palate depth, and it has beautifully integrated acidity and outstanding length. It’s another serious, age-worthy white in 2021 that will benefit from short-term bottle age and be long-lived.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc marries the natural energy of this cool year with lovely mid-palate creaminess and texture. Understated yet persistent, the 2021 presents a gorgeous display of pear, white flowers and mint, along with a subtle touch of oak that frames the finish. Today, the 2021 is quite a bit less expressive than it was en primeur. It was also bottled in May 2022 (versus May 2023 for the reds) and may be in a closed period, which is not unusual for wines from cold years. We shall see.Vinous Media | 95 VMPeach and waxed-lemon character here. Some fennel and aniseed, too. Very fresh. Medium to full body with a round, creamy palate. A little closed for now at the end. 55.2% semillon and 44.8% sauvignon.James Suckling | 95-96 JSLa Mission Haut-Brion Blanc 2021 leaps from the glass with notes of fresh grapefruit, white peaches, and honeysuckle, leading to touches of elderflower and sea spray. The medium-bodied palate is tightly wound, with vibrant stone fruit and zesty flavors, supported by a crisp backbone, finishing long and steely.The Wine Independent | 95 TWIA fresh, incipiently complex bouquet of pear, grapefruit, freshly baked bread and wet stones prefaces the 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion, a medium to full-bodied, fleshy wine with a satiny attack that segues into a taut, structured mid-palate built around chalky dry extract, which lend this a more tightly-knit, mordant profile than the broader, fatter and more enveloping Haut-Brion Blanc.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPFloral and green fruit aromas on the nose. Juicy and upfront, lively and fun, this has zing and focus. I love the almost sherbet lemon touch to the initial expression followed by soft green fruit and some softly spiced herbal accents. It’s clear and clean, bright and focussed. Tapers a little towards the finish, just lightening, but lovely and enjoyable - very aerial in style.Decanter | 94 DEC