Château Haut-Brion 2023
• Domaine: Château Haut-Brion
• Appellation: Pessac-Léognan
• Classification: First Growth, Premier Grand Cru Classé
• Origin: Left Bank, Bordeaux, France
Of the five rarified First Growths estates, only Château Haut-Brion is located outside Médoc. It is situated on the southside edge of the city of Bordeaux, in a region traditionally known as Graves, but more recently identified as Pessac-Léognan after the carve-out of the new appellation. What once was without doubt the countryside, the surroundings around the property nowadays show signs of urban sprawl over nearly two centuries. In any major wine region, some producers inevitably fall victim to rampant commercialization. Not so for Château Haut-Brion. This First Growth estate retains its authenticity throughout the centuries. Château Haut-Brion may lack the fanfare other First Growths have, but it has been adored by many wine lovers. From Thomas Jefferson - America’s first wine connoisseur, to Queen Elizabeth II whose cellar stocks this wine, to the well-respected wine critic, Robert Parker Jr, this First Growth château continues to retain its authenticity and captivate audiences throughout the ages.
Château Haut-Brion was first planted in 1553 and is considered the oldest First Growth. The sprawling, ancient vineyards of Château Haut-Brion date back to 1st century AD, and Roman coins can be found scattered in its heavily graveled vineyards. Haut-Brion was considered a “cru” vineyard as early as the 15th Century. Interestingly enough, Haut-Brion was the subject of the first ever tasting note from Samuel Pepys, the author of The Diarist in 1663. He wrote that he, “drank a sort of French wine called Ho Bryen that hath a good and most particular taste I never met with.” Even though he was no Robert Parker or James Suckling, he still knew a great wine when he had one.
Throughout the ages, the estate captured the hearts and minds of many, especially the ruling class and political elite. King Charles II served Château Haut-Brion at his coronation after the English monarchy was restored, initiating the century-spanning love affair between England’s ruling class and Haut-Brion. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, Haut-Brion was considered a viticultural darling throughout Europe, culminating its achievement of First Growth status during the 1855 Classification. Château Haut-Brion passed through a number of hands, including those of foreign ministers, aristocrats, and financiers alike. Less than a century later, it was purchased by American Financier Clarence Dillon in 1935. He pioneered several innovations at the estate – such as using tractors in the vineyards, stainless-steel fermentation tanks in the vat room, and a bottling process on property. The signature squat bottles -- reminiscent of old decanter models -- are exclusive to Château Haut Brion and immediately recognizable.
Thanks to the visionary legacy of one of the most talented and gifted wine administrators Bordeaux has ever known, Jean Delmas, Château Haut-Brion was a leader in propagating high quality Bordeaux varietals. The 127 acre estates hosts carefully selected varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Semillon, and Sauvignon Blanc. They take well to the light gravely topsoil mixed with a deeper layer of clay that is signature to the region. From state-of-the-art clonal selections to practices such as crop-thinning – a technique also used at the incomparable Château Pétrus -- the winemaking team at Château Haut-Brion leaves nothing to chance. The combination of science and the particular terroir allows Château Haut-Brion to produce both excellent red and white wines with unmistakable elegance.
Production here is smaller than some of the other first growths, and everything is painstakingly tended to by a staff of under 100 people. The wine spends a long time resting in new oak barrels – approximately 30 months. At Château Haut-Brion, both red and white wines steal the show. With a micro production of 800 cases a year, Château Haut-Brion Blanc lends a remarkable strength and astonishes many a drinker year after year. It is considered one of the finest wines in all of Graves.
The red wines of Château Haut-Brion have a captivatingly mineral, smoky quality that sets them apart from the other First Growths. Due to the predominance of Merlot, the wines remain are considered accessible - even charming at times - and please many palates. They are not to be underestimated, however, as the best vintages can age potentially 30 years. Fortunately for many a buyer, the wines of Haut Brion are often more affordable than any of the other First Growth wines and significantly over deliver. With the perfect combination of innovation, tradition, and an almost stubborn sense of authenticity, Château Haut-Brion remains in class of its own.
Tasting Notes
"A stand out wine from Haut-Brion this year and one of the most charming Primeur samples from the estate. A little sombre on the nose, quiet with dark fruit, blackcurrant and brambles. Not so open on the nose, but this wows on the palate - rich, dense for the vintage, weighty in the mouth, clearly ripe and so filling. Chewy and alive, this is brilliant with a buzz of acidity, a sharp, sour, tartness but all so excellently delivered. So charming and so cuddly, this wine wants you to adore it. Bright and voluptuous, and not many can say that in this vintage. Really so great and still with chocolate, mint, pepper, raspberries, and floral notes all the way through. A complete knock out because it has flesh, juice, brightness and style. 3.7ph 4.3 acidity 80 IPT - second highest year after 2010 for the concentration. 42% grand vin production. A potential 100-point wine." - Georgina Hindle, Decanter, (05/07/2024), Ratings: 98-100
"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." - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux, (04/18/2024), Ratings: 98-100, Drink: 2035-2050
"The Grand Vin 2023 Château Haut-Brion checks in as 52.3% Merlot, 38.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It's more focused and tight compared to its sibling, the La Mission Haut-Brion, but it has riveting purity in its black raspberry, currant, smoke, leafy tobacco, and scorched earth-like aromas and flavors. It's rich and full-bodied, with building tannins and a level of purity that's just about off the charts. As with most vintages of Haut-Brion, it should be given at least a decade of bottle age." - Jeb Dunnuck, Bordeaux 2023 En Primeur, (05/08/2024), Ratings: 96-98
"The 2023 Haut-Brion was picked at the same time as the La Mission Haut-Brion, albeit the secateurs sheathed one day later, on October 6. The nose is less immediate than the La Mission and the fruit is a little darker: blackcurrant, juniper, hints of black olive and a light cedar scent. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grip and tension. This has superb energy, presenting a crescendo of flavors toward a complex and persistent finish that lingers in the mouth. There is real pedigree to this First Growth, and it will certainly give 30 to 40 years of drinking pleasure." - Neal Martin, Vinous, (04/29/2024), Ratings: 96-98
"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." - Yohan Castaing, The Wine Advocate, (04/26/2024), Ratings: 95-97, Drink: 2025-2055
LWIN | 1017092 |
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Stock Status | Futures |
Appellation | Pessac-Léognan |
Vintage | 2023 |
Shipping Weight | 3.000000 |