1996 Haut Brion – if you think it was just Cabernet Sauvignon that thrived in the ’96 vintage, think again. This wine which is 50% Merlot, 39% Cab Sauv and 11% Cab Franc was simply outstanding with incredible depth and that classic smoky complexity that only Haut Brion can show. It was deep, dark and mysterious and still quite youthful but with time in the glass it showed it’s first-growth pedigree with fabulous balance and an effortless breed and class. A totally underrated vintage of Haut Brion from a top-notch bottle. 97+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still powerful. Strong graphite, cedar, tobacco to start. After a couple hours some more fruit showed through, but more body, grip, and concentration than the 1995 Latour we had alongside it. However, it was a bit one note at first, so maybe it needs a bit more time to show more balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderful depth, length and complexity. Great blackcurrant and blackberry fruit. Cedar notes, along with some spice and underbrush. Good structure, now integrated. Very long and complex. Drinking beautifully now, will endure another decade and more.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The first glass offered notes of dry leaves, leather, bacon, smoke and cola. Then fruit started to appear after 1h: dried strawberry and cherry. Little by little dark fruit is taking over with blackberry and cassis, and vanilla, crushed gravel and sage. The wine tastes younger and younger! Mouth follows the same evolution. A lot of umami there: soy sauce, game meat dominate at first but then leave space to potpourri, violet, dried fruit. Fresh acidity, plush texture. Long finish
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
96+ Decanted 3 hours, drank over next 2 hrs. . Relatively quiet nose, floral notes with dried flowers, black cherry and forest floor. Medium weight palate of tart cherry, minerality with a long, fine tannin finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop n pour. Still quite young with powerful fruit and still gritty structure. A classic vintage that feels just short of peak drinking. Hold or give it a few hours in the decanter.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I’ve been on the fence about opening this for the last few months but Jeff Leve’s note last weekend convinced me to check in and I am glad I did. Gave this a three hour decant and had it with Flannery ribeyes, which were a great match. For me this is a step behind the 98 but ahead of the 95 which reflects the slightly awkward nature of that vintage. Sweet red fruits but with a smoky and savory note on the palate, the length stands out here as does the fullness in the mouth. Agree with the view that this is now ready to go but a couple hours in a decanter are really essential for this to unfurl.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Think of black currants, cigar wrappers, and cigar smoke coming on strong, and you get the idea. Medium-bodied, and elegant, this is a wine of finesse over power, with a finish that mirrors the nose, with its tobacco-stained, currant profile with a sprig of spearmint that comes in at the backend of the mildly chewy endnote. 2 hours in the decanter was exactly what the doctor ordered. Drink from 2023-2045.
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Papies at 30 (The Waterside Inn): Decanted and served after 30 minutes. Of course a very elegant wine and true tot he pedigree. The nose dominated the experience though and the palate fails to follow and indeed has this harshness of the 1996 tannic structure on the finish that sort of spoils the beautiful salvo of aroma that the nose sends. Leather, cedar, earthy, well mature but still with life on the nose. Palate does not follow to this level and is an outlier vs the other Top end wines who seems to have become softer and almost Burgundian. Still an impressive 94 but a lowdown given the pedigree and vintage.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not sure if this bottle had some issues or if this wine is in transition, but this was disappointing. Will wait another year before opening the next bottle.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark in a glass, salient hints of tobacco tar and wet fallen leaves and at the nose. I wondered where the hint of cabernet sauvignon was. With a few exceptional years, Haut-Brion had merlot-rich blending, not cabernet-rich one; In 1996, the blending was 50% merlot, 49% cabernet sauvignon, and 11% cabernet franc. This one was quite lucky yesterday because Haut-Brion 96 was matched with Calon-Segur 2005 and Leoville-Poyferre 2005. Without surprise, Haut-Brion 1996 was better than others.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Commanderie de Bordeaux MN: First Growths at Demi (Demi, Mpls): Very dark red color. Double decanted and corked, drank a glass 4 hours later. Cigar, dried earth, green wood, a little creosote, cassis on the nose. The palate shows layers of cassis, spice, cigar, lacquer, and anise. Not as good as a bottle a year ago; it didn't really seem to improve much in glass, and maybe it was just a bit off.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chateau Haut Brion 1996 ボルドー一級シャトー。素晴らしいワインのはずだが、個人的に全く良いと思えなかった。 枯草、アスファルトやコピー用紙の様な香りが邪魔になるくらい強く、かなりネガティヴな印象。 味もピークアウトしているのか、厚み/複雑味/余韻の全てが残念。 他のヴィンテージの素晴らしさを知っているため、悲しい気分になる。 A first class Bordeaux chateau. It is supposed to be a great wine, but I personally did not find it good at all. The aromas like dead grass, asphalt and copy paper were so strong that they were disturbing and quite negative. The flavors are also peaked out, and the thickness/complexity/lasting aftertaste is all disappointing. I feel sad because I know how great the other vintages were.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A bit austere and tannic, keeping with the vintage. Decent density but not sweet. Tobacco and leafy in spades, a touch of saddle leather, cassis and tart berry fruit.
This is a solid and rich Bordeaux, but it lacked finesse and never really blossomed into anything interesting, even after long decant. It has the density and tannins to age further. Whether it picks up a tertiary nuance that delights is a separate matter. I have one more bottle that I’ll keep for another decade.
I expect First Growths to blow me out of the water. This did not.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Elegant and refined with dark cherry, smoke, tobacco, and cedar. Medium bodied with regal, resolving tannins. Ready to drink but I think this would have blossomed even further with more time in the decanter. Great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mainly Bordeaux at Victuals: This was so tannic like a brick wall that 1995/96 was quite an easy guess. Despite the imposing stucture it showed an aristocratic touch, the wine was so finely poised with blueberry fruit and old-school Bordeaux cedar flavours. My first HB and it didn't disappoint, WOTN for me.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Exuding aromas of cedar, beef fat, black currants. Super tight and concentrated even after several hours in a decanter. Finishes with tons of cigar tobacco, herbs and black pepper. Monumental, but will be better in a decade.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Quick double decant then pour. Exceptional. Earthy Bordeaux nose, assertive tannins, nice acidity, tart berries and exotic spice. Beautiful, mature Bordeaux in a great drinking window.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very tight and tannic when opened Decanted for 2 hour and started to see the potential of this wine Over the next hour the tannins softened revealing classic Bordeaux cedar, leather, nice fruity with good structure
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened and double decanted for about 3+ hours before drinking. Mellow beautiful wine. Colour was deep red and still perfect. Nose gentle. Tannins are there.. Soft after taste
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
1996 Haut Brion - Both on the nose and on the palate, the 96 HB presents itself rather buttoned up and demands a lot of aeration. Compared to the 96 La Mission, the HB is much more concentrated, tighter and more intense. The wine offers a cool, compact, but also aristocratic aroma. Very dark and firm on the nose. Dark black fruits, black olives, bay leaf. Firm structure, medium+ body, medium+ acidity, the tannins are noble and at the same time punchy. The wine still seems young, but without the childlike fruitiness. I wouldn't touch another bottle currently, better put away for another 5-10 years. 94++/ 2027-2045
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for two hours and served with dinner (prime dry aged NY strip), which was a nice compliment to the food. However, if I had to do it again, I would have had this wine completely by itself to give it the respect it deserved. While there is a ton going on in the glass it is still only at the early maturity phase of evolution. This wine can last at least another 30+ years as it has the stuffing to be cellar worthy. Loads of black fruits, black licorice, tobacco, tar, and smoke. Wonderful nose and a finish that is silky smooth. It has a great texture on the finish that coats the palate with velvet. While not tasted side by side, I would give the edge to the ‘95 HB only because it is a more seamless and balanced wine. It also depends on what you prefer. ‘95 HB is a more finessed femanine red fruit dominated wine and the ‘96 is a more brawny, masculine black fruit dominated wine. I love both, but I respect the ‘95 slightly more.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose showed lots of gravel and earth, with dark fruit, leather and tar, later giving way to whiffs of perfumed lavender.
Palate showed plenty of earth and gravel but balanced out with dark fruit (cassis, blackberry and black currants) with old leather and tar notes, and a touch of old oak. The mouthfeel was silky with very fine tannins and just enough acidity to show off the fruit.
This wine was in a perfect place for my palate. Others thought it had lots of life left, but I think it is at its peak, especially if you enjoy a nice balance of fruit and tertiary flavors. Easy 96 for me, and offering a pretty darn good value even at todays prices, especially for those seeking immediate gratification.
Bordeaux and Sushi (Billy Sushi, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color with a 7mm bricked transition and a 2mm clear edge. Splash double decanted with additional slow-O time. Drank a glass over 90 minutes. A suave and elegant Haut-Brion showing a perfumed nose with cigar ash, cassis, cherry, pencil, smoke, scorched earth, and dried leaves. The palate really shows that harmony with a silken texture and mix of plush tannins, medium full body, lovely fruit with cassis, blackberry liqueur and plum, cigar, pencil, and lacquer. One of those wines that is just so easy to fall in love with. Drink or hold.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
We drank it a bit too warm, but here again an astonishing balance and equilibrium of the wine where the nose and mouth did show some age, but nothing was unpleasant or already fleeting! Nicely round, you could smell and taste a warm year, alcohol was still present in a pleasant way, tobacco, leather in the nose, it was for a long time the best wine of the evening compared to mouton 22 and haut-brion 2005,
De Haut Brion 1996 90/100..? , which by the way was overripe and had plums in the nose ! Wonder if it was the wine or the cellar that decided it so… Disappointed ,
Mouton 2022 : 92/100 . Mouton had a very nice nose with mint and eucalyptus again, but the mouth had too much acidity! Really out of balance! Maybe with age he would come into balance even more, but then the nose can also disappear,
Petrus 1995 : 99/100 And then came the surprise , we thought we were on 90 or 98 , warmth in the nose , I hadn't smelled the merlot and thought we were on cabernet ! strange, this got better over time, my neighbor had smelled Merlot and Pumpkin ! strong ! What I sometimes have with Petrus is that power sometimes too much; but that was not present here, what a balance, what finesse, what a wine! in the nose it had smoked meat, leather and still some dark fruit, but nothing that made the wine unstable , why I was on cabernet was because of the finesse, and the wine was again long…on the mouth, what a beauty ! !
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The wine looks ruby colored. It smells like blackberry, black currant (cassis), prune, forest floor, cedar, clove and nutmeg. It tastes like blackberry, prune, mushroom, toast, nutmeg, clove and chocolate. The body is medium. The wine has satin-like texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
At Momofuku Ssam Bar NYC. Second of the night only to the incomparable Leroy. 2 hours in decanter revealed integrated spices, a pleasant and aromatic nose, palate of smoky tobacco and currants, and 60+ second finish. Drinking at absolute peak. Magical.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Quite backward and for the first few hours difficult to enjoy. We loosely corked it and drank it the next night and then we had a true Haut Brion. A solid mid level HB, classic flavors, full bodied, although it was a little lacking mid-palate and the finish came up a little short. We drank it next to the 85 Cos, which also needed a night to open up. I must say the Cos was a notably more delicious and complete wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hard to assess this bottle. 25 years old and seems to be in a dumb phase. Almost purple color, tannic, shut down. It may be amazing but this bottle needed another 20 years for sure. It was a bottle in absolutely perfect condition so perhaps that’s why. Leaving the rest in bottle tonight so we’ll see tomorrow
Last bottle. I have always favoured this Haut brion over the 1995 and this is no exception. Wondeful deep and complex, very Pessac, probably now at its very peak, very lively. Up there with the 1998 which is a truly great HB as well. The 1996 is a truly aristocratic and broad scaled wine, classic.
Having said that the Vega Sicilia Unico 1994 next to it made me order more of the Unico right away as its intensity and beguiling exotic depth simply is to die for.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very good but not great. Slight touch of brett and mustiness when opened, most of which blew off with air. Good weight and concentration, classic Bordeaux profile. Black fruits, still young and primary, limited tertiary notes. This wine disappointed and I guess has not yet unfurled into middle age but has lost the exuberance of youth. I think I will leave the remaining bottles for another 10 years. The finish was quite long and there is some complexity. Can be drunk now but perhaps best left for another 10 years.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bucket Club Dinner (Bronte, Sydney): deep dark red colour. damson and violet floral notes above the cassis, mulberry and tar spice. silky but finishing with powerful but very refined tannins. lovely rich dark berries, mulberry and tar spice, hint of sherbet zest.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Elegant, refined, smoky, tobacco and campfire ember packed medium-bodied wine which provides the perfect backdrop for all the sweet, fresh, spicy red berries, tobacco leaf, and cigar wrapper. Soft, silky, and ready to go, this does not require much if any air.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A wonderful bottle with a nose for the ages. All the tobacco, gravel and cassis fruit one could ever want. A wonderful sweetness that just put it over the top. The palate was wonderful but a little less perfect - a touch more austere than the nose suggested. I have had better bottles of this wine but boy was this a winner. In prime drinking window but should stay for at least another 10 or 15 years. (94)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not blind A friend guessed California because of the fresh and concentrated fruit. Decanted for 2 hours. A very good representative bordeaux of 1996. the pencil is in the background but gives the counterpart to the hedonistic style. I like 1996. A modern style but with great depth. Fun to drink in this early stage. 95-96
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
If I had to use one sentence to describe this wine, it would be “extremely well balanced”: the diverse aromas and flavors that include tobacco, spices, black and ripe-red berries, while clearly recognizable, are all in a perfect balance with each other and the silky structure. Fully developed front- and mid-palates are complete with a long finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Special wine in a 6 wine lineup of 1996 blind. This was my favorite. Elegant, beautiful with soft merlot fruit and integrated tannins. Great depth and complexity. Classic right bank jewel
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Enjoyable but no fireworks. Tasty, lovely, slightly sedate old gal, with nice earthy tones, and attractive savoury / saline character. I'll save my other two for another 5-10 years to see how things unfold - but if you don't own this wine I wouldn't rush out and seek it out, despite 96 being a great year, HB doesn't seem to be firing.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
1st of 6, opened 3 hours, decanted one, perfect cork and level - darkish, not dense ruby, surprisingly little rim development; hugely impressive, classy, nuanced bouquet showing Margaux like violet, some smoke but little brick and tar, in fact closer to Medoc flavour profile than usual Graves notes if with touch more minerality; fullish, outstanding length, persistence and concentration, nice acidic lift adding to fine balance, everything in place and unforced, but more backward than suggested by bouquet, early days with long life ahead. VF+ (19)........if not quite up to the magical 89, vieing with 98 as wine of decade (pace fine 95 and 90) and on this form should give other prem crus in 96 strong competition in this very top vintage!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
45th Bday 1934-1999. When Diamond Creek is weakest of the night (Zoom): Shows a Classic Haut Brion profile. Others likes this more than I . Smokey gravel, currant, dark cherries ,tobacco and after a while a little reductive. The palate is pretty fleshy for. 96. More weight than I suspected. Everyone was more enamored with this than I was. Oddly, it showed better than the 98 HB, but IMO was nonwhere near the 96 Margaux.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The palate begins with a very fine touch. Then the wine rises in power, it imposes itself in the mouth, it is growing, like a climb of stairs. We have a beautiful substance, whatever a fair amount for a GCC, but the explosion of spices in the mouth very quickly masks this lack. The texture then emerges with an excellent balance, it's totally on point. Then comes the finish which really explodes on tobacco and spices, it is very intense and of admirable length.
Excellent
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Far, far, far away from anything you can call ready. This is way too young and needs a lot of time. We opened this too early. It was delicious but not up to where I think this wine will go. Hazlenut, chocolate, mushrooms, malt, tobacco, leather and pencil shavings. Still only medium weight on the palate with grippy acidity and tannin structure.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A beautiful vintage for Haut-Brion that continues getting better with age. The aromatics shine due to all the smoke, burning ember, dark red berry, crushed stone and tobacco wrapper notes. The full-bodied, concentrated, richly textured palate steals the show. Lush, refined, concentrated, deep and long, the fruit simply cascades across your palate. The stunner is showing great today with an hour of air. But if you can wait just another 3-5 years, it is going to be even better!
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The best value First Growth Bordeaux by far is Haut Brion, high-toned aromatics of earthy leather and gravel. This 1996 is in its drinking window - High-toned aromatics with a smooth array of oak smoked blackberries, gravel, game and cedar. This showed more characteristics than the 1996 Mouton next to it. Lovely nuances. (90/100)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Double-decanted 4 hours before consumption and tasted alongside the '95. Very interesting to taste these side by side as the vintage differences are quite apparent with the '96 the finer wine but the '95 more decadent and voluminous. The '96 was quite chiseled with firm but perfectly ripe tannins and lots of smoky leather and tobacco flavors. The finish is more complex than the '95 at this point with wonderful notes of sweet and smoky gravel, dark spices and campfire embers. Awesome but still showing fairly young and tannic. Perfect bottle at Cote, NYC. 95+
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Samped at Oinoscent, courtesy from a customer. The wine shows old school character in the nose, oak derived notes dominating at this point, sweet spices, ripe black fruit, currants and cherries, prunes, forrest floor, feels fresh for its age. The wine is very tight in the palate, the acidity is high, the flavours are again dominated by oak, sweet spices, gets more earthy with time, it almost feels up the glass. Its a shame beacuase the wine was 25min in the decanter before I tried it (which of course I'm grateful for). With time you also get sour cherry, indian spices, coffee notes. I can't possible guess how many hours this bottle needs to be decanted. The tannins are smooth, the acidity stands a bit taller than the fruit, but I can't forget that its decanted for only half an hour. After about 1.5hr the wine retains the character, the acidity is smoother, the fruit is riper but there is still a green element.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brought to Ken's for dinner. Other wines that night included a 2010 Haut Brion, a 1947 Yquem, and about another 15 wines of various vintages and quality. Truly wonderful evening.
excellent wine nice nose fruit and cedar (comparedd to the HB 98 we drank a few noght earlier with virtually no nose) took a good two hours for the wine to show its stuff, relaxed tannins Dark fruits Cedar, Tar, Tobacco a beautiful and comples wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mid brick red to browning rim A heady bouquet of stewed black & red fruit, cedarwood, undergrowth and spices. As the wine opens seems more raspberry, cigar and black cherry. It was quite tight on the front palate but as it opened in the decanter started to shine with far more expressive flavours of forest fruits, blackcurrant, spice, and a mineral or stone element - also pratty putty. With excellent depth and length to the mid-palate, the wine is well-balanced with a bright acidity. There is a sweetness to the wine, yet the finish wraps up dry and long and utterly gratifying.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A very nice vintage of Haut Brion, and we liked it very much. But not surprisingly, this is very early days for this vintage and I'd drink other 90's vintages first and let this cellar a while longer (even the 95).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour. After 2 hours this was damn near perfect. Gorgeous red fruited nose with graphite and cedar. Elegant palate with perfect balance, mid palate grip and silky tannins. Gorgeous.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opening act from Bordeaux on Rhône blind tasting night: First HB ever - Nose of black fruits, spices, peppers, old textbook. Palate of black fruits, red fruits, berries, violets, spices, herbs, peppers, with a smoky, tobacco and bell peppers finish. This is lively with nice acidity and remains youthful with quite a bit of tannins still. Some decanting will do this good. Ok to open now but should improve with more time. Good stuff.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
BBQ and Top Shelf Vino (Chez Moll): Blind. Youthful dense aromas of plum fruit, cigar and bell pepper. Rich and concentrated fruit paired with still gritty tannin. Excellent balance and tension. Layered with bell pepper, pencil shavings, and tobacco for days. An interesting contrast to the 80s Bordeaux. Clearly more rich and powerful. This is in an early drinking window and can go for decades.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Saturday BBQ (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. The tannic grip here seemed to be a little looser than the 1996 vintage would imply, so I actually guessed that this was a 1995. As far as commune, I picked up far more lead pencil and dark fruit and went to Paulliac -- my actual guess was 1995 Latour. At least I got the pedigree right. This was very impressive but unfortunately slightly overshadowed by some of the other Bordeaux on the table tonight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a very good wine, and a superb Haut Brion that continues stubbornly hanging on to its youth. After 90 minutes in the decanter, the tannins subsided and the wine popped with its tar, tobacco, smoke and dark red berry nose. Full-bodied, concentrated, regal and with some tannin needing to be resolved, give this until 2025 and you will have a fabulous drinking experience in your glass.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted the 1996 Haut Brion before but never as outstanding as this bottle. Bottles and our moods make for an always different experience. Now fully mature but with substantial staying power.
This time an absolutely excellent experience. This Haut-Brion is rich, with depth, it beats many other vintages like 1995 and 2001. Equal to the 1998 this time. Strawberry, with tantalizing depths of red fruit, a smorgasboard or summer fruit but with enough freshness to make it a classic beauty. A masculine base of remarkably beautiful tannins. Very Good length with lingering aftertaste of more than a minute. Very very nice. Drinking this makes you realize what a Premier Cru really is about.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted blind. classic left bank earthiness and smoke – Delicious – mix of dark fruit and dried plum. balanced and slight hint of sweetness. Tertiary leather. Class of the line up tonight
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted nearly two hours. Opaque, deep red. Forward black current, blueberry and tobacco nose. Intense, focused palate from the front to back; it does not miss a beat. Tannins notable but in balance. Long. Enjoyable now but decades left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Vinetasters: Pessac-Léognan (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. Good red fruit elements here, with some nice graphite intensity. Fairly classic, with a mild dose of pyrazine. The palate is quite ripe but nicely balanced. Still quite young, this needs a bit more time to resolve, especially with the tannins being as grippy as they are. Nonetheless, a very compelling example, which clearly was classic Bordeaux from the moment your nose went into the glass. My 1st, group's 1st.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2019 New Years Day Tasting (Milton, GA): Very dark core, cloudy with garnet rim; musk, deep nose, cigar, green edge, wet earth, almost Mexican chocolate, slight jam, deep, serious, tannic, a bit cooked in its fruit profile, holly, black and red currant, dense mid and 1st growth richness; called '99 Mouton.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From Magnum. Decanted at least 3 hours. Beautiful and just in it’s early drinking good window as there still some tannin here but this wine definitely showed up to play. Classic HB flavor profile with a sweet attack, excellent balance, and a seriously long finish. Beautiful Bordeaux.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened an hour before dinner and decanted shortly before drinking. Beautiful nose of red and black fruits plus a little old leather. Not quite as complex as a 1998 Lafite drunk alongside, but a great bottle in its drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fabulous - even in magnum this is basically ready (early maturity) and shows a completely classic HB profile full of black cherry, wood smoke, refined oak, and mineral. So succulent, refreshing really. 95-96
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is in a lovely place. Dark colour, intoxicating aromas of tobacco, cedar, black fruits, lead pencil, rain on hot rocks. On the palate, focused fruit with impeccable balance. Brilliant. Drink now with a good decant, or anytime in the next 10 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Quite an open bouquet; the palate has elegant, blackcurrant fruit; medium weight with some fine-grained tannin still evident, and a gravelly texture. Certainly stylish, a little restrained, but beginning to develop into a fine example.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Best wine I have had in a while. Still had fruit, but also lots of mushroom, earth, and damp cedar that were beguiling. Was surprised at how delicate this was; lost some of the nuances when paired with some charcuterie.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Semiblind Haut Brion Tasting (Guido's Cellar): Sehr spannende semiblinde Haut Brion – Probe in sehr geselliger Runde mit tollem Gastgeber und einer sehr leckeren Forellen-Tarte. Alle Flaschen wurden zwischen 0,5-3 Stunden doppelt dekantiert. Was die Treffgenauigkeit der Jahrgänge betraf, ist noch deutlich Luft nach oben. Interessant war, dass die Differenz in den Bewertungen (6 Trinker) bei fast allen Weinen maximal im 2-Punkte-Bereich lagen. Es wurde eine Flasche nach der anderen getrunken. Keine Flights. Keine fehlerhaften Weine.
Noch Cassis geprägt mit einer Prise Zigarrenkiste. Dazu etwas Leder und Pfeffer. Braucht Luft. Erneut 1995 getippt. 94P
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Overall, a ighter renditcion of CHB. Some tertiary aromas and typical hints of menthol and dried herbs, with caramel/oak. Palate was very drinkable in an elegant way. Fully mature and should be drunk now, unless you have a magnum. Would have guessed as an Haut Brion from the eighties?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Solid pleasurable drinking, but young and intense still. Haut Brion soul is just beginning to come through, but too much stuffing to show all of its layers and nuance tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened at White's in London. 1996 First Growth Dinner.
For some reason, having had 1996 HB a few times, I just don't feel like this vintage has lived up to its potential. This was good but not great, and overshadowed by the wines we had following this in the line-up. Distinctly HB with the smokiness, but nothing amazing.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was definitely an off-bottle, though it wasn't tainted. It was certainly too advanced for a 1996. The aromatics showed off cassis, earth, damp leather, and library book. It lacked overall complexity on the palate, but had a nice fresh finish. Tannins were also in check. Again, not a good representative of 1996 Haut-Brion.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mivvy Back in Town: Blind. Stalk and herb with menthol, sweet blackberry and blackcurrant and some tobacco based smoky notes. Good mix of sweet fruit as well as herbal and savoury notes on the palate, there is good flow and the fine tannins provide very good structure. Bordeaux the obvious choice when picking it blind. Really nice, but I preferred the 1996 Margaux next to it. Drinking pretty well now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 2 hours. Dark purple, with black fruit, a hints of tobacco. Somewhat closed at 2 hr mark but continued to improve in glass / throughout the meal. Lots of power, and layers of complexity. Well balanced.
Just entering drinking window, but certainly a delicious treat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From magnum (thanks Roy!). Perfection achieved, once again. This wine is creamy and generous, is big and elegant, is powerfull and smooth. Has a 50 seconds after taste. Beautiful colour with perfect balance. Tobaco, pipe, rasberry, mokka, roasted vanilla. Table agreed this was by far best of the flight. Not in a hurry to consume, but brilliant right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Quite dense, with blackcurrant fruit and a touch of mint; elegant, with a rather dry, tannic finish. This seems less harmonious than earlier bottles, and is perhaps in a dull phase. Try again in a few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Haut-Brion Vertical (semi-blind tasting) (Amsterdam Wijn Antiquariaat): Superb Haut Brion, a long distance runner with excellent delineation. On the palate powerful, complex and elegant with thick ripe black fruits, tar and eucalyptus notes. Long and fresh with loads of tannin. Still quite young, try again in 5 years - 96+ points.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Second time tasting the hb. Its completely shut down. What you can taste is the elegance and power of the wine. Its very structured with a long finish. It needs a lot more time to be ready. I still like the 95 Haut Brion more.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drack från magnum. Underbar doft med mörk mogen frukt, stendamm, tobak, tjära, höstskog, menthol, cigarrlåda och viss blommighet. Underbar balans med söt och fräsch koncentrerad frukt, eleganta men påtagliga tanniner, underbar frisk syra.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Super Bowl 2017 (Alpharetta, GA): Darker core with reddish brick rim; stank, new oak, currants, white chocolate, slight medicinal; oak, red fruit, great mid palate density; delicious, very drinkable, still youthful and undelineated.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ad Hoc Tasting (Chez Moi): This wine is singing. Dark colour, intoxicating aromas of tobacco, cedar, black fruits, lead pencil, rain on hot rocks. On the palate, focused fruit with impeccable balance. Brilliant. Drink now with a good decant, or anytime in the next 10 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Holiday dinner organized by Ken Brown with many great wines! (Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C.): 1996 is very well known for excellent wines from the Medoc but not so much necessarily for the Graves region. And yet Haut Brion excelled in this vintage, as we experienced tonight. Not as substantial as the 1998, the 1996 however offers such clean precision and clarity of fruit. It has a misleadingly high toned feel - at first. But the overall feel is one of refined excellence and full body that does not seem so at first. By the time you finish your sip, the echoing finish reassures your senses that this damn wine is frigging seriously delicious in a subtle and elegant manner. Bravo!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Walk in the forest, light cigar, wet pine trees and forest floor with just ripe cassis and black fruits; medium full body but still nicely balanced, excellent concentration, tannins, lift, body, alcohol--all in superb balance. Nice long finish. Great wine. Still young.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This particular bottle was the best example of this wine I have ever tasted! Double decanted about 4 hours or more, this really grabbed me in all the right ways, and in all the best places. Picture a dark chocolate covered cigar, with smoked cherries, tar, leather and cigar box aromatics. Full bodied, concentrated, long and fresh with this beautiful, sweetness and purity of cherry fruits and cassis. The texture was silky, lush and with a bit of tannic bite, paired with crunchy, berries in the long finish. This felt as good as it tasted. It is worth popping a cork now, if you have a bottle and if you wait, this will be even better with another 5-10 years in the bottle.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Yep - not ready. lovely aromatics on the nose but the palate is still fairly tightly wound. This was opened about three hours before a decant, which in turn was 90 minutes before serving. Interesting to check in on but the rest will be left alone for a while.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A fairly deep colour; elegant, quite full and ample, with some discreet tannin. Mature but still lively. Should keep well for 5 to 10 years. Very fine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Château Haut-Brion Vertical (Bouley): Becoming very automatically expressive with dried rosy notes above maturing red berry fruit. Menthol, red cedar, cigar box, and spices coming through nicely. Perfumed. Dark and dense in the palate with brooding black currant fruit. Not wound up but very dense. Loads of flavour here. Big finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
At the current price point, one would expect the wine to deliver. It did. Ex-chateau that was purchased about 5+ years ago. Color was Burgundian from a warm vintage. It wasn't opaquely dark and brooding. Pop and poured. Aromas of baked raspberries, pink roses, and then cedar, woodsy element with darker fruit. The palate was soft and delicate initially then gained some weight over time with the tannins making their presence known. Still young and should still improve with more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not enough aeration. A lot of oak and black fruit on the nose. The palate has more structure and depth than the 95 on the side but its still too young and primary. It will outperform the 95 in the long haul but it needs a lot more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A special wine for a special night. Maybe the occasion added to the enjoyment but gosh, this is a heck of a wine. Perfect balance of tobacco leaf, beef marrow and red fruit. Integrated, silky palate that has verve but is in no way intrusive. Long with a terrific feel in the mouth. Should last for ages on balance but absolutely fine to drink now. Became a bit timid with an hour of air and then opened again 90 minutes later. A great wine in early adulthood. Another example why this is my favorite Bordeaux chateau. (97)
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Quite mature bouquet with chocolate, soy, but also luxurious oak, tobacco and earth. On the palate juicy dark forest fruits, chocolate, some celery and minerals. Ok acidity and tannin. Very good wine, but my personal impression is that the wine is not showing as it should. Very beautiful alright, but too mature. No score; need to taste again…
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Outstanding bottle. Modest double decant and then drunk over several hours. Wine is fully resolved and firing on all cylinders. Lovely lovely wine and well worth the price of admission when bought. Today, that is a different matter.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
When first tasted from Riedal Bordeaux Somm glass, it was too tight, too constricted. So then tried from a Zalto Bordeaux glass. excellent! i was shocked at how much better it presented. i normally prefer wines in Big Bordeaux Somm glasses however for this wine, for this time, the Zalto was clearly better.
This went long and deep to the end zone. Not decanted, and not sure why not. Nevertheless, I'll go out on a limb and call this a perfect bottle allowing the juice to rival the 1998. Not certain how other bottles might stack up to this beauty. Not much tannin here, just a beautiful integration with the fruit. Silky smooth and a very long finish. I thought it was delicious. So how long to age? I don't see it going 50 years because there was already so much tannin resolution. Well stored/cared for bottles like this could go 5 more years? I don't envision upside, only risk after that.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Does wine get better than this? Maybe but not in a way that I can appreciate. I'm loving every precious sip of this. Medium bodied but intense flavors of black fruits and smoky earth. Juicy acidity balances the fruit. Very long finish. I just want to take sip after sip. Fantastic. Unrealistic pricing of CHB means I'm not likely to back for more, but thoroughly enjoying this now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A beautiful Haut Brion that really benefitted from the 5-hr decant. This was the most complex wine of the night and has definitely entered its drinking window although still young. Medium-bodied with lovely flavors of warm asphalt, tobacco and smoky black fruits that lead to a very finely complex finish with notes of gravel and dark spice. I just loved drinking this. 95+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pessac-Leognan tasting: This is close to the best wine I've ever tasted. Its elegance, complexity, charm and loveliness fills your mind with happiness. It plays you a trick with austere and rustic aromas at first but then it turns sweet and delicious. Lots of defined aromas, the complexity here is pronounced. Chocolate, dried raspberry, leather, roasted coffee, hay and hints of barnyard is just some of the elements found. Nice developed palate with a much of the same aromas as found on the nose. Incredible well balanced with a good amount of ripe and dens tannins with uplifting acidity and fruit texture to back it up. The most impressive thing of this wine is the finish which hours after the tasting is still on the palate
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still tannic and young and dark but quite pretty in classic HB way. i would hold for a while based on this bottle. although I have tasted much more open bottles before
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A baby, but drinking well, so smooth, pure and effortless. A monument to balance and elegance, but with depth to spare, I love this. Showed better than the LMHB 96 next to it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Second Sunday Group: 1996 Bordeaux (high end) (Marty's): Notes of red berry preserves, herbs and plum with a subtle hint of dried hay. Full-bodied with an abundance of red fruit along with iron, tobacco and hay. Lingering finish. I do not care for the hay quality, but the fruit is very nice.
Double blind: My #6, Domino's #5 Group #4, 52 pts
Single blind guess: Haut Brion- I've had more Haut Brion than any other first growth, so once I knew it was in the line up I figured this had to be, mostly by process of elimination. I am fairly certain this was touched by brett (the hay notes), because it certainly didn't show the iodine that I associate with Pessac. A good bottle of wine, but it should have been better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank with a friend over Filet Mignon and crab after a brief decant. Fully mature with minimal sediment. Typical H-B nose of mocha, date, plum and dark fruit. A bit tight so a thorough decanting is recommended. If a date, this was a 30 year old model turned high school teacher who loves to wear peekaboo lingerie to class to keep the teenage boys guessing and fantasizing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sure its a great wine and really shows what a great wine is all about. After an hour the wine opened up beautifully with a clean medium body, light bouquet, fruit was still very present
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
bottle was in great shape. good fill, cork was firm and clean.
not at all tired structurally. medium body. Still plenty of acid textured tannins with a polished tea like grip.
very closed on opening with the tar, plum, cigar box, red pepper and graphite notes dominating the nose. While the fruit takes time to develop, the initial aromas showoff the power and aging potential of the wine.
after an hour or so in the glass, the elegance of fruit and oak really start to show. ripe cherry, dusty blueberry. Tangy plum and red apple peel notes help lift the more decadent chocolatey french oak.
The wine's age shows more on the nose with consistant prune, tobacco, and smoked meats while the palate remains youthful and fresh. the 50% merlot really shines with mouth watering cherry, spring flower, brown sugar, and an ashy mineralitly. Finesse is the best term to describe this wine. powerful yet effortless.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chaine Dinner at Bibou; all 5 bottles came from my cellar. A youthful purple-ruby core, turning towards ruby at the rim. Classic bouquet, offering up scents of earth, crushed stone, ripe black fruits, tobacco, and hints of leather. Classic in style, medium-bodied, light on its feet but with good depth of flavor; focused and long finish. Will no doubt improve over the next 10 - 20 years!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A very floral and purfumey nose hinting Margaux at first with white flowers, lilies, orchids, and honeysuckle, but also giving up some more spicy scents like cinnamon doughnut sugar. Curious baking notes like powdered sugar, waffle mix and pancake compliment darker red fruit and dried meats on the palate throughout. Tannins were slightly bigger than other '96s.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank @ Portland, dark color , earth nose of tobacco, a little leather and black fruits. Med weight in the mouth, very pleasant to drink. Prbly not a wow HB but delicious
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dracks sida vid sida med 1970, 1975 och 1982. En stor doft med söta körsbär, cigarrlåda, tobak och höstskog. Underbar balans med elegant kraft med söt och fräsch koncentrerad frukt, eleganta men påtagliga tanniner, underbar frisk syra. Det här är verkligen en favorit. Underbar ålder med ungdomlig kraft och frukt med början till mognad.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Better on the nose than the palate at the moment, but that could change with more time. The smokey, tobacco, wet earth, cigar box and sweet red cherries in the perfume really grabs you. The wine lacks the concentration found in the top years, but the tannins are ripe, the fruits are fresh, refined, elegant and long, leaving with sensations of cassis, blackberries and Cuban cigars in the finish. This is still quite young and should be even better with another 5 years or so in the bottle.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Youthful, lovely freshness here, perhaps a dollop of cab franc in the brew. Entering its drinking window, but much better with an hour in the decanter!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This Haut-Brion is just starting to show some age. Drank this over two days, and it was much better on day two. A restrained wine that exudes finesse. Plum, cassis, lots of mineral, tobacco, and smoke. Nose is still a bit shy, but you can sense the tertiary elements starting to emerge. Medium-bodied and beautifully balanced in the mouth. Good acidity. Tannins soft and silky. Medium-plus finish. I knew this was jumping the gun, but I've been waiting to try this. It's far from being a legendary wine, but it's going to be very, very good. It's also going to improve considerably over the upcoming years. I'm looking forward to following this one.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Purple plum in color. Lovely nose of cassis, tobacco, lead pencil and roses. Refined, smooth and balanced palate of cherry, cassis, lead pencil, tea and tobacco. Not a huge wine; just harmonious and delicious. No tannin and drinking beautifully.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is singing. Dark colour, intoxicating aromas of tobacco, cedar, black fruits, lead pencil. On the palate, focused fruit with impeccable balance. Brilliant. Drink now with a good decant, or anytime in the next 10 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tar charcoal tart plum. Firm black tea tannins present but not overpowering. Charred meat and dark cherry finish. Beautiful intense powerful wine. My first CHB.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Open and mature nose, in fact more mature than I was expecting, with cassis, tobacco, and nut notes with a base of very apparent and wonderful soil inflection. Not a powerhouse, but very classy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened 8 bottles for a private event and all were consistently excellent. The wine is drinking quite well and could probably survive another 4-6 years in proper storage. Still has some harnessed power to it, with nice earthiness and refined tannins complementing the dark fruit notes.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
killed in comparison to the 95, clean, minty, pure. Dry extract and subdued fruit. A young wine but waiting to really come out of its shell. Hold but it'll be tasty!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Second Sunday Group: 2010 California Merlot (Our house): Marty brought this for dinner, bagged, and served it to us double blind. Aromas of tar, dark fruit and spice, with an herbal/eucalyptus undertone. Medium-bodied and nicely balanced, with flavors of dark fruit, dried herbs and red berries which linger through the finish. Slight meaty undertone. No one guessed Haut Brion, and I do not recall whether anyone even suggested Bordeaux. I think most of us were thinking Syrah- some Cote Rotie, some Hermitage, others further south. A nice bottle, but probably not representative.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Haut Brion Tasting 1918-1999 (Oslo): About 50% merlot harvested in difficult and rainy conditions. A bit green and lean, paint. Perhaps should not be rated. Difficult to tell whether this was faulty bottle or the wine is just this strange. According to the Chateau, not a very successful year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Steve's 60th (Roswell, GA): Darker core, aged, 1/4" bricking; new oak, fresh, currant, cigar, red cherry, no green pepper; luxurious, red cherry, tasty, silky, really elegant and drinkable; really tasty but not showing the Graves funk, this bottle needs another 10 years or more at least; 94+.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I completely agree with the February 2014 note of TCOSGRIFF. Opened, tasted on opening. The fruit was sweet and rich, and we decided not to decant for any great length of time. Decanted a few minutes before drinking--only to take the wine off the sediment. The wine was beautifully open, deeply coloured and perfectly balanced. A gorgeous, deep, complex, perfectly balanced wine, with good structure, rich fruit and a long finish. Drink now or keep for up to 10 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Haut-Brion & more (Buchery de Bariloce restaurant): Pop & poured. Deep opaque red purple Nose of fresh red and black plums, complex but not yet integrated. Full bodied, grip tannins, good acidity level, rich, still austere, graphite, pencil lead, dark cocoa chocolate, powerful, solid finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pure, fresh, blackcurrant and blackberry fruit; the palate is reasonably full and very elegant, and there is a streak of acidity on the finish. The acidity makes the wine seem youthful and it should keep well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely claret color with a bouquet and flavor that is dominated by silky tobacco notes, a hallmark of this wine. Wonderful balance with a very supple feeling in the mouth. The greatest wines always have this feel, which is a feature of their exceptional balance, with not a single jarring note or rough edge. They also have wonderful depth and finesse, but this may actually be secondary in importance. Some say that this wine will get better, but with a lot of potential mishaps on the way. So be like the French and drink it! Haut-Brion is one of my favorite wines.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very fruity nose from bottle when opened less pronounced in the glass Initially austere but over the next three hours it opened up a beautiful bottle. Took 1.5 hours to show its real potential.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very rarely does one get to experience real magic in a bottle ; all our pent-up hopes invested in a bottle we cherish and have lovingly stored wishing it will contain the ambrosia we dream of is oft read about but experienced only it seems by others.
I would love to say that the '96 Haut Brion exhibits all the typicity and breeding of its class but I can't because this is my first experience of the wine ; ergo , I don't know about the typicity and class. A poor man in a rich man's world, but happy to be here just for the moment. Tar and a wonderful feeling of warm tobacco ( does that even make sense ?? ) hit the nose and embalm the senses with heat, but gentle heat. Beautiful deep garnet colour , just on the turn , make this wine a real visual pleasure too. I got few of the usual suspects I read about such as cherries , red fruit , and pencil but I did get an exotic warmth I am unable to pinpoint; perhaps an allspice aroma ?? To the true connoisseur I apologise for this rather muddled critique of what was , to date , the best drinking experience of my life…..it will add little to your understanding, but to those who rarely have the chance to experience what the fuss is all about, I say only this ; it was a privilege at the cost…
Is this wine at its zenith? ; I doubt it , but it need soar no higher to be memorable.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose - cedar, cherry, funky, sour plum compote Mouth - impressive concentration, smooth, dark and red fruits intermixed, a really gorgeous wine, one of the better Bordeaux I have had. Side by side consumed with the 96 Mouton and I'm more impressed with this.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A beautiful, classic vintage of Haut Brion here. Still young, with some air, truffle, smoke, cassis, blackberry and chocolate aromas emerge. The wine is full bodied, rich, soft and supple. This is quite nice now and with 5-10 more years, if you can keep your hands off it, it's only going to get better. This is one of the better values for high quality Haut Brion in the marketplace today.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at Ristorante Firenze (Norcross, GA): Dark core with bricking; very Bordeaux nose of cigar, green pepper, earthy stank, cow pie, mushroom, currant; mineral, soft texture, plush and noble, blue cheese, leaner finish; starting what I imagine as the beginning of its drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had the chance to taste this one last Thursday. Beautiful complex nose with hints of dark spices, sous-bois, leather, primes and minerals. Complex but balanced on the palate with tannines that (still!) aren't totally integrated. Huge.. But pricey :)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The when to drink comments suggested that perhaps this is still early and I agree- this was decanted three hours before a rack of lamb dinner, and was better and better over the hour of the dinner- but there is much more to come- and perhaps a higher score, altho this is drinking beautifully now. Classically and magnificently structured from start to end of lengthy finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This will end up being a better wine than the 95 as its much more harmonious. It tasted quite a bit younger at the moment though and I´d leave it in the cellar for another 10 years. Lovely balance between the dark fruit, the earth minerality, the refreshing acidity and the spicy oak. All sits together wonderfully well and there is a class and finesse about this wine that the 95 does not have. The 95 though was a bit nearer its peak and while I can admire this it is still quite primary and I´d take the older vintage at the moment. Give this time though and it will be sublime.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was quite nice, though a clear step below the '98 Haut Brion. but, still a beautiful wine, nonetheless. drank this at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant Cut, with a delicious Australian Waygu steak. Nice structure, purplish dark red, berry, plum, tannins quite nice, less power but good finesse. 95 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A class apart from the three Cal Cabs. It's still very much about its youthful fruit and not yet showing that distinctive scorched/smoky element I usually find in Haut-Brion, but it's incredibly elegant and finessed with layers of cedar, tobacco, savoury earth and youthful dark fruited flavours coming together seamlessly. Still very much about its potential, but a treat to enjoy this now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Birthday Celebration (Balena - Chicago IL): Dense black plum, black currant, dark coffee and licorice aromas. Firm, dense and sweet black fruit flavors, supported by firm tannins and structure. Good today, but better in another decade.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another Dinner with Greg & Sayo (Their Place, Hong Kong): Deep and opaque beef-blood red colour turning to purple-red near the edges and with just the slightest watery transparency at the meniscus. Nose is lovely, precise fresh red and black plums with black Chinese mushrooms, then white fresh-sawn plank wood, some black ink.....complex but not yet integrated. Palate is considerably more advanced than the nose but is still austere graphite, pencil lead and coal-black tannin....dark 100% cocoa chocolate, mouth-puckering tannin...sharp, angular and young...a work in progress....a powerful but totally unfurled finish but needs 5-7 years to harmonise. That said, it already has a linear sophistication that I can only describe as "angular charm". It definitely out-sophisticated the still lovely Pahlmeyer 1996 that we drank alongside it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light garnet. Tawny rim. Big powerful nose of cassis, plums, graphite, sharp blackberries, scorched earth, herbs. Lovely very slightly dusty tannins (almost melting away yet very present), lovely persistent high acidity coming through in waves - and i have become comfortably numb. More lively as well as rich fruit and less brothy than the 1978. Endless finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted next to the 1978 the nose is so much riper - red fruit and distinct blood character. The palate is still somewhat unevolved and tannic but you already get distinct flavours of smoke, tobacco and tar. Utterly brilliant wine that just needs some years. My guess is that somewhere between 5-15 years from now would be a great drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Absolutely legendary and close to perfection. Much better than 2 years ago. Ready for drinking after 30m of decant. The smell is unique and the after-taste lasts for minutes. Will surely last for another decade, but I see no reason to wait any longer. Impressive..
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted at Cassis, Knightsbridge. Bottle shared between two This has still lot of potential. there is plenty of aromas and complexity going on and it opens up beautifully without decanting it. Definitely more evolved on the nose rather than on the palate; the nose is still fresh with small tertiary nuances; typical tobacco leaf interwoven, liquorice with aeration. Firm grip to the middle palate, this bottle shows its youth, lacks a bit of juice but still terribly fresh with some after palate flavors developing with medium intensity. better than expected, still 5-10 years in bottle will help to smooth some edges and give more definition to the palate; almost as if it was a young wine needing asserting itself!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The nose has a lot of cassis, tobacco and forest floor. The taste is smooth rich and very very long. You can taste the Merlot rounding out the flavour.
The length of this wine just seems to keep on going. You have time to contemplate and ponder the amazing complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderfully complex and ever changing with each hour of being open. A dizzying array of stone fruit, earth and soil, mushroom and truffle, and green vegetation are present in every scent and sip.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Shared with friends at a special french restaurant. The duck Confit was a perfect paring. This wine definitely improved as the night went on an the bottle opened up more. Minerality with a hint of tobacco that opened up to a more floral, fruity wine as the night stretched out. Very memorable. Biggest complaint was that we only had 1 bottle!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1996 Haut Brion is filled with smoke, tobacco, cigar box, ash, kirsch, blackberry and licorice aromatics. This is a big, chewy, masculine style of Haut Brion. Tannic and tight, this needs time to develop and flesh out. Another 10 years will allow this to mature into something special. 95 Pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mature Left Bank Bordeaux (semi blind) (Wijnantiquariaat Amsterdam): (4 hours open) Ruby red. Kirsch, fresh roasted coffee beans, tea leaves and over-ripe dark fruits in the nose. Thick ripe fruits and velvet coating on the palate. Incredible power with cocos and chocolate. Highly concentrated finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dan's 50th Birthday Extravaganza (Abe & Louie's): I may be too conservative with this score but we drank it with the 59 and 82 Lafite which were in another league. This wine is a winner, just young and muscular. Awesome backbone and mouthfeel. It is in the early miles of a marathon. In 20 years, it has the potential for greatness. After three hours, the wine softened and the tertiary flavors emerged. So, if you kill it young, decant for 4 hours beforehand.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Acker Merrall 1996 Left Bank Bordeaux Dinner (Balsan - Chicago IL): Considerable earthy and tobacco aromas were more pronounced that the black fruit. Reasonable amount of oak. The palate was a combination of black fruit, strong flavors of earth and lots of muscular tannins. To me this showed as around a "90 point" wine but alas, tonight's four1996 1st Growths were served in new glasses that all seemed tainted by an odd combination of dust and soap residue, making them hard to fairly assess.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The wine opened up beautifully after two hours in the decanter. Still youthful, but very approachable, and starting to drink beautifully. A gorgeous, deep wine, with good structure, rich fruit and a long finish. brilliant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle seems to have less richness than either Château Pichon Baron or Château Grand Puy Lacoste 1996, which we have drunk recently. There is a slightly lean acidity and some unresolved tannin. The underlying flavour shows characteristic, fine claret notes, but perhaps it needs more time. Potentially a much higher score than on this occasion.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Concentrated fruit, a dense texture and cedar/cigar box/spice overtones; quite ripe and full; now reasonably mature but with plenty of life and scope for improvement.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ruby core with surprising orange fade at the rim; lovely pure defined notes of red fruits and tobacco leaf. Dark chocolate, psice, anise; lots of dark berried friuits on the palate. Fantastic mouthfeel - really lovely texture. Young but already complex and complete. Superb.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
"The Good Stuff" 2011 -- A double blind tasting (La Fonda del Sol, NYC): Big, Rich, extracted, full flavored. Somewhat light weight. Bright with som tobacco and dark flavors. Clean, clear. Tar tannins. Young. I found this too young to grade, but based on it's full flavor, light weight, and dark tar I guessed mid 90s Barolo.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
TOP. Showed all its power upon opening the bottle. The wine simply excelled in parfum and body. Extremely elegant and at the same time body and power. Magnificent wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
no points for now as this was tasted, very unfairly, in the same evening along with '82, Ch. Margaux, '82 Lynch Bages, '90 Ch. Latour, DRC Richebourg '00, among others. This bottle was the youngest by far and a long shot. One should not open this for a decade as it is still with lots ofllaser like penetrating tannins and a bit single dimensional. But, the fruits, tannin, and high pitch texture promises a lot brighter futur.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dear Bottle, so sorry for drinking you way too young. I could tell one day you would have much more to offer, and I will make sure your case-mates stay there for a while longer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Uncorked 24hrs ahead. Piercing aromas of red and black fruits, tobacco leaf, anise, menthol, gravel and char. Compressed on the palate and dominated by anise oak. Almost painfully acidic on the finish. Back into the cellar for 24hrs with minimal change. 72hrs later the harsh edges had started to soften. The fruit was more expressive, there was a pleasing leather note, though still tightly wrapped in its oak. I could sense the quality of the raw material. To my palate this needs another decade or two.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Youthful colour. Needed several hours in the decanter to really come around. But once it did, wow! Beautifully balanced, medium full in the mouth, long finish. Lovely tannins melded with balanced acidity and fruit. A gorgeous wine. Try again in two years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Garnet. Nose was initially shy, but opened throughout the night. Finally got that sweetness That I seem to find in HB, but with more tobacco and black fruits. Taste was medium weight, mouthfilling. Lovely.
Wow. A breathtaking perfumed nose. Pure cassis with oodles of earth, coffee, tobacco and some burnt toast. The nose was so focused and precise-very pure. I would give 96 points just for the nose alone. The palate followed with a nice velvety texture of blackcurrants and maybe a slight vanilla. Tannins were unobtrusive, hidden behind an acidic layer that masked the fruit underneath. This can age more but it is very enjoyable now. I found the palate slightly muted but nonetheless an outstanding wine. Long long elegant finish. A good example of a feminine wine-poised and elegant.94+ Sadly, my last bottle but at least I have the 1995 to look forward to.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasting Group Dinner - It Was A Great Run (Heidi's, Minneapolis): A touch shut down, albeit less so than the '96 Latour, tasted side-by-side (see TN). Slightly reticent nose of sweet plums, tobacco, smoke, earth, and licorice. Elegant and expansive on the palate. Opened up nicely after half an hour or so. Should be even more gorgeous in 5-10 more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Groundhog Day!: Another beauty. The nose gives a subtle but thrilling blend of red fruit, smoke and tobacco that opened up as the night wore on. On the palate this delivers flavors of dark fruit and smoke in a subtle/elegant style. I really, really enjoyed this but it's definitely a step down in overall quality relative to the '96 Latour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened, decanted and consumed over 3 hours at a restaurant alongside duck salad and filet steak. Also opened: 1995 Lynch-Bages, 2001 Pichon Lalande, 1997 Yalumba Octavius (!!). Deep ruby colour, not showing any signs of bricking. Nose of graphite, faint anise and black fruit. Palate closed initially, but with dominant earthy notes (dry leaves, fresh soil, sappy wood); some tight black fruit on midpalate but rather one-dimensional, closing with a very fine cluster of tannins, but a not especially long or memorable finish. Did open up slightly over the evening, but one sensed there wasn't a great deal more in it. Perhaps this wine is asleep. Overall a disappointment next to the other wines - not overly interesting or approachable; classy and well-structured, sure, but not a life-changing, which is what you expect at this price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
There is a reason first growths are first growths. This is just beginning to reach its plateau of maturity and defines what makes a site great. 1996 didn't reach its heights in Graves, and this is not a big wine. Only medium bodied and not overly fruited. But it has an intoxicating nose that kept shifting and gaining depth. Tannins are integrated with perfect balance, the finish was persistent and linear. It tasted like Haut Brion.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
RHKYC dinner. Decanted for a few hours. Tasted against the 86,94,97 Haut Brion and the 95 Mouton. This is the WOTN by far. Medium to full bodied, powerful and exotic dark fruits. Smooth tannin with a very long finish. Amazing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
An interesting contrast to its slightly older sibling (the '95) this wine showed a more delicate side with a much more subdued character. The nose was softer and brought to mind flavors of golden chantrels and stewed meat with an sweet hint of plum and stewed apricot. One picked up more of a delicate floral on the palate then with the '95 with much lighter fruit notes and less mineral and leather. The tannins seem to have either already greatly subsided or be much less originally present which made the wine much easier to drink. I feel that this wine has reached its peak and should be drunk asap or one might risk a loss those lovely fruit and floral notes that make this wine so attractive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Third bottle of this - it keeps getting better and better. Packed with olive, herbs and tons of fruit. Tannins are present but it is still very elegant and refined. Lots of life ahead (20+ years).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
96- Double decanted and served 4 hours later. Spectacular bottle. Faint hint of red fruit, spices and mineral on the nose. Palate- powerful and elegant, layers of plump red and blackcherry, beautifully balanced and textured with a knock-out long and vibrant finish, which to me, was the attribute that elevated this wine into the "wow" category. 96+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Clearly a young wine, but is starting to show some lovely notes of smoke and other tertiary aromas on the nose. On the palate, the wine has a nice balance of fruit, acid, and very present -but gentle - tannins. Really nice wine now, will be great in the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
CT London Event (Hide Bar, Bermondsey, London): Drank from an absolutely ridiculous double-magnum carted to the CT event by the good Colonel. Archetypal Graves. Gorgeous nose, all rich and plush with damp earth, sweet plums and cassis notes, spice, cloves and undergrowth. Palate had telltale 1996 richness. Concentrated dark berries and currants, some cigar smoke, tobacco and pencil lead. Beautiful balance throughout though, with fine tannins and lovely freshness. Great length on the finish, a touch of spice, more tobacco, rich cassis fruit and a rim of earth, all lingering on and on in the mouth. Very complete, plenty of depth and power (except maybe at the finish) and great balance. This was a textbook wine that showed clear vintage, terroir and Chateau character. Just lacks that little extra something at the moment to push it over the cusp to greatness. A lot of time left in this yet though. It may well get there.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Holy ... This is by far one of the best Bordeaux wines I have ever tasted. Comes very close to the 96 Las Cases. Amazing complexity, balance, finesse and fruit. Aftertaste of 40 to 50 seconds. Nose that lasts for ages.. I just couldn't stop putting my nose in the glass. Unique experience. Is open for business and will last for at least 10+ years. Excellent!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I think Haut-Brion is gaining my vote for my favorite 1st Growth. The nose is intoxicating. Exotic asian spices, grilled herbs, toast, and sandalwood. The palate lasts virtually forever. Somewhat elegant with tannins integrating nicely, however still allow for a dusty mouthfeel. Spices towards the finish, nice acidity, and wild berry fruits. While I'm not convinced this will last indefinitely, this will drink nice for another 15 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner w/ friends (Le titi de paris): Closed, typical graves scorched earth notes and some band-aid. Angular in the mouth. This wine, even after a few hours, never opened up to live up to the hype of the recent notes. The finish was closed, short, and bitter. Maybe a bad bottle
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
taste: well balanced on the mouth with a lot of floral notes, red fruit, and smoke
overall: a very nice wine but is very atypical from many 96s that I've had. This doesn't have the backwardsness or power behind it that they(the 96s) have had. Nice and polished this is a elegant wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great nose of dark fruit, leather and a hint of licorice. Still tightly wound. Seemed as if it wanted to offer more aromatics but just wasn't ready. Great balance of fruit, acidity and tannins. Finesse and elegance on the palate with a long finish. Very young. As this was my first taste of first growth Bordeaux I wasn't blown away, but it was still readily apparent that this is a wine of significant polish and pedigree. A true pleasure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank this along side a 75 HB, they did not seem to be 21 years apart in age, more a testament to how youthful the 75 is... the 96 was strutting its stuff, typical HB earthy with cedar and black fruit. Delicious, but needs more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Classic Haut brion graves nose which sceems First Growth. The taste had the tabacco,terroir, and rich fruit, but I'm concerned about the thin finish. The strong tannins will fade, but not the finish. Drank at the Old in on the Green in the Berkshires, with 2000 Pichon Lalande, which was a far superior wine in every way.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Unfair to rate this wine now, since it was consumed last over a long dinner with an Haut Brion vertical of 68(very drinkable), 79(decent), 80(surprisingly good), 82 (terrific),83 (very fine),88 (very thin and sour) 89(OMG) vintages, and to my palate still a baby with a long way to go. Dark purple color. Some nose of tobacco, black currant and earth. Medium tannins, but big and brooding flavors of minerals, black currant and tobacco. I enjoyed it, but in five years I think I would enjoy it a whole lot more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From half bottle this wine showed well but did not have the mid-palate intensity of prior bottles. Still, this is a great wine with classic HB aromatics and a light feel on the palate with powerful flavors.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bibenda Day 2007 (AIS, Parco dei Principi, Rome): Garnet, sediment. Nose was animally, and not much more. Palate: good acidity, and tannins, moderate alcohol, some meatiness and minerality, and some VA. Wine was rich and flavourful, but past its prime. Nevertheless, could still perceive the greatness of the terroir (or is it my imagination?).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bryan's Steaks and Bordeaux at the Hedonist's (Scott Manlin's): Full red/purple color. Big briar black fruit nose - clean. Nice rich round sweet black fruit on the palate. This bottle was open for business and quite nice - easily best of the flight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
SOBER haut Brion Tasting (CB's house): Earthy wine, with mossy notes and leather. Continues to open in the glass. I really enjoy this wine alot. Definitely my favorite of the young Haut Brions tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dense colour just beginning to turn brick red. Truly amazing nose - first a hint of celery, then very strong pencil/cigarbox. More cigarbox on the palate, rounded tanins, well integrated. Very, very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
SOBER (fka TWITS) Tasting (Mark's house): tasted blind. Tarry oak on the nose. On the palate, this is a gorgeous wine, but still tightly wound. Oaky, tarry, really great fruit. Guessed hot vintage. Clearly needs time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for about an hour, the wine was open but still young. Aroma was the highlight with forward typical HB nose. Palate was full but in a 'transition' phase. 9/06
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dinner at Jeff and Marya Samuelson's: Tasted beside the 1985. You could taste the similarity between the two wines. However, the 1996 was much more reserved aromatically. The flavors were the same (black fruit, earth, tobacco and smoke), but simpler and less expressive. In the mouth this is dominated by the fruit at this moment, and is much simpler and much more tannic. The other flavors are there and will emerge in time. Still, a very nice wine. It was educational to taste this beside 1985, but additional time in the bottle is needed before this will be a stunner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A wine in a state of becoming. The first few sips taste exactly how you would expect a first growth from a muscular vintage to taste when opened twenty years too soon: compressed, tannic, fruitless. At the same time it just overflows with incipient character -- taking in some air while the wine sits in the mouth releases disembodied clouds of haunting, aromatic flavor, and the finish billows with a peacock's tail of meat and earth. Over the course of the evening the fruit overcomes the tannins, and with three hours of air the wine is a portrait of classic Haut-Brion: sappy, cranberry-laced fruit in an iron cauldron of cured meat and tobacco -- I want to drink this with bloody flesh roasted on a spit, but the texture, the proverbial velvet glove of tannin, is almost too fine and seductive to countenance such primitive instincts. . . .
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for a little over an hour and consumed over a couple. Garnet in color with a little bricking on the edges. Lovely nose of smoke, leather and dark fruit. Medium to full bodied with plenty of fruit and tooth coating tannins. Definately young, but still very enjoyable. I look forward to coming back to this one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
(1996 Bordeaux Tasting, NYC) Coming after the Pichons, this for me didn't surpass them, even with the benefit of 3 hours in the decanter. Fruit and tobacco on the nose, pure and elegant. Didn't seem overly tannic to me but I must admit to my palate being somewhat fatigued by now...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A Mix: Infanticide for Science and Some Mature Beauties (85 Krug, 82 Lafleur, 5 others): Still very deep and almost purple in color, with a density that promises much. The nose starts out with a less intense strain of blackcurrant than the Lafleur, but is still blackcurrant-focused. With a little vigorous aeration and persistent sniffing, there is a smoky and leathery quality, as well as some herb. Deeper dark plum lurks in the background. And lurk is really the word here – there’s a lot in the background but it refuses to be teased out with any ease. On the palate, there is strong tannin from front to back that is a little rough on the finish. Deep plum and some hints of berry provide a small degree of mid-palate sweetness before the finish turns to tobacco, tar, and tannin. Beware that this started to close up tightly in the glass after a very short time. Drinking young and tight Bordeaux is a fun academic exercise and I’m glad to have this data point, but I still don’t understand how people find such great pleasure from such young claret. Give it years…many of them!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of leather, earth, and mushroom, plenty of minerality and stone on the palate. Hoping for some fruit to come forward, tannins are big and well integrated. A restrained and elegant example of Bordeaux at its most recognized form.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I love Haut-Brion, and this wine typifies why. The intense minerality and elegance it offers thrills me every time I taste it. It isn’t showing the tarry, tobacco notes that it will develop with more age, but the raw materials are there. It drinks adequately now with plenty of air, but owners of this wine would be much better served to give it time to show what it is capable of.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
4/26/2024 - dream Likes this wine: 97 Points
1996 Haut Brion – if you think it was just Cabernet Sauvignon that thrived in the ’96 vintage, think again. This wine which is 50% Merlot, 39% Cab Sauv and 11% Cab Franc was simply outstanding with incredible depth and that classic smoky complexity that only Haut Brion can show. It was deep, dark and mysterious and still quite youthful but with time in the glass it showed it’s first-growth pedigree with fabulous balance and an effortless breed and class. A totally underrated vintage of Haut Brion from a top-notch bottle. 97+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2024 - peanutbutterskittles Likes this wine:
Still powerful. Strong graphite, cedar, tobacco to start. After a couple hours some more fruit showed through, but more body, grip, and concentration than the 1995 Latour we had alongside it. However, it was a bit one note at first, so maybe it needs a bit more time to show more balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2024 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wonderful depth, length and complexity. Great blackcurrant and blackberry fruit. Cedar notes, along with some spice and underbrush. Good structure, now integrated. Very long and complex. Drinking beautifully now, will endure another decade and more.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2024 - RayOB Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank in London
Blew the 95 away. still in its prime
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2024 - benjamin96 Likes this wine: 95 Points
parfait equilibre, complexe, grand bordeaux
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2024 - Julien D Likes this wine: 97 Points
The first glass offered notes of dry leaves, leather, bacon, smoke and cola. Then fruit started to appear after 1h: dried strawberry and cherry. Little by little dark fruit is taking over with blackberry and cassis, and vanilla, crushed gravel and sage. The wine tastes younger and younger! Mouth follows the same evolution. A lot of umami there: soy sauce, game meat dominate at first but then leave space to potpourri, violet, dried fruit. Fresh acidity, plush texture. Long finish
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2023 - dcwino wrote: flawed
Holiday Dinner - Mostly Bordeaux (Taberna del Alabardero, Washington D.C.): Wine 2 - Strong VA, off bottle. My guess is Haut Brion, as the others don't taste like Haut Brion.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2023 - jww Likes this wine: 95 Points
drank with Martha
subtle flint leather dark fruits
after three hours it started to show
tennis fallaway enough to enjoy the fruit
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2023 - Arcturus wrote: 96 Points
96+ Decanted 3 hours, drank over next 2 hrs. . Relatively quiet nose, floral notes with dried flowers, black cherry and forest floor. Medium weight palate of tart cherry, minerality with a long, fine tannin finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2023 - Nanda wrote:
Pop n pour. Still quite young with powerful fruit and still gritty structure. A classic vintage that feels just short of peak drinking. Hold or give it a few hours in the decanter.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/16/2023 - PJRONeill wrote: 94 Points
I’ve been on the fence about opening this for the last few months but Jeff Leve’s note last weekend convinced me to check in and I am glad I did. Gave this a three hour decant and had it with Flannery ribeyes, which were a great match. For me this is a step behind the 98 but ahead of the 95 which reflects the slightly awkward nature of that vintage. Sweet red fruits but with a smoky and savory note on the palate, the length stands out here as does the fullness in the mouth. Agree with the view that this is now ready to go but a couple hours in a decanter are really essential for this to unfurl.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/10/2023 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Think of black currants, cigar wrappers, and cigar smoke coming on strong, and you get the idea. Medium-bodied, and elegant, this is a wine of finesse over power, with a finish that mirrors the nose, with its tobacco-stained, currant profile with a sprig of spearmint that comes in at the backend of the mildly chewy endnote. 2 hours in the decanter was exactly what the doctor ordered. Drink from 2023-2045.
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/5/2023 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
Papies at 30 (The Waterside Inn): Decanted and served after 30 minutes.
Of course a very elegant wine and true tot he pedigree. The nose dominated the experience though and the palate fails to follow and indeed has this harshness of the 1996 tannic structure on the finish that sort of spoils the beautiful salvo of aroma that the nose sends. Leather, cedar, earthy, well mature but still with life on the nose. Palate does not follow to this level and is an outlier vs the other Top end wines who seems to have become softer and almost Burgundian. Still an impressive 94 but a lowdown given the pedigree and vintage.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/13/2023 - popasq wrote: 92 Points
Not sure if this bottle had some issues or if this wine is in transition, but this was disappointing. Will wait another year before opening the next bottle.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/21/2023 - Travislee0113 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark in a glass, salient hints of tobacco tar and wet fallen leaves and at the nose. I wondered where the hint of cabernet sauvignon was. With a few exceptional years, Haut-Brion had merlot-rich blending, not cabernet-rich one; In 1996, the blending was 50% merlot, 49% cabernet sauvignon, and 11% cabernet franc. This one was quite lucky yesterday because Haut-Brion 96 was matched with Calon-Segur 2005 and Leoville-Poyferre 2005. Without surprise, Haut-Brion 1996 was better than others.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2023 - overkloud wrote: 95 Points
opulent, great depth with layers of dark fruits, leather and sous bois.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/19/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Commanderie de Bordeaux MN: First Growths at Demi (Demi, Mpls): Very dark red color. Double decanted and corked, drank a glass 4 hours later. Cigar, dried earth, green wood, a little creosote, cassis on the nose. The palate shows layers of cassis, spice, cigar, lacquer, and anise. Not as good as a bottle a year ago; it didn't really seem to improve much in glass, and maybe it was just a bit off.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/1/2023 - guruguru wrote: 88 Points
Chateau Haut Brion 1996
ボルドー一級シャトー。素晴らしいワインのはずだが、個人的に全く良いと思えなかった。
枯草、アスファルトやコピー用紙の様な香りが邪魔になるくらい強く、かなりネガティヴな印象。
味もピークアウトしているのか、厚み/複雑味/余韻の全てが残念。
他のヴィンテージの素晴らしさを知っているため、悲しい気分になる。
A first class Bordeaux chateau. It is supposed to be a great wine, but I personally did not find it good at all.
The aromas like dead grass, asphalt and copy paper were so strong that they were disturbing and quite negative.
The flavors are also peaked out, and the thickness/complexity/lasting aftertaste is all disappointing.
I feel sad because I know how great the other vintages were.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2023 - doctornoah Likes this wine: 92 Points
A bit austere and tannic, keeping with the vintage. Decent density but not sweet. Tobacco and leafy in spades, a touch of saddle leather, cassis and tart berry fruit.
This is a solid and rich Bordeaux, but it lacked finesse and never really blossomed into anything interesting, even after long decant. It has the density and tannins to age further. Whether it picks up a tertiary nuance that delights is a separate matter. I have one more bottle that I’ll keep for another decade.
I expect First Growths to blow me out of the water. This did not.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2022 - rlove wrote: 93 Points
Elegant and refined with dark cherry, smoke, tobacco, and cedar. Medium bodied with regal, resolving tannins. Ready to drink but I think this would have blossomed even further with more time in the decanter. Great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2022 - melvinyeowq wrote: 94 Points
Mainly Bordeaux at Victuals: This was so tannic like a brick wall that 1995/96 was quite an easy guess. Despite the imposing stucture it showed an aristocratic touch, the wine was so finely poised with blueberry fruit and old-school Bordeaux cedar flavours. My first HB and it didn't disappoint, WOTN for me.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2022 - Rani Likes this wine: 95 Points
Exuding aromas of cedar, beef fat, black currants. Super tight and concentrated even after several hours in a decanter. Finishes with tons of cigar tobacco, herbs and black pepper. Monumental, but will be better in a decade.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2022 - lifebreath wrote: 95 Points
Quick double decant then pour. Exceptional. Earthy Bordeaux nose, assertive tannins, nice acidity, tart berries and exotic spice. Beautiful, mature Bordeaux in a great drinking window.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2022 - jww Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very tight and tannic when opened
Decanted for 2 hour and started to see the potential of this wine
Over the next hour the tannins softened revealing classic Bordeaux cedar, leather, nice fruity with good structure
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2022 - Rogershkg Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened and double decanted for about 3+ hours before drinking. Mellow beautiful wine. Colour was deep red and still perfect. Nose gentle. Tannins are there.. Soft after taste
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/8/2022 - MQuentel@web.de Likes this wine: 94 Points
1996 Haut Brion - Both on the nose and on the palate, the 96 HB presents itself rather buttoned up and demands a lot of aeration. Compared to the 96 La Mission, the HB is much more concentrated, tighter and more intense. The wine offers a cool, compact, but also aristocratic aroma. Very dark and firm on the nose. Dark black fruits, black olives, bay leaf. Firm structure, medium+ body, medium+ acidity, the tannins are noble and at the same time punchy. The wine still seems young, but without the childlike fruitiness. I wouldn't touch another bottle currently, better put away for another 5-10 years. 94++/ 2027-2045
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/29/2022 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for two hours and served with dinner (prime dry aged NY strip), which was a nice compliment to the food. However, if I had to do it again, I would have had this wine completely by itself to give it the respect it deserved. While there is a ton going on in the glass it is still only at the early maturity phase of evolution. This wine can last at least another 30+ years as it has the stuffing to be cellar worthy. Loads of black fruits, black licorice, tobacco, tar, and smoke. Wonderful nose and a finish that is silky smooth. It has a great texture on the finish that coats the palate with velvet. While not tasted side by side, I would give the edge to the ‘95 HB only because it is a more seamless and balanced wine. It also depends on what you prefer. ‘95 HB is a more finessed femanine red fruit dominated wine and the ‘96 is a more brawny, masculine black fruit dominated wine. I love both, but I respect the ‘95 slightly more.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2022 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Commanderie de Bordeaux - Minnesota - Bordeaux and Sushi (Billy Sushi): Doubler decanted and then slo-O for about 6 hours. What can I say....this was totally in my wheelhouse and an example an aged Haut-Brion.
Nose showed lots of gravel and earth, with dark fruit, leather and tar, later giving way to whiffs of perfumed lavender.
Palate showed plenty of earth and gravel but balanced out with dark fruit (cassis, blackberry and black currants) with old leather and tar notes, and a touch of old oak. The mouthfeel was silky with very fine tannins and just enough acidity to show off the fruit.
This wine was in a perfect place for my palate. Others thought it had lots of life left, but I think it is at its peak, especially if you enjoy a nice balance of fruit and tertiary flavors. Easy 96 for me, and offering a pretty darn good value even at todays prices, especially for those seeking immediate gratification.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
5/3/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Bordeaux and Sushi (Billy Sushi, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color with a 7mm bricked transition and a 2mm clear edge. Splash double decanted with additional slow-O time. Drank a glass over 90 minutes. A suave and elegant Haut-Brion showing a perfumed nose with cigar ash, cassis, cherry, pencil, smoke, scorched earth, and dried leaves. The palate really shows that harmony with a silken texture and mix of plush tannins, medium full body, lovely fruit with cassis, blackberry liqueur and plum, cigar, pencil, and lacquer. One of those wines that is just so easy to fall in love with. Drink or hold.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/1/2022 - Beeck10 wrote:
Gruaud Larose 1986-Mouton-haut-brion 1996- 2022-Petrus 1995
Gruaud Larose 94/95
We drank it a bit too warm, but here again an astonishing balance and equilibrium of the wine where the nose and mouth did show some age, but nothing was unpleasant or already fleeting! Nicely round, you could smell and taste a warm year, alcohol was still present in a pleasant way, tobacco, leather in the nose, it was for a long time the best wine of the evening compared to mouton 22 and haut-brion 2005,
De Haut Brion 1996 90/100..? , which by the way was overripe and had plums in the nose ! Wonder if it was the wine or the cellar that decided it so… Disappointed ,
Mouton 2022 : 92/100 . Mouton had a very nice nose with mint and eucalyptus again, but the mouth had too much acidity! Really out of balance! Maybe with age he would come into balance even more, but then the nose can also disappear,
Petrus 1995 : 99/100 And then came the surprise , we thought we were on 90 or 98 , warmth in the nose , I hadn't smelled the merlot and thought we were on cabernet ! strange, this got better over time, my neighbor had smelled Merlot and Pumpkin ! strong ! What I sometimes have with Petrus is that power sometimes too much; but that
was not present here, what a balance, what finesse, what a wine! in the nose it had smoked meat, leather and still some dark fruit, but nothing that made the wine unstable , why I was on cabernet was because of the finesse, and the wine was again long…on the mouth, what a beauty ! !
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/30/2022 - dannyg Likes this wine: 96 Points
The wine looks ruby colored. It smells like blackberry, black currant (cassis), prune, forest floor, cedar, clove and nutmeg. It tastes like blackberry, prune, mushroom, toast, nutmeg, clove and chocolate. The body is medium. The wine has satin-like texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2022 - wxs2102 Likes this wine: 97 Points
At Momofuku Ssam Bar NYC. Second of the night only to the incomparable Leroy. 2 hours in decanter revealed integrated spices, a pleasant and aromatic nose, palate of smoky tobacco and currants, and 60+ second finish. Drinking at absolute peak. Magical.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2022 - popasq Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for 3+ hours, this was amazing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2022 - Wineisfordrinking Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quite backward and for the first few hours difficult to enjoy. We loosely corked it and drank it the next night and then we had a true Haut Brion. A solid mid level HB, classic flavors, full bodied, although it was a little lacking mid-palate and the finish came up a little short. We drank it next to the 85 Cos, which also needed a night to open up. I must say the Cos was a notably more delicious and complete wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2022 - Wineisfordrinking wrote: 93 Points
Hard to assess this bottle. 25 years old and seems to be in a dumb phase. Almost purple color, tannic, shut down. It may be amazing but this bottle needed another 20 years for sure. It was a bottle in absolutely perfect condition so perhaps that’s why. Leaving the rest in bottle tonight so we’ll see tomorrow
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/3/2022 - Ozen Likes this wine: 94 Points
Last bottle. I have always favoured this Haut brion over the 1995 and this is no exception. Wondeful deep and complex, very Pessac, probably now at its very peak, very lively. Up there with the 1998 which is a truly great HB as well. The 1996 is a truly aristocratic and broad scaled wine, classic.
Having said that the Vega Sicilia Unico 1994 next to it made me order more of the Unico right away as its intensity and beguiling exotic depth simply is to die for.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2021 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very good but not great. Slight touch of brett and mustiness when opened, most of which blew off with air. Good weight and concentration, classic Bordeaux profile. Black fruits, still young and primary, limited tertiary notes. This wine disappointed and I guess has not yet unfurled into middle age but has lost the exuberance of youth. I think I will leave the remaining bottles for another 10 years. The finish was quite long and there is some complexity. Can be drunk now but perhaps best left for another 10 years.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/13/2021 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bucket Club Dinner (Bronte, Sydney): deep dark red colour.
damson and violet floral notes above the cassis, mulberry and tar spice.
silky but finishing with powerful but very refined tannins.
lovely rich dark berries, mulberry and tar spice, hint of sherbet zest.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Elegant, refined, smoky, tobacco and campfire ember packed medium-bodied wine which provides the perfect backdrop for all the sweet, fresh, spicy red berries, tobacco leaf, and cigar wrapper. Soft, silky, and ready to go, this does not require much if any air.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/30/2021 - dbkitc wrote: 94 Points
A wonderful bottle with a nose for the ages. All the tobacco, gravel and cassis fruit one could ever want. A wonderful sweetness that just put it over the top. The palate was wonderful but a little less perfect - a touch more austere than the nose suggested. I have had better bottles of this wine but boy was this a winner. In prime drinking window but should stay for at least another 10 or 15 years. (94)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2021 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 95 Points
Not blind
A friend guessed California because of the fresh and concentrated fruit. Decanted for 2 hours. A very good representative bordeaux of 1996. the pencil is in the background but gives the counterpart to the hedonistic style. I like 1996. A modern style but with great depth. Fun to drink in this early stage. 95-96
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/1/2021 - Nicolas Beirens Likes this wine: 96 Points
Leather, smoke, earth, tobacco,... on the nose. Black fruit.
Tannins are nicely blended into the wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2021 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Attractive, cassis aromatics. Easy to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2021 - martin_e Likes this wine: 96 Points
If I had to use one sentence to describe this wine, it would be “extremely well balanced”: the diverse aromas and flavors that include tobacco, spices, black and ripe-red berries, while clearly recognizable, are all in a perfect balance with each other and the silky structure. Fully developed front- and mid-palates are complete with a long finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2021 - AB16 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Special wine in a 6 wine lineup of 1996 blind. This was my favorite. Elegant, beautiful with soft merlot fruit and integrated tannins. Great depth and complexity. Classic right bank jewel
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2021 - jmoon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Enjoyable but no fireworks. Tasty, lovely, slightly sedate old gal, with nice earthy tones, and attractive savoury / saline character. I'll save my other two for another 5-10 years to see how things unfold - but if you don't own this wine I wouldn't rush out and seek it out, despite 96 being a great year, HB doesn't seem to be firing.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2021 - liber Likes this wine: 97 Points
1st of 6, opened 3 hours, decanted one, perfect cork and level - darkish, not dense ruby, surprisingly little rim development; hugely impressive, classy, nuanced bouquet showing Margaux like violet, some smoke but little brick and tar, in fact closer to Medoc flavour profile than usual Graves notes if with touch more minerality; fullish, outstanding length, persistence and concentration, nice acidic lift adding to fine balance, everything in place and unforced, but more backward than suggested by bouquet, early days with long life ahead. VF+ (19)........if not quite up to the magical 89, vieing with 98 as wine of decade (pace fine 95 and 90) and on this form should give other prem crus in 96 strong competition in this very top vintage!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2021 - jordanj wrote: 93 Points
45th Bday 1934-1999. When Diamond Creek is weakest of the night (Zoom): Shows a Classic Haut Brion profile. Others likes this more than I . Smokey gravel, currant, dark cherries ,tobacco and after a while a little reductive. The palate is pretty fleshy for. 96. More weight than I suspected. Everyone was more enamored with this than I was. Oddly, it showed better than the 98 HB, but IMO was nonwhere near the 96 Margaux.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/24/2021 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine: 93 Points
The nose is very intense on spices and tobacco.
The palate begins with a very fine touch. Then the wine rises in power, it imposes itself in the mouth, it is growing, like a climb of stairs. We have a beautiful substance, whatever a fair amount for a GCC, but the explosion of spices in the mouth very quickly masks this lack. The texture then emerges with an excellent balance, it's totally on point. Then comes the finish which really explodes on tobacco and spices, it is very intense and of admirable length.
Excellent
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/11/2021 - G_H wrote: 93 Points
Far, far, far away from anything you can call ready. This is way too young and needs a lot of time. We opened this too early. It was delicious but not up to where I think this wine will go. Hazlenut, chocolate, mushrooms, malt, tobacco, leather and pencil shavings. Still only medium weight on the palate with grippy acidity and tannin structure.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2021 - LB88 wrote: 94 Points
Opened and decanted. Still had some noticible tannins but starting to drink well with rich fruit and tobacco flavors. Delicious
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2021 - jww Likes this wine: 95 Points
decanted 2 hour drank over the next 2
really need the decant time which revealed a beautiful wine
nice fruit leather, minerally
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2020 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
A beautiful vintage for Haut-Brion that continues getting better with age. The aromatics shine due to all the smoke, burning ember, dark red berry, crushed stone and tobacco wrapper notes. The full-bodied, concentrated, richly textured palate steals the show. Lush, refined, concentrated, deep and long, the fruit simply cascades across your palate. The stunner is showing great today with an hour of air. But if you can wait just another 3-5 years, it is going to be even better!
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2020 - Jammy Wine wrote: 90 Points
The best value First Growth Bordeaux by far is Haut Brion, high-toned aromatics of earthy leather and gravel. This 1996 is in its drinking window - High-toned aromatics with a smooth array of oak smoked blackberries, gravel, game and cedar. This showed more characteristics than the 1996 Mouton next to it. Lovely nuances. (90/100)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2020 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
Double-decanted 4 hours before consumption and tasted alongside the '95. Very interesting to taste these side by side as the vintage differences are quite apparent with the '96 the finer wine but the '95 more decadent and voluminous. The '96 was quite chiseled with firm but perfectly ripe tannins and lots of smoky leather and tobacco flavors. The finish is more complex than the '95 at this point with wonderful notes of sweet and smoky gravel, dark spices and campfire embers. Awesome but still showing fairly young and tannic. Perfect bottle at Cote, NYC. 95+
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2020 - kostaslonis Likes this wine: 93 Points
Samped at Oinoscent, courtesy from a customer.
The wine shows old school character in the nose, oak derived notes dominating at this point, sweet spices, ripe black fruit, currants and cherries, prunes, forrest floor, feels fresh for its age.
The wine is very tight in the palate, the acidity is high, the flavours are again dominated by oak, sweet spices, gets more earthy with time, it almost feels up the glass.
Its a shame beacuase the wine was 25min in the decanter before I tried it (which of course I'm grateful for). With time you also get sour cherry, indian spices, coffee notes. I can't possible guess how many hours this bottle needs to be decanted.
The tannins are smooth, the acidity stands a bit taller than the fruit, but I can't forget that its decanted for only half an hour.
After about 1.5hr the wine retains the character, the acidity is smoother, the fruit is riper but there is still a green element.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2020 - Lma1969 wrote:
Brought to Ken's for dinner. Other wines that night included a 2010 Haut Brion, a 1947 Yquem, and about another 15 wines of various vintages and quality. Truly wonderful evening.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (3)
5/3/2020 - jww Likes this wine: 95 Points
excellent wine
nice nose fruit and cedar (comparedd to the HB 98 we drank a few noght earlier with virtually no nose)
took a good two hours for the wine to show its stuff, relaxed tannins Dark fruits Cedar, Tar, Tobacco a beautiful and comples wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2020 - rikipedia wrote: 95 Points
Mid brick red to browning rim
A heady bouquet of stewed black & red fruit, cedarwood, undergrowth and spices. As the wine opens seems more raspberry, cigar and black cherry.
It was quite tight on the front palate but as it opened in the decanter started to shine with far more expressive flavours of forest fruits, blackcurrant, spice, and a mineral or stone element - also pratty putty. With excellent depth and length to the mid-palate, the wine is well-balanced with a bright acidity. There is a sweetness to the wine, yet the finish wraps up dry and long and utterly gratifying.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2019 - BradE wrote:
A very nice vintage of Haut Brion, and we liked it very much. But not surprisingly, this is very early days for this vintage and I'd drink other 90's vintages first and let this cellar a while longer (even the 95).
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2019 - Lateva wrote: 98 Points
Pop and pour. After 2 hours this was damn near perfect. Gorgeous red fruited nose with graphite and cedar. Elegant palate with perfect balance, mid palate grip and silky tannins. Gorgeous.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/20/2019 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opening act from Bordeaux on Rhône blind tasting night: First HB ever - Nose of black fruits, spices, peppers, old textbook. Palate of black fruits, red fruits, berries, violets, spices, herbs, peppers, with a smoky, tobacco and bell peppers finish. This is lively with nice acidity and remains youthful with quite a bit of tannins still. Some decanting will do this good. Ok to open now but should improve with more time. Good stuff.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2019 - Nanda wrote: 96 Points
BBQ and Top Shelf Vino (Chez Moll): Blind. Youthful dense aromas of plum fruit, cigar and bell pepper. Rich and concentrated fruit paired with still gritty tannin. Excellent balance and tension. Layered with bell pepper, pencil shavings, and tobacco for days. An interesting contrast to the 80s Bordeaux. Clearly more rich and powerful. This is in an early drinking window and can go for decades.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2019 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Saturday BBQ (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. The tannic grip here seemed to be a little looser than the 1996 vintage would imply, so I actually guessed that this was a 1995. As far as commune, I picked up far more lead pencil and dark fruit and went to Paulliac -- my actual guess was 1995 Latour. At least I got the pedigree right. This was very impressive but unfortunately slightly overshadowed by some of the other Bordeaux on the table tonight.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
This is a very good wine, and a superb Haut Brion that continues stubbornly hanging on to its youth. After 90 minutes in the decanter, the tannins subsided and the wine popped with its tar, tobacco, smoke and dark red berry nose. Full-bodied, concentrated, regal and with some tannin needing to be resolved, give this until 2025 and you will have a fabulous drinking experience in your glass.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/13/2019 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Nice secondary evolution, seamless.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2019 - Ozen Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted the 1996 Haut Brion before but never as outstanding as this bottle. Bottles and our moods make for an always different experience. Now fully mature but with substantial staying power.
This time an absolutely excellent experience. This Haut-Brion is rich, with depth, it beats many other vintages like 1995 and 2001. Equal to the 1998 this time. Strawberry, with tantalizing depths of red fruit, a smorgasboard or summer fruit but with enough freshness to make it a classic beauty. A masculine base of remarkably beautiful tannins. Very Good length with lingering aftertaste of more than a minute. Very very nice.
Drinking this makes you realize what a Premier Cru really is about.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/18/2019 - mye Likes this wine:
Tasted blind. classic left bank earthiness and smoke – Delicious – mix of dark fruit and dried plum. balanced and slight hint of sweetness. Tertiary leather. Class of the line up tonight
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2019 - facchair Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lots of fruit, drinking well now but can hang on for many years. Special bottle of wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2019 - Milos Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted nearly two hours. Opaque, deep red. Forward black current, blueberry and tobacco nose. Intense, focused palate from the front to back; it does not miss a beat. Tannins notable but in balance. Long. Enjoyable now but decades left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/13/2019 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Vinetasters: Pessac-Léognan (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. Good red fruit elements here, with some nice graphite intensity. Fairly classic, with a mild dose of pyrazine. The palate is quite ripe but nicely balanced. Still quite young, this needs a bit more time to resolve, especially with the tannins being as grippy as they are. Nonetheless, a very compelling example, which clearly was classic Bordeaux from the moment your nose went into the glass. My 1st, group's 1st.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2019 - Rezy13 wrote: 93 Points
2019 New Years Day Tasting (Milton, GA): Very dark core, cloudy with garnet rim; musk, deep nose, cigar, green edge, wet earth, almost Mexican chocolate, slight jam, deep, serious, tannic, a bit cooked in its fruit profile, holly, black and red currant, dense mid and 1st growth richness; called '99 Mouton.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2018 - Burgundy Mitch wrote: 95 Points
From Magnum. Decanted at least 3 hours. Beautiful and just in it’s early drinking good window as there still some tannin here but this wine definitely showed up to play. Classic HB flavor profile with a sweet attack, excellent balance, and a seriously long finish. Beautiful Bordeaux.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2018 - Ibetian wrote: 95 Points
Opened an hour before dinner and decanted shortly before drinking. Beautiful nose of red and black fruits plus a little old leather. Not quite as complex as a 1998 Lafite drunk alongside, but a great bottle in its drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/28/2018 - Tavastgatan wrote: 95 Points
Class act. Love the Haut Brion style, with its unique dark elegans. Could drink a magnum of this, and still want more!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2018 - steinersing wrote: 96 Points
Excellent from jero. Typical HB nose. Deep and singing.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2018 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
Fabulous - even in magnum this is basically ready (early maturity) and shows a completely classic HB profile full of black cherry, wood smoke, refined oak, and mineral. So succulent, refreshing really. 95-96
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/2/2018 - onboisduvin Likes this wine: 93 Points
characteristic aroma of green pepper. Not that much of cedar and wood compared with 1998 lafeur today.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2018 - la turque wrote: 97 Points
This wine is in a lovely place. Dark colour, intoxicating aromas of tobacco, cedar, black fruits, lead pencil, rain on hot rocks. On the palate, focused fruit with impeccable balance. Brilliant. Drink now with a good decant, or anytime in the next 10 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2018 - La Grappe wrote: 93 Points
Quite an open bouquet; the palate has elegant, blackcurrant fruit; medium weight with some fine-grained tannin still evident, and a gravelly texture. Certainly stylish, a little restrained, but beginning to develop into a fine example.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/28/2018 - skifree wrote: 97 Points
Best wine I have had in a while. Still had fruit, but also lots of mushroom, earth, and damp cedar that were beguiling. Was surprised at how delicate this was; lost some of the nuances when paired with some charcuterie.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2017 - steinersing wrote: 93 Points
not singing but pretty good, still in need of more time
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2017 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Good balance, depth and freshness.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2017 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 94 Points
Semiblind Haut Brion Tasting (Guido's Cellar): Sehr spannende semiblinde Haut Brion – Probe in sehr geselliger Runde mit tollem Gastgeber und einer sehr leckeren Forellen-Tarte. Alle Flaschen wurden zwischen 0,5-3 Stunden doppelt dekantiert. Was die Treffgenauigkeit der Jahrgänge betraf, ist noch deutlich Luft nach oben. Interessant war, dass die Differenz in den Bewertungen (6 Trinker) bei fast allen Weinen maximal im 2-Punkte-Bereich lagen. Es wurde eine Flasche nach der anderen getrunken. Keine Flights. Keine fehlerhaften Weine.
Noch Cassis geprägt mit einer Prise Zigarrenkiste. Dazu etwas Leder und Pfeffer. Braucht Luft. Erneut 1995 getippt. 94P
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2017 - Winemaker51 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Overall, a ighter renditcion of CHB. Some tertiary aromas and typical hints of menthol and dried herbs, with caramel/oak. Palate was very drinkable in an elegant way. Fully mature and should be drunk now, unless you have a magnum. Would have guessed as an Haut Brion from the eighties?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2017 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 92 Points
Solid pleasurable drinking, but young and intense still. Haut Brion soul is just beginning to come through, but too much stuffing to show all of its layers and nuance tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2017 - oxwombat wrote: 92 Points
Opened at White's in London. 1996 First Growth Dinner.
For some reason, having had 1996 HB a few times, I just don't feel like this vintage has lived up to its potential. This was good but not great, and overshadowed by the wines we had following this in the line-up. Distinctly HB with the smokiness, but nothing amazing.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2017 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 90 Points
This was definitely an off-bottle, though it wasn't tainted. It was certainly too advanced for a 1996. The aromatics showed off cassis, earth, damp leather, and library book. It lacked overall complexity on the palate, but had a nice fresh finish. Tannins were also in check. Again, not a good representative of 1996 Haut-Brion.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2017 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points
Mivvy Back in Town: Blind. Stalk and herb with menthol, sweet blackberry and blackcurrant and some tobacco based smoky notes. Good mix of sweet fruit as well as herbal and savoury notes on the palate, there is good flow and the fine tannins provide very good structure. Bordeaux the obvious choice when picking it blind. Really nice, but I preferred the 1996 Margaux next to it. Drinking pretty well now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/22/2017 - mye Likes this wine:
Decanted for 2 hours. Dark purple, with black fruit, a hints of tobacco.
Somewhat closed at 2 hr mark but continued to improve in glass / throughout the meal.
Lots of power, and layers of complexity. Well balanced.
Just entering drinking window, but certainly a delicious treat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/13/2017 - tbuysse Likes this wine: 100 Points
From magnum (thanks Roy!). Perfection achieved, once again. This wine is creamy and generous, is big and elegant, is powerfull and smooth. Has a 50 seconds after taste. Beautiful colour with perfect balance. Tobaco, pipe, rasberry, mokka, roasted vanilla. Table agreed this was by far best of the flight. Not in a hurry to consume, but brilliant right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2017 - La Grappe wrote: 90 Points
Quite dense, with blackcurrant fruit and a touch of mint; elegant, with a rather dry, tannic finish. This seems less harmonious than earlier bottles, and is perhaps in a dull phase. Try again in a few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2017 - Ary Likes this wine: 96 Points
Haut-Brion Vertical (semi-blind tasting) (Amsterdam Wijn Antiquariaat): Superb Haut Brion, a long distance runner with excellent delineation. On the palate powerful, complex and elegant with thick ripe black fruits, tar and eucalyptus notes. Long and fresh with loads of tannin. Still quite young, try again in 5 years - 96+ points.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2017 - Burgnick wrote:
Second time tasting the hb. Its completely shut down. What you can taste is the elegance and power of the wine. Its very structured with a long finish. It needs a lot more time to be ready. I still like the 95 Haut Brion more.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/18/2017 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 96 Points
Drack från magnum. Underbar doft med mörk mogen frukt, stendamm, tobak, tjära, höstskog, menthol, cigarrlåda och viss blommighet. Underbar balans med söt och fräsch koncentrerad frukt, eleganta men påtagliga tanniner, underbar frisk syra.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/26/2017 - Dehrmann wrote: flawed
LeCoucou (OdV) '90 Leoville Poyferre (95) '82 Lynch Bages (94), '96 Haut Brion (oxdated), '99 Clos des Lambrays (93)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/5/2017 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Super Bowl 2017 (Alpharetta, GA): Darker core with reddish brick rim; stank, new oak, currants, white chocolate, slight medicinal; oak, red fruit, great mid palate density; delicious, very drinkable, still youthful and undelineated.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2017 - la turque wrote: 98 Points
Ad Hoc Tasting (Chez Moi): This wine is singing. Dark colour, intoxicating aromas of tobacco, cedar, black fruits, lead pencil, rain on hot rocks. On the palate, focused fruit with impeccable balance. Brilliant. Drink now with a good decant, or anytime in the next 10 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/5/2017 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 95 Points
Holiday dinner organized by Ken Brown with many great wines! (Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C.): 1996 is very well known for excellent wines from the Medoc but not so much necessarily for the Graves region. And yet Haut Brion excelled in this vintage, as we experienced tonight. Not as substantial as the 1998, the 1996 however offers such clean precision and clarity of fruit. It has a misleadingly high toned feel - at first. But the overall feel is one of refined excellence and full body that does not seem so at first. By the time you finish your sip, the echoing finish reassures your senses that this damn wine is frigging seriously delicious in a subtle and elegant manner. Bravo!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/11/2016 - peternelson wrote: 94 Points
Walk in the forest, light cigar, wet pine trees and forest floor with just ripe cassis and black fruits; medium full body but still nicely balanced, excellent concentration, tannins, lift, body, alcohol--all in superb balance. Nice long finish. Great wine. Still young.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/11/2016 - jasonh Likes this wine: 95 Points
Brief note. Tremendous. Great aromatics. Time or air will bring improvement.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
This particular bottle was the best example of this wine I have ever tasted! Double decanted about 4 hours or more, this really grabbed me in all the right ways, and in all the best places. Picture a dark chocolate covered cigar, with smoked cherries, tar, leather and cigar box aromatics. Full bodied, concentrated, long and fresh with this beautiful, sweetness and purity of cherry fruits and cassis. The texture was silky, lush and with a bit of tannic bite, paired with crunchy, berries in the long finish. This felt as good as it tasted. It is worth popping a cork now, if you have a bottle and if you wait, this will be even better with another 5-10 years in the bottle.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2016 - PJRONeill wrote: 92 Points
Yep - not ready. lovely aromatics on the nose but the palate is still fairly tightly wound. This was opened about three hours before a decant, which in turn was 90 minutes before serving. Interesting to check in on but the rest will be left alone for a while.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2016 - La Grappe wrote: 93 Points
A fairly deep colour; elegant, quite full and ample, with some discreet tannin. Mature but still lively. Should keep well for 5 to 10 years. Very fine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 93 Points
Château Haut-Brion Vertical (Bouley): Becoming very automatically expressive with dried rosy notes above maturing red berry fruit. Menthol, red cedar, cigar box, and spices coming through nicely. Perfumed. Dark and dense in the palate with brooding black currant fruit. Not wound up but very dense. Loads of flavour here. Big finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2016 - DoubleD1969 Likes this wine: 93 Points
At the current price point, one would expect the wine to deliver. It did. Ex-chateau that was purchased about 5+ years ago. Color was Burgundian from a warm vintage. It wasn't opaquely dark and brooding. Pop and poured. Aromas of baked raspberries, pink roses, and then cedar, woodsy element with darker fruit. The palate was soft and delicate initially then gained some weight over time with the tannins making their presence known. Still young and should still improve with more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2016 - Burgnick wrote: 92 Points
Not enough aeration. A lot of oak and black fruit on the nose. The palate has more structure and depth than the 95 on the side but its still too young and primary. It will outperform the 95 in the long haul but it needs a lot more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/29/2016 - dbkitc wrote: 97 Points
A special wine for a special night. Maybe the occasion added to the enjoyment but gosh, this is a heck of a wine. Perfect balance of tobacco leaf, beef marrow and red fruit. Integrated, silky palate that has verve but is in no way intrusive. Long with a terrific feel in the mouth. Should last for ages on balance but absolutely fine to drink now. Became a bit timid with an hour of air and then opened again 90 minutes later. A great wine in early adulthood. Another example why this is my favorite Bordeaux chateau. (97)
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/9/2016 - Zweder wrote:
Quite mature bouquet with chocolate, soy, but also luxurious oak, tobacco and earth. On the palate juicy dark forest fruits, chocolate, some celery and minerals. Ok acidity and tannin. Very good wine, but my personal impression is that the wine is not showing as it should. Very beautiful alright, but too mature. No score; need to taste again…
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/7/2016 - RayOB Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank at 67
Vibrant fruit on the nose with a crystal clear palate and incredible depth. Wonderful. What is not to like even better than the '95
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/7/2016 - Mr T wrote:
Outstanding bottle. Modest double decant and then drunk over several hours. Wine is fully resolved and firing on all cylinders. Lovely lovely wine and well worth the price of admission when bought. Today, that is a different matter.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2016 - McKraftyWino Likes this wine: 96 Points
When first tasted from Riedal Bordeaux Somm glass, it was too tight, too constricted.
So then tried from a Zalto Bordeaux glass. excellent!
i was shocked at how much better it presented.
i normally prefer wines in Big Bordeaux Somm glasses however for this wine, for this time, the Zalto was clearly better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
6/3/2016 - jeff nowak Likes this wine: 94 Points
This went long and deep to the end zone. Not decanted, and not sure why not. Nevertheless, I'll go out on a limb and call this a perfect bottle allowing the juice to rival the 1998. Not certain how other bottles might stack up to this beauty. Not much tannin here, just a beautiful integration with the fruit. Silky smooth and a very long finish. I thought it was delicious. So how long to age? I don't see it going 50 years because there was already so much tannin resolution. Well stored/cared for bottles like this could go 5 more years? I don't envision upside, only risk after that.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2016 - Levinsb wrote: 96 Points
Does wine get better than this? Maybe but not in a way that I can appreciate. I'm loving every precious sip of this. Medium bodied but intense flavors of black fruits and smoky earth. Juicy acidity balances the fruit. Very long finish. I just want to take sip after sip. Fantastic. Unrealistic pricing of CHB means I'm not likely to back for more, but thoroughly enjoying this now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2016 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
A beautiful Haut Brion that really benefitted from the 5-hr decant. This was the most complex wine of the night and has definitely entered its drinking window although still young. Medium-bodied with lovely flavors of warm asphalt, tobacco and smoky black fruits that lead to a very finely complex finish with notes of gravel and dark spice. I just loved drinking this. 95+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2016 - Bobhelge wrote: 97 Points
Pessac-Leognan tasting: This is close to the best wine I've ever tasted. Its elegance, complexity, charm and loveliness fills your mind with happiness. It plays you a trick with austere and rustic aromas at first but then it turns sweet and delicious. Lots of defined aromas, the complexity here is pronounced. Chocolate, dried raspberry, leather, roasted coffee, hay and hints of barnyard is just some of the elements found. Nice developed palate with a much of the same aromas as found on the nose. Incredible well balanced with a good amount of ripe and dens tannins with uplifting acidity and fruit texture to back it up. The most impressive thing of this wine is the finish which hours after the tasting is still on the palate
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2016 - ricknat1 wrote: 94 Points
Still tannic and young and dark but quite pretty in classic HB way. i would hold for a while based on this bottle. although I have tasted much more open bottles before
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/2/2016 - blanquito wrote: 95 Points
A baby, but drinking well, so smooth, pure and effortless. A monument to balance and elegance, but with depth to spare, I love this. Showed better than the LMHB 96 next to it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2016 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Second Sunday Group: 1996 Bordeaux (high end) (Marty's): Notes of red berry preserves, herbs and plum with a subtle hint of dried hay. Full-bodied with an abundance of red fruit along with iron, tobacco and hay. Lingering finish. I do not care for the hay quality, but the fruit is very nice.
Double blind:
My #6, Domino's #5
Group #4, 52 pts
Single blind guess: Haut Brion- I've had more Haut Brion than any other first growth, so once I knew it was in the line up I figured this had to be, mostly by process of elimination. I am fairly certain this was touched by brett (the hay notes), because it certainly didn't show the iodine that I associate with Pessac. A good bottle of wine, but it should have been better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2016 - dharrison93 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank with a friend over Filet Mignon and crab after a brief decant. Fully mature with minimal sediment. Typical H-B nose of mocha, date, plum and dark fruit. A bit tight so a thorough decanting is recommended.
If a date, this was a 30 year old model turned high school teacher who loves to wear peekaboo lingerie to class to keep the teenage boys guessing and fantasizing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2015 - Good Stuff Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sure its a great wine and really shows what a great wine is all about. After an hour the wine opened up beautifully with a clean medium body, light bouquet, fruit was still very present
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/13/2015 - Merky_Waters Likes this wine: 93 Points
Parting gift from work.
bottle was in great shape. good fill, cork was firm and clean.
not at all tired structurally. medium body. Still plenty of acid textured tannins with a polished tea like grip.
very closed on opening with the tar, plum, cigar box, red pepper and graphite notes dominating the nose. While the fruit takes time to develop, the initial aromas showoff the power and aging potential of the wine.
after an hour or so in the glass, the elegance of fruit and oak really start to show.
ripe cherry, dusty blueberry. Tangy plum and red apple peel notes help lift the more decadent chocolatey french oak.
The wine's age shows more on the nose with consistant prune, tobacco, and smoked meats while the palate remains youthful and fresh. the 50% merlot really shines with mouth watering cherry, spring flower, brown sugar, and an ashy mineralitly. Finesse is the best term to describe this wine. powerful yet effortless.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2015 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
Chaine Dinner at Bibou; all 5 bottles came from my cellar. A youthful purple-ruby core, turning towards ruby at the rim. Classic bouquet, offering up scents of earth, crushed stone, ripe black fruits, tobacco, and hints of leather. Classic in style, medium-bodied, light on its feet but with good depth of flavor; focused and long finish. Will no doubt improve over the next 10 - 20 years!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2015 - The Vines That Bind Likes this wine: 94 Points
A very floral and purfumey nose hinting Margaux at first with white flowers, lilies, orchids, and honeysuckle, but also giving up some more spicy scents like cinnamon doughnut sugar. Curious baking notes like powdered sugar, waffle mix and pancake compliment darker red fruit and dried meats on the palate throughout. Tannins were slightly bigger than other '96s.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/12/2015 - reichken wrote: 93 Points
Drank @ Portland, dark color , earth nose of tobacco, a little leather and black fruits. Med weight in the mouth, very pleasant to drink. Prbly not a wow HB but delicious
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2015 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 96 Points
Dracks sida vid sida med 1970, 1975 och 1982.
En stor doft med söta körsbär, cigarrlåda, tobak och höstskog. Underbar balans med elegant kraft med söt och fräsch koncentrerad frukt, eleganta men påtagliga tanniner, underbar frisk syra. Det här är verkligen en favorit. Underbar ålder med ungdomlig kraft och frukt med början till mognad.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/22/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Better on the nose than the palate at the moment, but that could change with more time. The smokey, tobacco, wet earth, cigar box and sweet red cherries in the perfume really grabs you. The wine lacks the concentration found in the top years, but the tannins are ripe, the fruits are fresh, refined, elegant and long, leaving with sensations of cassis, blackberries and Cuban cigars in the finish. This is still quite young and should be even better with another 5 years or so in the bottle.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2015 - sooper65 wrote: 95 Points
Youthful, lovely freshness here, perhaps a dollop of cab franc in the brew.
Entering its drinking window, but much better with an hour in the decanter!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/15/2015 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 95 Points
This Haut-Brion is just starting to show some age. Drank this over two days, and it was much better on day two. A restrained wine that exudes finesse. Plum, cassis, lots of mineral, tobacco, and smoke. Nose is still a bit shy, but you can sense the tertiary elements starting to emerge. Medium-bodied and beautifully balanced in the mouth. Good acidity. Tannins soft and silky. Medium-plus finish. I knew this was jumping the gun, but I've been waiting to try this. It's far from being a legendary wine, but it's going to be very, very good. It's also going to improve considerably over the upcoming years. I'm looking forward to following this one.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/12/2015 - cos82 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Purple plum in color. Lovely nose of cassis, tobacco, lead pencil and roses. Refined, smooth and balanced palate of cherry, cassis, lead pencil, tea and tobacco. Not a huge wine; just harmonious and delicious. No tannin and drinking beautifully.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2015 - la turque wrote: 96 Points
This wine is singing. Dark colour, intoxicating aromas of tobacco, cedar, black fruits, lead pencil. On the palate, focused fruit with impeccable balance. Brilliant. Drink now with a good decant, or anytime in the next 10 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2015 - La Grappe wrote: 92 Points
Garnet with a touch of brown. This now seems fully mature, with elegant blackcurrant/blackberry fruit, a soft texture and a long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2015 - Levinsb wrote:
Tar charcoal tart plum. Firm black tea tannins present but not overpowering. Charred meat and dark cherry finish. Beautiful intense powerful wine. My first CHB.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2015 - yofog wrote:
Open and mature nose, in fact more mature than I was expecting, with cassis, tobacco, and nut notes with a base of very apparent and wonderful soil inflection. Not a powerhouse, but very classy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/6/2014 - Cosmo M. Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened 8 bottles for a private event and all were consistently excellent. The wine is drinking quite well and could probably survive another 4-6 years in proper storage. Still has some harnessed power to it, with nice earthiness and refined tannins complementing the dark fruit notes.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/20/2014 - clayfu wrote:
killed in comparison to the 95, clean, minty, pure. Dry extract and subdued fruit. A young wine but waiting to really come out of its shell. Hold but it'll be tasty!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/12/2014 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Second Sunday Group: 2010 California Merlot (Our house): Marty brought this for dinner, bagged, and served it to us double blind. Aromas of tar, dark fruit and spice, with an herbal/eucalyptus undertone. Medium-bodied and nicely balanced, with flavors of dark fruit, dried herbs and red berries which linger through the finish. Slight meaty undertone. No one guessed Haut Brion, and I do not recall whether anyone even suggested Bordeaux. I think most of us were thinking Syrah- some Cote Rotie, some Hermitage, others further south. A nice bottle, but probably not representative.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2014 - EndreS wrote: flawed
Chateau Haut-Brion Vertical (Litteraturhuset, Oslo): Very herbal nose. Cool fruits and plenty of tannins. Massive. Alcoholic finish. Something strange with the bottle, I think.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2014 - LWI wrote: 90 Points
Haut Brion Tasting 1918-1999 (Oslo): About 50% merlot harvested in difficult and rainy conditions. A bit green and lean, paint. Perhaps should not be rated. Difficult to tell whether this was faulty bottle or the wine is just this strange. According to the Chateau, not a very successful year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/29/2014 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Steve's 60th (Roswell, GA): Darker core, aged, 1/4" bricking; new oak, fresh, currant, cigar, red cherry, no green pepper; luxurious, red cherry, tasty, silky, really elegant and drinkable; really tasty but not showing the Graves funk, this bottle needs another 10 years or more at least; 94+.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/13/2014 - la turque wrote: 95 Points
I completely agree with the February 2014 note of TCOSGRIFF. Opened, tasted on opening. The fruit was sweet and rich, and we decided not to decant for any great length of time. Decanted a few minutes before drinking--only to take the wine off the sediment. The wine was beautifully open, deeply coloured and perfectly balanced. A gorgeous, deep, complex, perfectly balanced wine, with good structure, rich fruit and a long finish. Drink now or keep for up to 10 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2014 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
Haut-Brion & more (Buchery de Bariloce restaurant): Pop & poured.
Deep opaque red purple
Nose of fresh red and black plums, complex but not yet integrated.
Full bodied, grip tannins, good acidity level, rich, still austere, graphite, pencil lead, dark cocoa chocolate, powerful, solid finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2014 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pure, fresh, blackcurrant and blackberry fruit; the palate is reasonably full and very elegant, and there is a streak of acidity on the finish. The acidity makes the wine seem youthful and it should keep well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2014 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 97 Points
Lovely claret color with a bouquet and flavor that is dominated by silky tobacco notes, a hallmark of this wine. Wonderful balance with a very supple feeling in the mouth. The greatest wines always have this feel, which is a feature of their exceptional balance, with not a single jarring note or rough edge. They also have wonderful depth and finesse, but this may actually be secondary in importance. Some say that this wine will get better, but with a lot of potential mishaps on the way. So be like the French and drink it! Haut-Brion is one of my favorite wines.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2014 - jww Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very fruity nose from bottle when opened less pronounced in the glass
Initially austere but over the next three hours it opened up a beautiful bottle. Took 1.5 hours to show its real potential.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2014 - ESCO Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very rarely does one get to experience real magic in a bottle ; all our pent-up hopes invested in a bottle we cherish and have lovingly stored wishing it will contain the ambrosia we dream of is oft read about but experienced only it seems by others.
I would love to say that the '96 Haut Brion exhibits all the typicity and breeding of its class but I can't because this is my first experience of the wine ; ergo , I don't know about the typicity and class. A poor man in a rich man's world, but happy to be here just for the moment.
Tar and a wonderful feeling of warm tobacco ( does that even make sense ?? ) hit the nose and embalm the senses with heat, but gentle heat. Beautiful deep garnet colour , just on the turn , make this wine a real visual pleasure too. I got few of the usual suspects I read about such as cherries , red fruit , and pencil but I did get an exotic warmth I am unable to pinpoint; perhaps an allspice aroma ??
To the true connoisseur I apologise for this rather muddled critique of what was , to date , the best drinking experience of my life…..it will add little to your understanding, but to those who rarely have the chance to experience what the fuss is all about, I say only this ; it was a privilege at the cost…
Is this wine at its zenith? ; I doubt it , but it need soar no higher to be memorable.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2013 - soyhead wrote:
Nose - cedar, cherry, funky, sour plum compote
Mouth - impressive concentration, smooth, dark and red fruits intermixed, a really gorgeous wine, one of the better Bordeaux I have had. Side by side consumed with the 96 Mouton and I'm more impressed with this.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/17/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
A beautiful, classic vintage of Haut Brion here. Still young, with some air, truffle, smoke, cassis, blackberry and chocolate aromas emerge. The wine is full bodied, rich, soft and supple. This is quite nice now and with 5-10 more years, if you can keep your hands off it, it's only going to get better. This is one of the better values for high quality Haut Brion in the marketplace today.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/11/2013 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Dinner at Ristorante Firenze (Norcross, GA): Dark core with bricking; very Bordeaux nose of cigar, green pepper, earthy stank, cow pie, mushroom, currant; mineral, soft texture, plush and noble, blue cheese, leaner finish; starting what I imagine as the beginning of its drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/12/2013 - breadandwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had the chance to taste this one last Thursday. Beautiful complex nose with hints of dark spices, sous-bois, leather, primes and minerals. Complex but balanced on the palate with tannines that (still!) aren't totally integrated. Huge.. But pricey :)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2013 - capacious Likes this wine: 94 Points
The when to drink comments suggested that perhaps this is still early and I agree- this was decanted three hours before a rack of lamb dinner, and was better and better over the hour of the dinner- but there is much more to come- and perhaps a higher score, altho this is drinking beautifully now. Classically and magnificently structured from start to end of lengthy finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/1/2013 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine:
wow nose! Perfumed, complex, classy, fantastic array of aromas, exquisite in the mouth, HB rocks! Minerals, red fruits, very finesse, intellectual
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2013 - mychurch wrote: 95 Points
This will end up being a better wine than the 95 as its much more harmonious. It tasted quite a bit younger at the moment though and I´d leave it in the cellar for another 10 years. Lovely balance between the dark fruit, the earth minerality, the refreshing acidity and the spicy oak. All sits together wonderfully well and there is a class and finesse about this wine that the 95 does not have. The 95 though was a bit nearer its peak and while I can admire this it is still quite primary and I´d take the older vintage at the moment. Give this time though and it will be sublime.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2012 - dlinlaw wrote: 95 Points
This was quite nice, though a clear step below the '98 Haut Brion. but, still a beautiful wine, nonetheless. drank this at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant Cut, with a delicious Australian Waygu steak. Nice structure, purplish dark red, berry, plum, tannins quite nice, less power but good finesse. 95 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2012 - gilbertinpdx wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful color. Deep red. Nose is a bit closed. Violets graphite, leather. Fine tannins at the finish. Definately feels like it needs more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2012 - salil wrote: 93 Points
A class apart from the three Cal Cabs. It's still very much about its youthful fruit and not yet showing that distinctive scorched/smoky element I usually find in Haut-Brion, but it's incredibly elegant and finessed with layers of cedar, tobacco, savoury earth and youthful dark fruited flavours coming together seamlessly. Still very much about its potential, but a treat to enjoy this now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/26/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Birthday Celebration (Balena - Chicago IL): Dense black plum, black currant, dark coffee and licorice aromas. Firm, dense and sweet black fruit flavors, supported by firm tannins and structure. Good today, but better in another decade.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2012 - Goldstone wrote: 93 Points
Another Dinner with Greg & Sayo (Their Place, Hong Kong): Deep and opaque beef-blood red colour turning to purple-red near the edges and with just the slightest watery transparency at the meniscus. Nose is lovely, precise fresh red and black plums with black Chinese mushrooms, then white fresh-sawn plank wood, some black ink.....complex but not yet integrated. Palate is considerably more advanced than the nose but is still austere graphite, pencil lead and coal-black tannin....dark 100% cocoa chocolate, mouth-puckering tannin...sharp, angular and young...a work in progress....a powerful but totally unfurled finish but needs 5-7 years to harmonise. That said, it already has a linear sophistication that I can only describe as "angular charm". It definitely out-sophisticated the still lovely Pahlmeyer 1996 that we drank alongside it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/1/2012 - KostaKats wrote: 93 Points
Light garnet. Tawny rim. Big powerful nose of cassis, plums, graphite, sharp blackberries, scorched earth, herbs. Lovely very slightly dusty tannins (almost melting away yet very present), lovely persistent high acidity coming through in waves - and i have become comfortably numb. More lively as well as rich fruit and less brothy than the 1978. Endless finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2012 - il_diavolo wrote: 95 Points
Tasted next to the 1978 the nose is so much riper - red fruit and distinct blood character. The palate is still somewhat unevolved and tannic but you already get distinct flavours of smoke, tobacco and tar. Utterly brilliant wine that just needs some years. My guess is that somewhere between 5-15 years from now would be a great drinking window.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/16/2012 - tbuysse wrote: 99 Points
Absolutely legendary and close to perfection. Much better than 2 years ago. Ready for drinking after 30m of decant. The smell is unique and the after-taste lasts for minutes. Will surely last for another decade, but I see no reason to wait any longer. Impressive..
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2012 - Vincenzo Tagliavia wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at Cassis, Knightsbridge. Bottle shared between two
This has still lot of potential.
there is plenty of aromas and complexity going on and it opens up beautifully without decanting it.
Definitely more evolved on the nose rather than on the palate; the nose is still fresh with small tertiary nuances; typical tobacco leaf interwoven, liquorice with aeration.
Firm grip to the middle palate, this bottle shows its youth, lacks a bit of juice but still terribly fresh with some after palate flavors developing with medium intensity.
better than expected, still 5-10 years in bottle will help to smooth some edges and give more definition to the palate; almost as if it was a young wine needing asserting itself!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2012 - RayOB wrote: 96 Points
Berry Brother's & Rudd Worldwide Fine Wine Tasting (Berry Brother's & Rudd - St James Place): Huge complex wine with a great nose and taste.
The nose has a lot of cassis, tobacco and forest floor. The taste is smooth rich and very very long. You can taste the Merlot rounding out the flavour.
The length of this wine just seems to keep on going. You have time to contemplate and ponder the amazing complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2012 - T.E.D. wrote: 94 Points
Wonderfully complex and ever changing with each hour of being open. A dizzying array of stone fruit, earth and soil, mushroom and truffle, and green vegetation are present in every scent and sip.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2011 - Tjp1963 wrote: 95 Points
Shared with friends at a special french restaurant. The duck Confit was a perfect paring. This wine definitely improved as the night went on an the bottle opened up more. Minerality with a hint of tobacco that opened up to a more floral, fruity wine as the night stretched out. Very memorable. Biggest complaint was that we only had 1 bottle!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
1996 Haut Brion is filled with smoke, tobacco, cigar box, ash, kirsch, blackberry and licorice aromatics. This is a big, chewy, masculine style of Haut Brion. Tannic and tight, this needs time to develop and flesh out. Another 10 years will allow this to mature into something special. 95 Pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2011 - Ary Likes this wine: 96 Points
Mature Left Bank Bordeaux (semi blind) (Wijnantiquariaat Amsterdam): (4 hours open) Ruby red. Kirsch, fresh roasted coffee beans, tea leaves and over-ripe dark fruits in the nose. Thick ripe fruits and velvet coating on the palate. Incredible power with cocos and chocolate. Highly concentrated finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/4/2011 - rdsboca wrote: 94 Points
Dan's 50th Birthday Extravaganza (Abe & Louie's): I may be too conservative with this score but we drank it with the 59 and 82 Lafite which were in another league. This wine is a winner, just young and muscular. Awesome backbone and mouthfeel. It is in the early miles of a marathon. In 20 years, it has the potential for greatness. After three hours, the wine softened and the tertiary flavors emerged. So, if you kill it young, decant for 4 hours beforehand.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Acker Merrall 1996 Left Bank Bordeaux Dinner (Balsan - Chicago IL): Considerable earthy and tobacco aromas were more pronounced that the black fruit. Reasonable amount of oak. The palate was a combination of black fruit, strong flavors of earth and lots of muscular tannins. To me this showed as around a "90 point" wine but alas, tonight's four1996 1st Growths were served in new glasses that all seemed tainted by an odd combination of dust and soap residue, making them hard to fairly assess.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2011 - la turque wrote: 95 Points
The wine opened up beautifully after two hours in the decanter. Still youthful, but very approachable, and starting to drink beautifully. A gorgeous, deep wine, with good structure, rich fruit and a long finish. brilliant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2011 - La Grappe wrote: 90 Points
This bottle seems to have less richness than either Château Pichon Baron or Château Grand Puy Lacoste 1996, which we have drunk recently. There is a slightly lean acidity and some unresolved tannin. The underlying flavour shows characteristic, fine claret notes, but perhaps it needs more time. Potentially a much higher score than on this occasion.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2011 - popasq wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 40 minutes before drinking, still very young, but very elegant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2011 - La Grappe wrote: 95 Points
Concentrated fruit, a dense texture and cedar/cigar box/spice overtones; quite ripe and full; now reasonably mature but with plenty of life and scope for improvement.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2011 - vespasian Likes this wine: 95 Points
Ruby core with surprising orange fade at the rim; lovely pure defined notes of red fruits and tobacco leaf. Dark chocolate, psice, anise; lots of dark berried friuits on the palate. Fantastic mouthfeel - really lovely texture. Young but already complex and complete. Superb.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2011 - MRichman wrote:
"The Good Stuff" 2011 -- A double blind tasting (La Fonda del Sol, NYC): Big, Rich, extracted, full flavored. Somewhat light weight. Bright with som tobacco and dark flavors. Clean, clear. Tar tannins. Young. I found this too young to grade, but based on it's full flavor, light weight, and dark tar I guessed mid 90s Barolo.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2011 - tbuysse wrote: 95 Points
TOP. Showed all its power upon opening the bottle. The wine simply excelled in parfum and body. Extremely elegant and at the same time body and power. Magnificent wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2011 - swyang wrote:
no points for now as this was tasted, very unfairly, in the same evening along with '82, Ch. Margaux, '82 Lynch Bages, '90 Ch. Latour, DRC Richebourg '00, among others. This bottle was the youngest by far and a long shot. One should not open this for a decade as it is still with lots ofllaser like penetrating tannins and a bit single dimensional. But, the fruits, tannin, and high pitch texture promises a lot brighter futur.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/31/2010 - PatrikO wrote: 93 Points
As per prvious note, needs serious decanting time to open. Would hold off with these for a couple of years more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/4/2010 - stephanm wrote: 93 Points
Dear Bottle, so sorry for drinking you way too young. I could tell one day you would have much more to offer, and I will make sure your case-mates stay there for a while longer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/2010 - pgordon62 wrote: 90 Points
Uncorked 24hrs ahead. Piercing aromas of red and black fruits, tobacco leaf, anise, menthol, gravel and char. Compressed on the palate and dominated by anise oak. Almost painfully acidic on the finish. Back into the cellar for 24hrs with minimal change. 72hrs later the harsh edges had started to soften. The fruit was more expressive, there was a pleasing leather note, though still tightly wrapped in its oak. I could sense the quality of the raw material. To my palate this needs another decade or two.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/25/2010 - la turque wrote: 94 Points
Youthful colour. Needed several hours in the decanter to really come around. But once it did, wow! Beautifully balanced, medium full in the mouth, long finish. Lovely tannins melded with balanced acidity and fruit. A gorgeous wine. Try again in two years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2010 - THA wrote:
CdBaH 78th (Bayou Club): Wine of the night - no surprise. Silky smooth. Expressive. Still young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2010 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 95 Points
Garnet. Nose was initially shy, but opened throughout the night. Finally got that sweetness That I seem to find in HB, but with more tobacco and black fruits. Taste was medium weight, mouthfilling. Lovely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
4/5/2010 - mimik wrote: 94 Points
Wow. A breathtaking perfumed nose. Pure cassis with oodles of earth, coffee, tobacco and some burnt toast. The nose was so focused and precise-very pure. I would give 96 points just for the nose alone. The palate followed with a nice velvety texture of blackcurrants and maybe a slight vanilla. Tannins were unobtrusive, hidden behind an acidic layer that masked the fruit underneath. This can age more but it is very enjoyable now. I found the palate slightly muted but nonetheless an outstanding wine. Long long elegant finish. A good example of a feminine wine-poised and elegant.94+ Sadly, my last bottle but at least I have the 1995 to look forward to.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2010 - stnicolas wrote: 95 Points
The Germaine Greer of the First Growths: earthy, but sexy in a way that can't quite be described.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2010 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 94 Points
Gala Dinner with Daniel Boulud *** and Jean-Philippe Delmas (Rheingau Gourmet & Wine Festival Hattenheim, Germany): Layered and refined nose, pepper and gingerbread from the Cabernet franc, elegant and complex, still a bit tight on the palate but lovely exotique in the sweet fruit, long, needs time. Drink 2013 - 2026.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2010 - Whistler wrote: 94 Points
Good depth and structure, no doubt this has much more to offer in 5-10 years. Will debate it more then.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2010 - Siggy wrote: 94 Points
Tasting Group Dinner - It Was A Great Run (Heidi's, Minneapolis): A touch shut down, albeit less so than the '96 Latour, tasted side-by-side (see TN). Slightly reticent nose of sweet plums, tobacco, smoke, earth, and licorice. Elegant and expansive on the palate. Opened up nicely after half an hour or so. Should be even more gorgeous in 5-10 more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2010 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 93 Points
Groundhog Day!: Another beauty. The nose gives a subtle but thrilling blend of red fruit, smoke and tobacco that opened up as the night wore on. On the palate this delivers flavors of dark fruit and smoke in a subtle/elegant style. I really, really enjoyed this but it's definitely a step down in overall quality relative to the '96 Latour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2010 - wenderoth wrote: 87 Points
Opened, decanted and consumed over 3 hours at a restaurant alongside duck salad and filet steak. Also opened: 1995 Lynch-Bages, 2001 Pichon Lalande, 1997 Yalumba Octavius (!!). Deep ruby colour, not showing any signs of bricking. Nose of graphite, faint anise and black fruit. Palate closed initially, but with dominant earthy notes (dry leaves, fresh soil, sappy wood); some tight black fruit on midpalate but rather one-dimensional, closing with a very fine cluster of tannins, but a not especially long or memorable finish. Did open up slightly over the evening, but one sensed there wasn't a great deal more in it. Perhaps this wine is asleep. Overall a disappointment next to the other wines - not overly interesting or approachable; classy and well-structured, sure, but not a life-changing, which is what you expect at this price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/16/2010 - Tree512 wrote: 94 Points
There is a reason first growths are first growths. This is just beginning to reach its plateau of maturity and defines what makes a site great. 1996 didn't reach its heights in Graves, and this is not a big wine. Only medium bodied and not overly fruited. But it has an intoxicating nose that kept shifting and gaining depth. Tannins are integrated with perfect balance, the finish was persistent and linear. It tasted like Haut Brion.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2010 - rho wrote: 96 Points
RHKYC dinner. Decanted for a few hours. Tasted against the 86,94,97 Haut Brion and the 95 Mouton. This is the WOTN by far. Medium to full bodied, powerful and exotic dark fruits. Smooth tannin with a very long finish. Amazing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2009 - BenRoberts wrote: 95 Points
An interesting contrast to its slightly older sibling (the '95) this wine showed a more delicate side with a much more subdued character. The nose was softer and brought to mind flavors of golden chantrels and stewed meat with an sweet hint of plum and stewed apricot. One picked up more of a delicate floral on the palate then with the '95 with much lighter fruit notes and less mineral and leather. The tannins seem to have either already greatly subsided or be much less originally present which made the wine much easier to drink. I feel that this wine has reached its peak and should be drunk asap or one might risk a loss those lovely fruit and floral notes that make this wine so attractive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2009 - griffin'sdad wrote: 95 Points
Third bottle of this - it keeps getting better and better. Packed with olive, herbs and tons of fruit. Tannins are present but it is still very elegant and refined. Lots of life ahead (20+ years).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2009 - cmkjbs wrote: 93 Points
Complex, exotic. Lots of clove on the nose. Smoke and dusty blackberries on the palate. Wish I'd had the whole bottle to myself! Yum.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2009 - Arcturus wrote: 96 Points
96- Double decanted and served 4 hours later. Spectacular bottle. Faint hint of red fruit, spices and mineral on the nose. Palate- powerful and elegant, layers of plump red and blackcherry, beautifully balanced and textured with a knock-out long and vibrant finish, which to me, was the attribute that elevated this wine into the "wow" category. 96+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2009 - BFG wrote: 95 Points
Clearly a young wine, but is starting to show some lovely notes of smoke and other tertiary aromas on the nose. On the palate, the wine has a nice balance of fruit, acid, and very present -but gentle - tannins. Really nice wine now, will be great in the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2009 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
CT London Event (Hide Bar, Bermondsey, London): Drank from an absolutely ridiculous double-magnum carted to the CT event by the good Colonel. Archetypal Graves. Gorgeous nose, all rich and plush with damp earth, sweet plums and cassis notes, spice, cloves and undergrowth. Palate had telltale 1996 richness. Concentrated dark berries and currants, some cigar smoke, tobacco and pencil lead. Beautiful balance throughout though, with fine tannins and lovely freshness. Great length on the finish, a touch of spice, more tobacco, rich cassis fruit and a rim of earth, all lingering on and on in the mouth. Very complete, plenty of depth and power (except maybe at the finish) and great balance. This was a textbook wine that showed clear vintage, terroir and Chateau character. Just lacks that little extra something at the moment to push it over the cusp to greatness. A lot of time left in this yet though. It may well get there.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2009 - PatrikO wrote: flawed
what a shame - Still drinkable, but no where near the last bottle I had
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/6/2008 - tbuysse wrote: 98 Points
Holy ... This is by far one of the best Bordeaux wines I have ever tasted. Comes very close to the 96 Las Cases. Amazing complexity, balance, finesse and fruit. Aftertaste of 40 to 50 seconds. Nose that lasts for ages.. I just couldn't stop putting my nose in the glass. Unique experience. Is open for business and will last for at least 10+ years. Excellent!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2008 - jjclips2 wrote: 94 Points
I think Haut-Brion is gaining my vote for my favorite 1st Growth. The nose is intoxicating. Exotic asian spices, grilled herbs, toast, and sandalwood. The palate lasts virtually forever. Somewhat elegant with tannins integrating nicely, however still allow for a dusty mouthfeel. Spices towards the finish, nice acidity, and wild berry fruits. While I'm not convinced this will last indefinitely, this will drink nice for another 15 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/29/2008 - jordanj wrote: 90 Points
Dinner w/ friends (Le titi de paris): Closed, typical graves scorched earth notes and some band-aid. Angular in the mouth. This wine, even after a few hours, never opened up to live up to the hype of the recent notes. The finish was closed, short, and bitter. Maybe a bad bottle
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2008 - loverboy wrote: 95 Points
Nice deep dark ruby, almost ready but still youth. Enormous fruits, very delicate and silky. Big in the mouth with long finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2008 - Claudio161 wrote: 92 Points
Hart Davis Hart Wine Co Comparative Bordeaux Tasting Vintages 1995 & 1996 (Newberry Library, Chicago IL): Weird was my initial reaction. But overall I like this better than the 1995. More resinous notes. Mocha here too. Inviting feel to the wine. Also - picked up some rose petal notes. Full-bodied, soft tannins and a fairly long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
HDH 95/96 Comparative Tasting (Newberry Library, Chicago IL): nose: very floral and nuanced nose with mostly red fruit and whisps of smoke
taste: well balanced on the mouth with a lot of floral notes, red fruit, and smoke
overall: a very nice wine but is very atypical from many 96s that I've had. This doesn't have the backwardsness or power behind it that they(the 96s) have had. Nice and polished this is a elegant wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2008 - muzzy wrote: 97 Points
wonderful example of Haut Brion, wet brick saddle and tar. tasted as part of a verticle with 77,80,82,and 90. It will age well, and holds it's own
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2007 - carnyc wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at Acker
Great nose of dark fruit, leather and a hint of licorice. Still tightly wound. Seemed as if it wanted to offer more aromatics but just wasn't ready. Great balance of fruit, acidity and tannins. Finesse and elegance on the palate with a long finish. Very young. As this was my first taste of first growth Bordeaux I wasn't blown away, but it was still readily apparent that this is a wine of significant polish and pedigree. A true pleasure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2007 - PatrikO wrote: 93 Points
Drank this along side a 75 HB, they did not seem to be 21 years apart in age, more a testament to how youthful the 75 is... the 96 was strutting its stuff, typical HB earthy with cedar and black fruit. Delicious, but needs more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2007 - bluevespa wrote: 89 Points
Classic Haut brion graves nose which sceems First Growth. The taste had the tabacco,terroir, and rich fruit, but I'm concerned about the thin finish. The strong tannins will fade, but not the finish.
Drank at the Old in on the Green in the Berkshires, with 2000 Pichon Lalande, which was a far superior wine in every way.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/10/2007 - reichken wrote: flawed
felt like crying
corked
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2007 - cos82 wrote: 92 Points
Unfair to rate this wine now, since it was consumed last over a long dinner with an Haut Brion vertical of 68(very drinkable), 79(decent), 80(surprisingly good), 82 (terrific),83 (very fine),88 (very thin and sour) 89(OMG) vintages, and to my palate still a baby with a long way to go. Dark purple color. Some nose of tobacco, black currant and earth. Medium tannins, but big and brooding flavors of minerals, black currant and tobacco. I enjoyed it, but in five years I think I would enjoy it a whole lot more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2007 - MRichman wrote:
Haut Brion Vertical at Craft in NYC (Craft restaurant, NYC): Tobacco. Solid, tannic, young. Needs time, but should be wonderful. Very young, very strong. My second favorite of the night.
A
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/25/2007 - Roberto_1 wrote: 93 Points
From half bottle this wine showed well but did not have the mid-palate intensity of prior bottles. Still, this is a great wine with classic HB aromatics and a light feel on the palate with powerful flavors.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2007 - JScott wrote: 92 Points
Not quite as expressive as prior experiences, but this bottle was shaken to death the whole day. Judgement reserved.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2007 - Barbara B wrote: 89 Points
Bibenda Day 2007 (AIS, Parco dei Principi, Rome): Garnet, sediment. Nose was animally, and not much more. Palate: good acidity, and tannins, moderate alcohol, some meatiness and minerality, and some VA. Wine was rich and flavourful, but past its prime. Nevertheless, could still perceive the greatness of the terroir (or is it my imagination?).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2007 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
Bryan's Steaks and Bordeaux at the Hedonist's (Scott Manlin's): Full red/purple color. Big briar black fruit nose - clean. Nice rich round sweet black fruit on the palate. This bottle was open for business and quite nice - easily best of the flight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2007 - trankin wrote: 94 Points
SOBER haut Brion Tasting (CB's house): Earthy wine, with mossy notes and leather. Continues to open in the glass. I really enjoy this wine alot. Definitely my favorite of the young Haut Brions tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/7/2007 - rh marcin wrote: 92 Points
Drank 3 bottles at farewell party for Fischers. Drank with Lamb chops. Gentle aroma, light berry flavors.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2006 - Baron Samedi wrote: 93 Points
Dense colour just beginning to turn brick red. Truly amazing nose - first a hint of celery, then very strong pencil/cigarbox. More cigarbox on the palate, rounded tanins, well integrated. Very, very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2006 - trankin wrote: 94 Points
SOBER (fka TWITS) Tasting (Mark's house): tasted blind. Tarry oak on the nose. On the palate, this is a gorgeous wine, but still tightly wound. Oaky, tarry, really great fruit. Guessed hot vintage. Clearly needs time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2006 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for about an hour, the wine was open but still young. Aroma was the highlight with forward typical HB nose. Palate was full but in a 'transition' phase. 9/06
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/7/2006 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
Dinner at Jeff and Marya Samuelson's: Tasted beside the 1985. You could taste the similarity between the two wines. However, the 1996 was much more reserved aromatically. The flavors were the same (black fruit, earth, tobacco and smoke), but simpler and less expressive. In the mouth this is dominated by the fruit at this moment, and is much simpler and much more tannic. The other flavors are there and will emerge in time. Still, a very nice wine. It was educational to taste this beside 1985, but additional time in the bottle is needed before this will be a stunner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2006 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 93 Points
A wine in a state of becoming. The first few sips taste exactly how you would expect a first growth from a muscular vintage to taste when opened twenty years too soon: compressed, tannic, fruitless. At the same time it just overflows with incipient character -- taking in some air while the wine sits in the mouth releases disembodied clouds of haunting, aromatic flavor, and the finish billows with a peacock's tail of meat and earth. Over the course of the evening the fruit overcomes the tannins, and with three hours of air the wine is a portrait of classic Haut-Brion: sappy, cranberry-laced fruit in an iron cauldron of cured meat and tobacco -- I want to drink this with bloody flesh roasted on a spit, but the texture, the proverbial velvet glove of tannin, is almost too fine and seductive to countenance such primitive instincts. . . .
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/8/2006 - MRichman wrote:
1996 Bordeaux Horizontal: Nice. Cedar and broad herbs. Complex with tight tannins and dense core.
A-
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/8/2006 - Dubliner wrote: 93 Points
This was decanted and poured. Complex but fell apart in the glass after a few hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2006 - ticketking wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for a little over an hour and consumed over a couple. Garnet in color with a little bricking on the edges. Lovely nose of smoke, leather and dark fruit. Medium to full bodied with plenty of fruit and tooth coating tannins. Definately young, but still very enjoyable. I look forward to coming back to this one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/30/2006 - Dubliner wrote: 93 Points
(1996 Bordeaux Tasting, NYC) Coming after the Pichons, this for me didn't surpass them, even with the benefit of 3 hours
in the decanter. Fruit and tobacco on the nose, pure and elegant. Didn't seem overly tannic to me but I
must admit to my palate being somewhat fatigued by now...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2005 - jrufusj wrote:
A Mix: Infanticide for Science and Some Mature Beauties (85 Krug, 82 Lafleur, 5 others): Still very deep and almost purple in color, with a density that promises much. The nose starts out with a less intense strain of blackcurrant than the Lafleur, but is still blackcurrant-focused. With a little vigorous aeration and persistent sniffing, there is a smoky and leathery quality, as well as some herb. Deeper dark plum lurks in the background. And lurk is really the word here – there’s a lot in the background but it refuses to be teased out with any ease. On the palate, there is strong tannin from front to back that is a little rough on the finish. Deep plum and some hints of berry provide a small degree of mid-palate sweetness before the finish turns to tobacco, tar, and tannin. Beware that this started to close up tightly in the glass after a very short time. Drinking young and tight Bordeaux is a fun academic exercise and I’m glad to have this data point, but I still don’t understand how people find such great pleasure from such young claret. Give it years…many of them!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
Full red. Very nice. Drinking great. 5/05
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2004 - wineotim wrote: 90 Points
Nose of leather, earth, and mushroom, plenty of minerality and stone on the palate. Hoping for some fruit to come forward, tannins are big and well integrated. A restrained and elegant example of Bordeaux at its most recognized form.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/29/2002 - MikeATL wrote:
I love Haut-Brion, and this wine typifies why. The intense minerality and elegance it offers thrills me every time I taste it. It isn’t showing the tarry, tobacco notes that it will develop with more age, but the raw materials are there. It drinks adequately now with plenty of air, but owners of this wine would be much better served to give it time to show what it is capable of.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/1999 - JeffJo wrote: 89 Points
Very tight and tannic. Seems to have a lot wound up. Seems to have loads of fruit and opened a bit after an hour. Try again in 2002.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment