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| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.9 pts. and median of 95 pts. in 104 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Triforwine on 12/9/2023 & rated 99 points: Not even sure what to say. So many thoughts hard to put to words. 3rd time tasting this. Got a perfect bottle this time. Omg. Mid neck fill. Perfect cork. Lots of coarse sediment. Full of life from the word go. Everything the prior bottles were but a lot more. Drank from decant slowly over long dinner to 4.5 hours when it was gone. Best sip was the last. Finish 30 sec easy. Started light and gentle and Kept getting darker and more intense in the glass every hour, incredibly complex and evolving but stable (yeah I know that sorta doesn’t make sense). Perfect cellaring from release in dad’s cellar, drank in his home first time Back home after he passed drank with my mom who made chicken Marengo. Unbelievable wine. Prior bottles were remarkable, wonderful and different-see my prior notes. This bottle-One of the best wines I’ve ever had. Alongside the 78 beycheyvelle which I love this was just on another level. A magical wine-But you have to love old graves or this wine won’t be your thing. “It’s a 10 for me”. 98-99+ if well stored expect bottle variation. (939 views) | | | Tasted by DAN BAILEY on 10/23/2023: From double mag! Blackcurrant. Smooth, elegant, plummy. Great depth and persistence. Lead pencil and tobacco/ash with air. Voted #1 on the night. (429 views) | | | Tasted by Triforwine on 12/24/2022 & rated 97 points: This was absolutely magnificent if you love old graves but not a wine that everybody will enjoy. This bottle of 78 HB was fantastic my favorite of the 4 first growth 78s I’ve tasted. Completely different than the first one we opened in 2018- Good color right off the bat this time. Not a crowd pleaser. Very tertiary and perhaps a bit past peak but just gorgeous and good from the start. Paired with Baked ziti with family Christmas fixings. Decanted 2 hours before dinner but The others preferred to drink the champagne and 2013 Hall cab and a 2014 Barolo. So I had the bottle almost to myself so put a glass cork in the decanter and it kept getting better and held up even overnight as I prevented over oxygenation with the glass cork. Poured into smaller decanters to serve and assess response to controlled aeration. So different than the one 4 years ago which was the craziest experience and I made detailed notes on. This one was a nice aged claret color from the start and darkened and gained weight and flavor got better over hours. Wife hates it but she’s not a fan of old Bordeaux much less old graves. So funny Chrissie said it tasted like olives and smelled like green pepper and Brian said he thought it tasted like cigar which they did not like. They are correct!!! And even more weird but faint complex tertiary things are in there. But I like that! While this was a bit lacking fruit, there’s just enough fruit to balance an incredible array of tertiary aromas and flavors and the finish is long enough that I think well stored bottles are going to be great for another decade easily but doubt it can improve so if you have this, pick a special occasion and be prepared for bottle variation and drink up! 96-97 for me for this bottke. (2007 views) | | | Tasted by Francophile1 on 11/5/2022 & rated 94 points: Eight Decades of Decadence: Kaboom! Dang, this is drinking above its weight class from a weaker vintage. Very consistent to my tasting note for this wine back in February '22. An excellent representation from the decade of the '70s. (2160 views) | | | Tasted by dream on 9/22/2022 & rated 93 points: An excellent bottle and perhaps the only truly mature wine tonight showing the full peacock of Haut Brion flavors with notes of dried tobacco, scorched earth, road tar and minerals. Haut Brion in its final death spiral but what an exit. Best right after opening and faded some afterwards. Would love to drink this out of a larger format. Popped and poured. 93- (2242 views) | | | Tasted by doug374 on 4/17/2022: Wine was flat and without structure. Likely to have suffered a weak seal although the cork came out clean and not obviously flawed. (2275 views) | | | Tasted by SimonG on 3/17/2022 flawed bottle: Chris’s 1st Growth Series — Haut Brion (La Trompette, London): Finely cloudy, pale muddy garnet. Tomato, slightly sweet maderised old wine nose buoyed by a whiff of swimming pool. A bit of bovril as it takes on a more savoury edge with further air. Muddled and messy. No. (2437 views) | | | Tasted by Rezy13 on 2/6/2022 & rated 97 points: Super Bowl 2022 (Alpharetta, GA): Crimson core with large brick rim; wow nose, aged and in a really good spot, so much character and complexity, boom!, cedar, cigar box, gravel, liqueured fruit but also some dried fruit, slight weedy green, balanced, so noble for age; this has to be mine; Haut Brion style in spades. (376 views) | | | Tasted by Francophile1 on 2/6/2022: Super Bowl 2022 (Alpharetta, GA): Tasted double blind. Holy smokes this is delicious and a great example of a fully mature classic Bordeaux. Cedar, gravel/crushed rocks, still has some cherry fruit, with a touch of smoke & green on the finish. This wine inspires me to be more patient with my Bordeaux and leave them alone in the cellar until they are truly ready to drink. (1598 views) | | | Tasted by adrianywu on 6/13/2021 & rated 90 points: Dinner with 1978 Lafite, Petrus, Haut Brion and Latour. I threw in a 1975 Mayacamas Cabernet as a ringer.
Lafite: Classic Pauillac nose of lead pencil, leather and a hint of sous bois. I identified it as a Lafite (or possibly Mouton) while the host tried to throw us off with remarks such as "it could be considered a first growth". The structure is firm but well integrated. The palate is quite well balanced and very sinewy. Not a top vintage for Lafite as the intensity is only moderate and the fruit has given way a little bit to the acidity. The length is moderate. Overall a very good Bordeaux.
Petrus: The nose immediately gave it away as a right bank. I thought Cheval Blanc as I would expect pure Merlot to have more plumminess at this age. Should have known since the host almost always serves a Petrus every time ! The nose is deep and complex. The structure is firmer than I expect from a Pomerol. Very good fruit and good length. Can still go for another decade.
Mayacamas: I did not identify my own wine, as it could have been a Bordeaux, and a first growth at that. The nose is very open with soil, leather and some smoke. Very good fruit with excellent focus and intensity, unlike many "modern" Cali cabs that fall apart after a decade.
Can give the 1975 Martha's a good run for the money.
Haut Brion: The weakest of the wines, and the nose took a bit of coaxing. I am very familiar with the 1978 La Mission, which is much better, but it might just be bottle variation. The HB lacked the readily identifiable Graves nose of the LMHB. I could not tell it was a Graves, and I am partial to these wines. The fruit is still there, but the finish is a bit short.
Latour: I prefered the Lafite over the Latour tonight, which is rare. The nose is again less forthcoming, and lacked the definition of the Lafite. It has less backbone, giving it a more diffuse palate. Still has fruit and less acidity of the Lafite, but it seems more advanced and less vigorous. (2042 views) | | | Tasted by JonnyG on 11/20/2019 & rated 97 points: Another winning example of this bottling, where my fortunate encounters seem to exceed what others post on CT. Everything I look for in a mature Bordeaux, and especially representative of this First Growth's hallmark characteristics, with the cigar box nose accompanied by some tar and smoke. Layered red fruit on the palate, along with some earthy tones, tobacco, tomato leaf and a sweet smokiness. Gently past peak, I suppose, but what a treat! (4208 views) | | | Tasted by uberoh on 6/16/2019 & rated 96 points: Clearly mature - but quite amazing. a little burgundian given the complexity of the nose. Love it! (4068 views) | | | Tasted by Aaron066 on 6/9/2019: Didn't prepare correctly. Should have decanted much longer by a professional (3891 views) | | | Tasted by rocknroller on 4/11/2019 flawed bottle: Homage at Travail: Worthy Wines (Travial/ Faux Auriga, Mpls): Big bummer, but this was one of those no doubters. (4552 views) | | | Tasted by clayfu on 12/6/2018: weak bottle - ex domaine tho? clean beautiful cork, high fill. Just tasted of emptiness and earth. (5158 views) | | | Tasted by Triforwine on 11/30/2018 & rated 95 points: Paired with Beef tenderloin and Potato with leak and swiss casserole.
Followed by cheese tray and then Crepe Suzette.
I opened the wine at about 3pm with dinner planned for 6pm. But actually more like 6:30.
The bottle and label and capsule looked perfect and we all admired the unique shape of the wine bottle that is its characteristic as well as the beautiful label and capsule and looks more like a Burgundy bottle or more specifically an Arbois bottle. Wine was imported from Chicago and cellared since release and bought for a song (I think my dad said he paid like 6 dollars!-It’s worth more than $500 now it seems which is probably less than it was at “peak”). The cork seemed a touch soft on placing the corkscrew and the Durand slid easily and the cork came out effortlessly and was in perfect condition with less than half of the cork wine-stained and only the very bottom wet.
I decanted it and there was a HUGE amount of sediment some of which was caked right onto the neck and shoulder of the bottle. As soon as I started pouring it, I got this wiff of what smelled almost like coca-cola. I thought that was odd and was worried actually. And as we decanted and then poured a small glass right after, the color was crazy. It actually looked like iced tea or even a “long island iced tea” with a very light color brown.
I was now very worried. My wife was intrigued more than usual and immediately checked the first nose. Nods that it doesn’t have any madera odor, I check and agree, then the swirl, and the second nose erupts! Wow, so quickly. It had an incredible aroma of tobacco and again COCA-COLA and you could tell some little red fruits were trying to come through and of course the forest/mushroom that my mom immediately identified as “sous bois” and said it reminded her of “old Bordeaux” like her dad used to open when she was a kid. She had a huge smile on her face, it was obvious she liked this better than any wine so far this week. Normally she doesn’t take that much interest, but just goes along so this was noteworthy. We tasted it and again the sous bois, tobacco and subtle coca-cola flavor come through and Christine says she tastes flowers. She has an exquisite nose for flowers so I asked her “what flower” and she can’t say. As the dinner progressed, she still couldn't say but by the time we sat down to eat, this wine had completely transformed in color and was now a definite burgundy color with some orange rim. It was still light to medium weight and still translucent but definitely darker and denser and a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT COLOR. Now, the little red fruits started coming in especially in the mid palate and the finish. What I picked up was dried cranberry and perhaps hints of other dried red fruits, not smoky exactly but perhaps some subtle “cooked” fruit flavor (I mention this because some tasting notes I read mention smoke and none of us picked this up). The coca cola was less prominent and the aroma of flowers was more definite and I think maybe violet but I’m not sure, maybe forest wildflowers, whatever. The finish was remarkably long and that dried cranberry and some dried and slightly sweet fig perhaps seemed to dominate the finish with a touch of pepper and smoke and with just that lingering sense of cola and was just awesome. I doubt this wine will improve and perhaps it would have been better when a bit younger when there was more fruit but I suspect this wine still has some life in it given the long finish and the fact that it was really stable in its character for the entire 5 hours it was there. I guess the experts would say this wine is “tertiary” at this point. I asked my dad if I could take one and he said yes as long as I don’t open it for anyone that can’t appreciate it. He doesn’t have to worry about that.
Anyway, this wine was an absolute treat and the meal was probably my favorite so this was the highlight of the week for me in terms of the dining and wining.
95 (967 views) | | | Tasted by JonnyG on 11/15/2018 & rated 97 points: A 40-Year Retrospective on 1978's (Los Olivos, CA): Handily outperformed expectations, and in fact was a stellar, distinguished powerhouse of a mature Bordeaux, though no other pro reviews or CT tasting notes seem to be so effusive. Classic cigar box nose, with plenty of effusive tar and smoke. Robust, layered red fruit on the palate, along with some earthy tones, more tobacco and forest floor, all laced with a smokiness I found very appealing. (3191 views) | | | Tasted by Aleks Che on 7/24/2018 & rated 98 points: CHE98 Thin dry berries, smoke, light cocoa. Incredible deep and harmonious. (3133 views) | | | Tasted by souleillou on 6/11/2018: Robe tuilée, pigments intense, beaucoup de gras sur les parois ; Bouquet très expressif de moka, de vieilles prunes en fût, bing cherry jam, earthy/pierreux and tobacco; great follow through on the palate, admirable de plénitude, de complexité et de souplesse à la ‘rive droite’; extrême longueur en bouche, vin de grande classe dont chaque gorgée en appelle une autre. Bouteille de qualité extraordinaire. (3364 views) | | | Tasted by IJC on 12/28/2017: From a vintage that was deemed a miracle (late summer sun saved the season), this bottle was offered to me blind, decanted 30+ minutes earlier. Bricking at the meniscus and the strong scent of autumn leaves, confirmed by the taste - notes of pepper, tobacco, charred fruit, a touch of citron - lead me to think it might be an aged Nebbiolo.
With time in the glass, there were subtle changes in the aroma and in the mouth - a softness and the delicate veil of perfume that only comes with greatly aged wines - sous bois, flashes of once impenetrably dense fruit now rendered translucent, allowing me to see (and taste) something closely guarded for 30 years. What a treat!
Rated 2 on a scale of -1 to 3. (4201 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 12/26/2017 & rated 90 points: You need to be a big of tobacco, cigar box, tar and smoke to dig this wine. But if you like that, and I do, as you look into the wine further, you find earthy, tobacco coated, red berries, earth, and forest notes. There is more to like on the mostly secondary nose, than on the palate, which is short and a little green in the finish. This is not a wine to hold, as I suspect more of the fruit will fade sooner than later. (4911 views) | | | Tasted by mr_swirl on 12/24/2017 & rated 90 points: Good surprise, didn’t expect this wine to have this smooth complexity, although not much fruit left it is still enjoyable and perfumed. Not a good vintage for HB (1784 views) | | | Tasted by Mr Barsac on 10/18/2017 & rated 95 points: A little cloudy but otherwise in good drinking condition. Brick red. First pour, straight out of the bottle, provided remarkable bouquet instantly. Strong smoky, cigar box aromas but with a hit of violet. Medium-bodied palate was beautifully balanced: minimal tannin, dried fig sweetness and enough red fruit acidity and notes of green bell pepper to keep it fresh. Intense tertiary layers of smoke and damp newspaper. Immeasurably long cigar-box finish.
Drinking beautifully now - personally wouldn't wait any longer although suspect it could comfortably last another 5 years.
[Drunk at 67 Pall Mall, decanted for <5 minutes to filter sediment.] (4163 views) | | | Tasted by sphBacchus on 7/11/2017 & rated 93 points: bricking and beginning to show its age but still a very good Haut Brion . Oh the delights of an aged good 1st growth . (4363 views) | | | Tasted by Ary on 4/8/2017 & rated 91 points: Haut-Brion Vertical (semi-blind tasting) (Amsterdam Wijn Antiquariaat): Fully mature, good but fairly light. Orange-brick color. Tea leaves, tobacco, iron and a sweet note in the nose. Light and elegant on the palate with good complexity but missing delineation. (5079 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Château Haut-Brion Producer website - Read more about Chateau Haut BrionRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanGraves Vins de Graves (Conseil des Vins de Graves) - Read more about Pessac Leogan Graves and its winesPessac-Léognan Pessac-Leognan reds:
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Soil: Predominantly gravel and sandy rock, with varying proportions of clay and sandstone
Surface Area: 1,491 ha
Pessac-Leognan whites:
Grape Varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon
Soil: Gravel and rocks covered with sand, sandstone, and clay
Surface Area: 275 ha |
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