Haut-Brion
Château Haut-Brion is a Premier Grand Cru Classé (First Growth) estate located in the Pessac-Léognan appellation of Graves, south of Bordeaux. Château Haut-Brion is the oldest continuous winery in Bordeaux, with records of viticulture on the estate from 1423. Haut-Brion has been celebrated for centuries. Samuel Pepys tasted the wine at Royal Oak Tavern on April 10th 1663 and wrote that he "drank a sort of French wine called Ho Bryen that hath a good and most particular taste I never met with". One of the world’s earliest tasting notes!
In the 1855 classification, Haut-Brion was the only First Growth not in the Médoc. The estate is managed today by Prince Robert of Luxembourg. Since 1982 they have increased selection using less than half the number of grapes in the Grand Vin, which has had a notably effect on quality. In addition to the Grand Vin, Haut-Brion produces a red second wine called Le Clarence de Haut Brion. The vineyard also produces a dry white wine named Château Haut-Brion Blanc which is very highly prized.
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Bordeaux | 2 | 95 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£6,741.67 |
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Wine Advocate (95)While in some vintages La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion can be close in quality, that is not the case in this vintage. The 1996 Haut-Brion, a blend of 50% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc is clearly on a higher plane than the La Mission. There is something much more expansive and complete on the nose: greater depth of fruit, more harmonious with scents of underbrush, tar, black olive and this bottle perhaps less feral than I have noticed on previous examples. The palate is very well balanced with dark cherries, sous-bois and cedar. This is one vintage where I think the Cabernet Franc plays an important role and lends more complexity. This is a 1996 that has retained and built upon beguiling fleshiness and it will continue to evolve with style and panache. Tasted July 2016. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 95 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£3,140.44 |
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Wine Advocate (95)While in some vintages La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion can be close in quality, that is not the case in this vintage. The 1996 Haut-Brion, a blend of 50% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc is clearly on a higher plane than the La Mission. There is something much more expansive and complete on the nose: greater depth of fruit, more harmonious with scents of underbrush, tar, black olive and this bottle perhaps less feral than I have noticed on previous examples. The palate is very well balanced with dark cherries, sous-bois and cedar. This is one vintage where I think the Cabernet Franc plays an important role and lends more complexity. This is a 1996 that has retained and built upon beguiling fleshiness and it will continue to evolve with style and panache. Tasted July 2016. |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bordeaux | 2 | 95 (WA) |
In Bond
£5,586.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (95)While in some vintages La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion can be close in quality, that is not the case in this vintage. The 1996 Haut-Brion, a blend of 50% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc is clearly on a higher plane than the La Mission. There is something much more expansive and complete on the nose: greater depth of fruit, more harmonious with scents of underbrush, tar, black olive and this bottle perhaps less feral than I have noticed on previous examples. The palate is very well balanced with dark cherries, sous-bois and cedar. This is one vintage where I think the Cabernet Franc plays an important role and lends more complexity. This is a 1996 that has retained and built upon beguiling fleshiness and it will continue to evolve with style and panache. Tasted July 2016. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 95 (WA) |
In Bond
£2,601.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (95)While in some vintages La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion can be close in quality, that is not the case in this vintage. The 1996 Haut-Brion, a blend of 50% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc is clearly on a higher plane than the La Mission. There is something much more expansive and complete on the nose: greater depth of fruit, more harmonious with scents of underbrush, tar, black olive and this bottle perhaps less feral than I have noticed on previous examples. The palate is very well balanced with dark cherries, sous-bois and cedar. This is one vintage where I think the Cabernet Franc plays an important role and lends more complexity. This is a 1996 that has retained and built upon beguiling fleshiness and it will continue to evolve with style and panache. Tasted July 2016. |