Reductive nose that is actually reminiscent of Montrachet. Lemon curd. Lovely smoke. Lemon pith and bright acid. The smoked beeswax is very unique. Fresh and bright. Pale gold in the glass. Highly complex and intriguing. Still some green apple high acid.
Ripe apricot on he nose. Immediately reminiscent of Yquem. Waxy honey. Sharp. Vibrant and highly showy. Developed apricot palate. Candied fruit. Whereas the ‘81 was decidedly savory this is quite sweet. Delicious, but definitely the most Sauterne-like of the bunch.
Beeswax, honeycomb, hint of marzipan. Great smoke. Lemon curd in the palate. Green and yellow apple. Bone dry. The ‘52, ‘48, ‘42 flight is very strong.
Vibrant and expansive nose that stands out from the rest of the flight. Apricot and mango. Highly expressive. Really something unique. Smoky beeswax and candle wick. The fruit is still quite tropical. Lush and mouth coating palate. Bone dry. The richness and finish is reminiscent of top Montrachets, but with a distinct smoke. The ‘52, ‘48, ‘42 flight is very strong.
Not quite as massive and showy as the nose on the ‘48, but still beautiful honey and apricot. Indian spice and saffron on this one. Persistent finish. The ‘52, ‘48, ‘42 flight is very strong.
Also highly expressive, fresh tropical fruit, quite reductive and reminiscent of some of the smokier Coche bottles. Ginger. Close call between the ‘89 and ‘90, neck and neck and very comparable. On the palate the ‘89 is superior with deeper fruit and better structure.
Great nose, but just a hair short of the ‘90 in the next glass. Similarly reductive with nice tropical fruit. Lush and rich on the palate. Palate is superior here with deep flavour and solid structure. Close call between the ‘89 and ‘90, neck and neck and very comparable.
Ginger. Saffron. Overripe tropical fruit; mango. Some smoky beeswax. Big sulphur and reduction. I wasn't as impressed by the '59 as most people and preferred the '52.
The colour initially fools you as this is a bit dark, but the nose here is incredibly fresh and pure with apricot and honey. Peach. Beautiful. A lovely brioche toast here too. Sharp honey. I found this pretty comparable to the '48, which most of the group found decidedly superior. This has another level of energy and vibrancy over the ‘48, if a gear less rich and dense.
1992 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Beeswax, smoke, lemon curd. Smells amazing but the palate is actually a little thin. Apricot. Oxidative. Tangerine.
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1981 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Reductive nose that is actually reminiscent of Montrachet. Lemon curd. Lovely smoke. Lemon pith and bright acid. The smoked beeswax is very unique. Fresh and bright. Pale gold in the glass. Highly complex and intriguing. Still some green apple high acid.
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1976 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Ripe apricot on he nose. Immediately reminiscent of Yquem. Waxy honey. Sharp. Vibrant and highly showy. Developed apricot palate. Candied fruit. Whereas the ‘81 was decidedly savory this is quite sweet. Delicious, but definitely the most Sauterne-like of the bunch.
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1970 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc Flawed
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Burnt, toasty, coffee. Flawed.
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1952 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Beeswax, honeycomb, hint of marzipan. Great smoke. Lemon curd in the palate. Green and yellow apple. Bone dry. The ‘52, ‘48, ‘42 flight is very strong.
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1948 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Vibrant and expansive nose that stands out from the rest of the flight. Apricot and mango. Highly expressive. Really something unique. Smoky beeswax and candle wick. The fruit is still quite tropical. Lush and mouth coating palate. Bone dry. The richness and finish is reminiscent of top Montrachets, but with a distinct smoke. The ‘52, ‘48, ‘42 flight is very strong.
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1942 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Not quite as massive and showy as the nose on the ‘48, but still beautiful honey and apricot. Indian spice and saffron on this one. Persistent finish. The ‘52, ‘48, ‘42 flight is very strong.
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1990 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Also highly expressive, fresh tropical fruit, quite reductive and reminiscent of some of the smokier Coche bottles. Ginger. Close call between the ‘89 and ‘90, neck and neck and very comparable. On the palate the ‘89 is superior with deeper fruit and better structure.
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1989 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Great nose, but just a hair short of the ‘90 in the next glass. Similarly reductive with nice tropical fruit. Lush and rich on the palate. Palate is superior here with deep flavour and solid structure. Close call between the ‘89 and ‘90, neck and neck and very comparable.
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1959 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Ginger. Saffron. Overripe tropical fruit; mango. Some smoky beeswax. Big sulphur and reduction. I wasn't as impressed by the '59 as most people and preferred the '52.
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1947 Château Laville Haut-Brion Blanc 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
The colour initially fools you as this is a bit dark, but the nose here is incredibly fresh and pure with apricot and honey. Peach. Beautiful. A lovely brioche toast here too. Sharp honey. I found this pretty comparable to the '48, which most of the group found decidedly superior. This has another level of energy and vibrancy over the ‘48, if a gear less rich and dense.
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