Decanted. Such power and beauty packed within, and this bottle is still young. Fresh dark fruit, woody, soft, salt, cacao fruit, cigar. Silky non-stop. Not the largest wine but the most elegant, my red WOTN. 97
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Cork soaked through. About 4.5cm. Mature and wonderful nose of smoke, sweet dark fruit, earth, asphalt and violet. Smooth, rich and round on the palate. Touch of banana. Drank over 5 hours and gained sweetness and harmony over time. Just brilliant.
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While it improved somewhat in the glass it was clear this bottle was definitely weak. No one thought it was corked but even for age it was tired and pinched. Still, there was a hint of smoke and gravel but not enough to take a second glass.
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This example shows ripe black cherry and loam, impressive in its depth but a little monotone. This was followed long enough that, if complexities were going to emerge from this particular bottle, they would have done.
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Eight Decades of Decadence: A wonderful way to start our journey through 8 decades of wine. While just a cut below the '59 Latour in my opinion, this is a very close second. Fully mature, but it has years to plateau in this wonderful place. Of the entire lineup, this was my favorite of the night. Such a treat to drink such a legend. This benefited with a proper decant. When it comes to 1st growths, especially from a strong year like '59, don't be afraid to decant. Delicioso!
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Legends only: 15 Bordeaux & 2 Heitz MV Magnums: Four Haut Brions legends, all tasted from magnums. All double decanted 4 hours prior to consumption. Narrow winner was the 1945 (rated 97 pts) which showed such an intriguing, pure fruit sweetness and showed absolutely weightless. This was quite the contrast to the other Haut Brions which were all quite similar in style, with a darker appearance and much more about raw intensity with unbelievable complexity and the fruit rather in the dried/port-like spectrum. Equally good was the 1934 (rated 96 pts) which must rank among the most complex Bordeauxs I’ve ever had and which showed quite airy, despite all the intensity. The 1929 (rated 93 pts) showed similar to the 1934 and almost equally complex but didn’t had the same absolute airiness and hence, was a bit too overwhelming and heavy. I don’t doubt that for wine lovers who like these port-like aromas and Malaga, Brandy notes more than I do, the 1934 and 1929 would have been a 100 pts experiences. The 1959 (NR) was sadly not an ideal bottle and clearly well past its prime (which is not normal for a 1959).
TN: Sadly, this bottle showed very advanced with lots of curry and broath-like aromas. It was still drinkable as there was so much substance on the palate but clearly not an ideal bottle and hence no rating. I’ve had this before (rated 96 pts) and it was much fresher and without all this fault age aromas.
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While this lacks the concentration of the 1961, the otherworldly, silky texture here is off the hook! At full maturity, this breath-taking wine offers a complex array of campfire scents, burning embers, Cuban cigar, tar, leaves, and currants. The palate is even better with its waves of tobacco-drenched red fruits and earth, all wrapped up in silk. Long and expansive, this is Haut Brion!
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From 375ml: drank side by side with the 89’ Haut Brion, and they were surprisingly similar, with the 59’ just more evolved and more open of course. I imagine the 89’ could taste nearly identical in 30 years! Very special wine.
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Drank for my birthday over an hour or two. Mid/high shoulder fill, no decant. Incredible complexity and energy, notes of bacon and smoke infused black fruit and earth. Tannins still there, rich presence and weight, long finish. Not sure how much longer it will go, probably time to drink.
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From two good looking bottles with 3.5 in fills, this wine had a very deep red center with tawny rims. The high- intensity nose showed black cherry, Cuban cigar, wet gravel, black spices, and some honeyed meat.
In the mouth, this wine was as smooth as silk with very light tannin and huge length. This wine had incredible complexity and what a mouthfeel!
What wine can say anything more positive about its stunning terrior than this bottle. Arguably 100 points, wow!
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Aged Bordeaux Gems (with Unico/Heitz MV in the mix): Magnum. Upper mid shoulder level. This wine was very impressive. Actually it was more impressive than truly enjoyable. There is so much depth and stuffing, an incredible complexity paired with laser focus but the 20+ minutes this was in the glass it did never fully opened up and become softer. It would have been so great to follow this beauty over several hours and/or with the right amount of decanting. In the whole lineup this was clearly the most complex wine. Yet, without air it didn’t show everything and was slightly too dense and even a bit cloying.
TN: The first appearance is mixed with too much ripeness bordering on cooked fruit. Luckily with a lot of swirling the wines slowly reveals its true self. Hyper precise and complex nose with smokey notes, ripe dark fruit, cassis, coffee, burnt sugar, mineral notes. Very dense, young on the palate with sweet fruit which becomes purer by the minute away from the liquor-like expression at first. Layers and layers of aromas with all the before mentioned aromas and more sexy nutty notes and herbal scents complementing the picture. Intense, precise and yet everything is toned down as the wine is not yet ready. The texture is superb, creamy, with lots of tension, the wall of tannins is silky and fine and the acidity provides a lift to keep it elegant, although that would have been much better with additional hours of air.
Decanting: Double decanted only. This would have been much more open and better with several hours in the decanter.
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Magnum rarities tasting (Near Basel): This was part of a rarity old wine tasting hosted by a merchant and collector. All (almost) bottles were from magnum and double-decanted. The line-ups was dominated by aged Bordeaux, but also included two vintages of Unico and one from Martha's Vineyard. The undisputed winners were Pichon Lalande 82 and Lynch Bages 82. The most memorable, however, was the Pontet Canet 29 and St Croix Dumonts 21. The Unico (60, 65) were underwhelming as was – once again for me – Mouton 82.
Tasting note: Double decanted, from magnum. Intense and fruity, dried herbs, a bit of candid fruit, also minty notes, extracted fruit but in a good way, a bit of leather and barnyard, tobacco, liquorice and even vanilla beans. Same intensity on the palate, loaded with vibrant energy, incredible tension and structure. Lots of tannin and acidity reminding me much more of a very young, hot vintage Bordeaux rather than a 1959!
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You won’t believe this, a 58 year old bottle and I was still screaming that it was young! To rub it in, this bottle was from a 375ml half sized bottle which was supposed to age faster. Also, serving next to the legendary 89 doesn’t help as both are extremely youthful.
The 59 was simply almost an identical clone of 89, except that it has a lot more depth and sophisticated tastes, coupled with countless layers, except that tannins are still lurking around. I think this really needs another 30y.
more tasting note in finewines.com.sg
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Intense, full, rich, deep, complex and knocking on the door of mind-blowing, the wine provides all the sweet, earthy, ripe, pit fruit, smoke, tobacco, ash, cigar box, tar and hay nuances you can handle. Ripe, fresh, sweet, complex, and sensual, with silky tannins and a smoky, red cherry finish, this is just an inch or so behind the other-worldly 1961.
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Eastside Tasting Group End of Year Extravaganza (Newcastle, WA): Wow, the nose is reminiscent of the 55, but the palate is deeper and dustier, heavier. There is maybe a little muddiness or the hint of some salt marsh. Wow what a palate. Deep and plummy with fruitcake. Explosive fruit. Alas, this just wowed on first pour, but it tired just a hint in the glass whereas the 55 gained in intensity.
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Imagine a clear night sky filled with stars, sitting camp side roasting s’mores over an open fire of embers. The combination of smoke, chocolate and forest floor enlivens the senses.
‘59 Haut Brion is an emotion, a state of feeling, the affective aspect of consciousness.
This first growth is massively structured with an opulent and voluptuous texture. A deep and dense, rich and velvety dark fruit profile of cassis, kirsch and plum. Beautifully perfumed accents of graphite, tobacco leaf and sizzling bacon fat. Pure hedonism on the silky infinite finish!
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This nice looking bottle with a 4 cm fill did have a somewhat sunken cork. the red/purple center and slightly tawny rims suggested an 82 Bordeaux. However, the complexity of the high intensity nose left no doubt that this was a much older wine. It showed black cherries, wet stones, cuban cigar, plum, honey, and minerals. Not surprisingly, it took several hours of air for this wine to really show its best.
In the mouth, this wine was classic with a light refined texture and an absolute ton of flavor! The tannins were very light and round and the fruit was juicy in a very mature, complex way.
This wine is probably not for everyone as its cuban cigar and stones are so pronounced that it could put off people that love bright, primary fruit. However, it you love terrior, you will have a tough time besting this wine. At peak but will last at least a decade!
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Opened at Benu, San Francisco. Among the best old Bordeaux I've had. Awesome, amazing fruit, if served blind I never would have guessed it to be 60 years old. I wish we had opened it earlier and followed it longer but it was sublime.
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Richter Raritäten Vol.VII (Magnums only) (Farnsburg): Typical Haut Brion color: clear, dark cola color. Warm butter, walnut. Extremely dense, warm, creamy, rich and long. Just so so good. Such an amazing wine
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Wow! One of my all time favourites. Super complex with notes ranging from sweet berries to licorice. Still very vibrant with a finish to take you to the moon and back.
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1950s Bordeaux from Elke (Bad Neuenahr): A monument of a wine. Still so young, warm butter, moss, sweet, licorice, absolutely amazing, rich, long and just layers upon layers of greatness.
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The lightest of the '59 first growths tonight but so expressive of its terroir with flavors of smoky dark red fruits along with warm tar and silty gravel. Finishes soft and complex and was perhaps the most ready tonight. Really elegant, fine and smoky!
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We set out to drink some mature Bordeaux as a group. We lined up a 1971 Haut Brion Blanc (we also opened an 82 but it was flawed), a. 1982 Pichon Lalande, a 1966 Petrus , and a 1959 Haut Brion. We also pitched in a 1974 Robert Monday Reserve for good measure.
I cannot say any of them were the greatest red Bordeaux I have ever had but all were really first rate. The 1971 Haut Brion Blanc I have had once before and it was completely consistent. This is perhaps the greatest white Bordeaux I have ever had.
The 59 Haut Brion dark purple with hints of Brick red color. It had an expansive nose of wet earth and forest floor. The palate was similar to the nose With forest floor, leather, and subtle mineral and iron flavors. There was a nice acidity and great balance. The palate was really long and complete. Just a first rate mature Bordeaux. I still think it has years of life ahead of it.
The 82 Pichon Lalande took hours after it was decanted to come around but as it bloomed it was a great wine. The nose was reticent but became more outgoing over time. Black fruit, brambles, forest floor were the primary flavors on the palate. It really took some time to come around but was really first rate down the home stretch.
The 66 Petrus nicely demonstrated the difference between right bank and left bank wine. It was more monolithic than the other 2. I suspect that this wine should have been decanted 5 hours in advance. It developed more and more flavors as it sat. Alas it was gone before it showed us everything it had to offer (I think). There was a mixture of red and black fruit flavors. The earth and forest floor flavors were much more subtle than with the left bank wines. There was a persistent sweetness with this wine that was not present in the left bank wines. This sweetness has been consistent in other right bank, merlot based wines I have had recently that is not present in the predominantly cabernet wines from the left bank. All these wines were excellent but if I had to pick between the 3 I would have to give the 59 Haut Brion a slight edge over the 82 Pichon Lalande for red wine of the night.
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This is why wine is so much fun. Nothing I write will capture it, but I have to write something to mark the occasion. 101 Points. Pure magic. We tasted history. The aromas were genie in a bottle stuff: flowers, gravel, fruit, angels, spices, smokes, earth, heaven. Remarkable color for its age - not even a hint of brown. Incredible deep purple color. Velvety. Plenty of acidity, body and structure. Still had power and a smooth even flow of fruit layers on the palate. Long finish and very elegant. A special wine experience. WOTN vs the ‘82 and ‘89, which were also both spectacular.
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AT Xmas. Fun to compare against 61 and 89, and I thought showed well though below top form. Kinky, slightly metallic aromatics. Seriously deep, intense palate. Fruit remains very much present.
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Big 50 lunch (Mi Casa): Black hole of wine, intense nose displaying intense deeply toned black fruit, cassis, blackberry jam, licorice, ink, a hint of mint, mocha, roasted nuts, mint, chocolate, leather and cedar. Perfectly integrated palate, finely layered rich black fruit, silky and polished, perfect amount of acidity, fully resolved tannins and a long incredible dark fruit driven finish. The fruit expression is intense and black. A memorable wine but I prefer the 75 and the 55 LMHB slightly for the richness and complexity.
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The smoke filled nose, with its campfire embers, cigar box, cigar wrapper, ash, tobacco and earthy, deep, red fruits creates a divine perfume. Silky, opulent and richly textured, this really lingers on your palate, which is just amazing as this is creeping up on its 60th birthday! Not as concentrated as the 1961, which was served in the same flight, but the opulent character really showed great here.
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The ullage on this .375 had me concerned, but once we opened this bottle (otherwise in very good condition) I could see that the wine still looked youthful and had a beautiful nose. Purple at the core with red ruby at the edges, there was very little browning. Swirled in the glass while backlit by a candle, this was garnet red. It opened a little tired and had a waft of acetone, but after fifteen minutes of air, it hit its stride and plateaued there, holding nicely together for the next hour and a half (by which time it was gone). It threw almost no sediment, which was shocking. On the nose I got a little stewed plum, tobacco, soy sauce, and mesquite. Each of those notes came forward on the palate, along with the tell tale pessac leognan tar, but most surprising was the fruit component. After all these years, this wine was quite fruity (started off acidic and red fruit, but opened into stewed plum and black currant), a testament to how ripe a vintage 1959 was.
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1950s Bordeaux tasting (Wine Watch, Fort Lauderdale, Florida): This was a tale of two wines. At the beginning of the evening, I found this to be tired and not showing much at it. Within two hours, the wine had evolved to become superb. The nose just opened up beautifully, with ripe dark fruits, cedar, smoke, leather, eucalyptus, and sous bois. On the palate, this was full of finesse and pure elegance. The tannins were a bit drying, which was the only true flaw to this wine. Nice acidity and good length gave this a pleasant finish. My guess is that this wine has a lot of time left.
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Sensational. If there ever was any doubt that Haut Brion can age as well as its Pauillac brethren, this bottle was emphatic proof. Of the eight Bordeaux from the decade of the fifties we sampled that night, this is the one that improved the most in the glass. Great concentration, marvelous elegance, sweet yet with noble acidity too. The classic Graves smokiness is definitely there but subsumed into the complex whole. This is one of those wines whose bouquet evolves endlessly, mysteriously, intriguingly.
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Sweet dark berries, rose hips, and perfumed nose. Smooth palate with a lingering sweetness on the finish. Contrasting coal dust and dark earth notes complement the dark fruit on the palate.
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This is the best bottle of this wine I have ever tasted. Picture an incredibly, sexy, sensuous woman lounging in a cigar shop, and you only start getting the idea. I've posted more than enough notes on the array or tobacco and other scents that there is no need to repeat them here. What made this a breathtaking bottle was its purity of fruit, concentration and sensual, silky, elegant textures, with a finish that never quit. Paired against the 1961, (Both bottles came from the chateau) they were equally perfect, but quite distinctive in their style. This is intellectual hedonism at its best!
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Tasted blind, this wine had a (young looking) red/purple center with red/orange rims. The nose was excellent right of the bat. However, it improved substantially in the glass despite having been opened a couple hours earlier. Eventually, high- intensity nose showed black cherries, anise, caramel, cassis, and soil.
As is typical of this wine, it was medium bodied but with tons of flavor and incredible balance. It had light, rounded tannin, firm acidity, and fantastic length. At first this wine showed a fair amount of clay soil flavors. As the wine aired, the clay moved into the background as more fruit, carmel, and gravel soil notes emerged. This kaleidoscopic element is common in truely great wines.
This wine has been a consistent performer. It is top notch to drink now and I would not be surprised if it was still great 20+ years from now.
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Showed a light greenness on the nose with appealing white pepper and tar notes. Slight mustiness on the palate but with very rich and moist soil tones and coal dust. Quite composed.
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A soft elegant nose with cedar, light black truffle, sandalwood, and white pepper bracketing subtle dry fruits. Complex and supremely elegant palate with white pepper, light tar, fresh leather, cedar, dusty earth. For its age, well defined structure. Very long finish
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Long smooth palate. black truffles, hibiscus flowers and overall red flowers. decanted for a small period of time. wish we would have opened earlier. Slight Iron at the end. A beautiful wine.
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Blackberry, black raspberry, coal dust, black truffle, dark earth, rose and violet accents. Seamless melding of and transtions between different elements. Silky smooth on the palate with a long finish notable for its earth and tar notes. Decanted 30 minutes, consumed over the following 1.5 hours. This bottle could have benefited from a 1 - 1.5 hour decant. Into neck fill, one of the higher from this case. 95-96
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There is such a beautiful, elegance to Haut Brion, especially as it ages that it's hard not to be enthralled, anytime you get to taste mature bottles. The nose, with its truffle, cedar chest, Cigar box, tobacco, tar, smoke and wet earth nose, could keep you busy for hours. The wine has concentration, soft, polished, elegant textures and the roundness that only comes from the patina of age. The finish really lingers on, with its fresh, sweet, ripe cherries and juicy plums.
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Very fresh nose of black cherry, cassis, violets and menthol. It has a delicious core of briary fruit. There's a thread of vanilla to the flavor profile and some sweet earth and cedar. It has understated power and is a wine of great harmony, drinking at the top of its game.
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First off, purchased at a damn steal of $450. About 4cm reduced. Cork was incredibly clean, totally saturated and reduced. Stored and turned beautifully. Surprisingly little sediment.
Initial aromas of concentrated black and deep red fruit, almost plummy with baked blackberries. Definite heat but a freshness and purity keeping the whole thing tied together. The mouthfeel was a cross between old port, lacquer, and a very thick jam. Totally coating, unlike anything I've ever had. 55 years old and completely unrelated yet constantly evolving, even in mouth.
Over two hours the wine definitely mellowed, revealing south asian spice notes, charred root vegetables, cigar smoke, and, of all things, seaweed and hoisin sauce. We opened this at a Christmas buffet and were able to pair it with a wide range of foods. Amazingly, by far the best was grilled freshwater eel sushi. However, it also sung along with deep dark chocolate and was a better complement for roast turkey than any cranberry sauce I've ever had.
Overall, one of the most muscular, precise, svelte, and complex wines I"ve ever had the pleasure to try. As unrelenting as the melange of flavors were, it is an undeniably delicate wine too.
Truly a joy.
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Haut Brion Tasting 1918-1999 (Oslo): Very, very deep and mature fruit, complex, some smoke; outstanding length, big body, but very clean and fresh fruit, enormous finish, some tannins are still noticeable in the finish. Wonderful bottle that was much cooler and fresher than many 59.
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Chateau Haut-Brion Vertical (Litteraturhuset, Oslo): Touch of acetone at first. Brimming with red fruits after some air, notes of licorice and tobacco, maybe some five-spice. Blackcurrant and red fruits with a seemingly perfect degree of maturity. Balance is spot on, and the finish is very long and ever so fresh. Gorgeous wine!
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Tasted blind, this wine was said to have a 4 cm fill. It had a deep red center and tan rims. The high- intensity nose of currants, soil, honey, kirsch, and tea was impressive.
In the mouth, this wine was light and refined but with tons of flavor impact. It was exquisitely balanced with great length. Was it just the tiniest bit less complex than other bottles I have had or was it the greatness of the (served blind) 59 Mouton next to it?
This wine will easily last for 10-20 years but is certainly drinking great now. Tasted numerous times with consistent notes.
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From a nice looking bottle with a 4.25 cm fill, this wine had a red/purple center and rusty orange rims. The medium intensity showed black cherries, gravel, clove, and a hint of tobacco. It was quite complex but maybe not quite as vibrant as some bottles I have had.
In the mouth, this wine was very refined and integrated. However, the flavor impact was much larger (out of proportion) than one might expect given the suave texture of the wine. The wine's length was excellent but you had to keep your focus to appreciate it. It was so smooth and silky it almost seemed to disappear in your mouth leaving lingering flavors.
I have had better bottles but if this is the low end, that's OK with me! This is drinking but will easily last a decade or more.
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My 36th Birthday lunch after a flight of 72/80/81 Lafite and 71/85/86 Latour we decided to change the pace and started with the Haut Brions. 59/99/02 Unbelievably the cork came out in one piece perfectly consumed almost to the top of the bottle with 3.5cm ullage. This magical specimen looked like and tasted like Avignonesi.
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Typhoon Squad at the Wine Vault: It's all getting a bit blurry for me after 8 bottles so i decided to pull down the curtain by grabbing a bottle of 1959 Haut Brion to end the evening. This was definitely a step up to the Pichon and it had a lovely clear ruby color and that signature tea, tobacco and earthy nose that is Haut Brion. The palate was fine too but I just had much higher expectations for this wine. Definitely better bottles out there than this one.
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Bought with a poor fill (7.5cm) but a bargain basement price. Thought about selling it on and letting somebody else take the risk but thank goodness I resisted the temptation.
Cork was fairly loose but got it out in one using a regular corkscrew to stop the cork sliding into the bottle and an Ah-So to actually extract it.
Lots of crud around the edges which needed wiping up. Decanted and was slightly worried about the color; almost completely brown (though relatively translucent). Later learned this is a characteristic of this particular wine; looking even older than it is. Michael Broadbent says it was brown in 1964! Cleared up nicely after a few hours though, and the color morphed to a redder shade..
Pouring a glass straight out of the decanter, the nose was a little off-putting at first. A very strong aroma of acetone initially hinted at total cork failure. But it seems that was the tobacco component of the nose just being a bit over-eager out of the blocks. After a few minutes in the glass it settles down and displays a treasure trove of bitumen, violets, forest fire, plenty of tobacco, leather, and all the other Haut-Brion staples. A touch of menthol too. Has a lot in common with a recent '66.
What sets this wine apart from that though is its staggering concentration in the mouth. Every flavor on the palate is epically proportioned. Waves and waves of silken perfection. Very, very smooth but a potent acid tang as well. Later a touch more medicinal but not to its detriment. You wouldn't describe it as powerful, exactly though. The tannins have completely gone, which leaves it lacking a little in backbone, but there's just enough bite to prevent it from feeling tired. The alcohol is very noticeable unfortunately, although this too settles with time.
Finishes very, very long indeed, if a little dryly. Almost a Sauternes-like level of persistence. 20 years ago this would probably be a 98 pointer, even though I'm not usually a great fan of Haut-Brion. Right now it is on a graceful and probably long decline though, so time to drink up.
EDIT- day two. Everything is just as exciting as before, but the alcoholic fumes noticable the first day have largely melted away. Everything is so rounded and smooth but at the same time demands your attention. This really is a fabulous wine- perhaps loses a point or so for the advanced color (let's face it drinking a red wine is more enticing than a brown one), but still an incredible treat.
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1959 Château Haut-Brion 6/25/2006. On one hazy summer day 2006, while regrouping my bottles in the cellar, I, by accident, tipped over the jewel : Chateau Haut Brion 1959. As it happens in similar cases it got crashed. Fortunately enough this has been secured with plastic foil wrap – the content did not get spilled. The decision was to be made quickly. There were two choices – either I would drink it all by myself or I split it with some friends. In addition to it – who can quickly get enough real wine buffs on Saturday evening to make the degustation not like throwing pearls to swine ? Few phone calls were made and the wine transcended into Riedel Duck decanter. The most illuminated brains available at that time were «Leterroir’s» guys. Within few minutes the cab with this liquid treasure pulled down at their sanctuary and feast started. The adventure spoke for itself. One has to realize that this nectar is /was/ almost 50 years old and it can still get better. I spilled some of this wine in my bathroom as I left the broken bottle there. The smell fulfill space more intensely than when I use my Gucci pour hommes eau d'toilette. It lasted for 3 days. When we drank it, it has almost Porto like taste, the complexity was superb, the ultimate roundness and balance was overwhelming. The elements of pork, tobacco and cocoa too. The presence of wild fruit can never be better - it tasted almost kitschy, science fiction portrait of ideal garden similar to what Jehovah Witnesses show in their leaflets. We had some Veuve Cliquot NV champagne afterward, it tasted like a Gatorade laxative. Awful. This was my life time experience, which, I guess, will hardly gets surpass. 100 in Parker scale. 1 700,- Euros
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Excellent for its age, but not nearly as good as a 1952 Latour we had recently. Bought at auction. Bottle had very good high shoulder fill despite a loosish cork. Wine was definitely brown and a bit port-flavored, but still enjoyable. The score is a compromise between actual quality and quality for its age.
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"Open something that hurts club" Seattle Chapter get together (Morton's Steakhouse Seattle): If someone told me blind that this wine was '89 Haut Brion I don't know that I would have argued given the color and density. Still very dark, almost brooding color with slight bricking. Screamed Graves the second I took a sniff and only got better from there. Impressive weight to the palate with just enough acid to offer lift and balance the old fruit sweetness. Loads of chicory, tobacco and sweet black fruit. Must have been a real beast in its youth. A legend that lived up to its lofty reputation.
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1959 Haut Brion is filled with smoke, truffle, cigar box, pipe tobacco, mineral, cassis and blackberry aromas. Supple, opulent, round and soft, this sensuously textured wine feels great as it slips and slides over your palate. 97 Pts
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1/4 left from the last time, nothing to loose...A miracle...
Bad smell has gone, terroir de Graves opened up better than I hope. A typical scent of old fashion Haut-Brion is still seductive, tempting fruits nose, passionate rock and stone...I love to feel these...
Nice firm in structure and tannin, beautiful layers, I can totally enjoy this dark brown Haut-Brion '59 very much.
The finish has power enough to last very long when compare with the other ordinary great wines.
I should try to find another bottle to test again when it wakes up in next 2-3 years.
1995 Sir Winston Churchill : Pol Roger 91/100 1970 Latour 99/100 1989 Lafite 90-91/100 1983 d'Yquem 95-96/100 and.... 1959 Haut-Brion
So sad...
Day 1 : The cork is clean and good condition. The color is dark brown but nice clear. The strong scent of Chinese herbs, some fruit and wet wood shows up a bit sometime. Should I write more about it ?
Do you believe about the sleeping peroid of wine ?
That's why I siad " So sad "
When those wine are in sleeping period, many different steps, the color is bad, the smell is sometime nothing, no taste, no power.
My 1959 today...the taste is better than nosing. Great structure remains and powerful long finished.
I remember that I saw its color through light when I got this bottle, the color was very nice, the level is perfect. Mmmm...I decanted the rest into the bottle.
Day 2 : At lunch time, the color is still brown but has some red appears in the middle. The nose of tradition Chinese herb is much better, more elegant, clean, very deep and seductive. The structure is firm, low acid at first sip and delicious. Aftertaste is deep, reminds me of 1990.
Very tempting !!! I drink it 4 big sips....the acid is still fresh and lively, tannin is tight and spicy finished. Mmmm...splendid !!!
The old man is down onto the road again.
I have to go to work so I keep the rest to taste in next few days, nothin' to loose !!!
Let's see what it gonna be.
Drink now - 2022.......................98+/100..........................
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This bottle had 5 cm of ullage but otherwise looked pretty good. The color was deep red with some orange on the rim. The nose was a bit reduced at first and took about 2 hours to open up. Afterward, it showed gravel, figs, red fruit, melted brown sugar and tobacco. The complexity was mind-boggling.
The aforementioned flavors echoed in the mouth with a nice glycerol richness and excellent length. The group, guessing blind, thought it was an '82 or an '85 because it was so flavorful and vibrant.
Other tasters have occasionally reported a slight roughness in the texture of this wine. This particular bottle was as seamless and smooth as a young woman's skin. Wine just doesn't get much better than this............
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Haut Brion Vertical (Bentley Hotel, London): This too was dark and healthy, assertive nose, a tad earthy, but on the palate lovely sweet smoky tobacco fruit, mellow and long
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Brought to Flemings with Jeff and Jere T. Stunning wine. Nose of Bacon fat, tar, crushed black fruits. In fact, smelled just like the New York Strip that came on my plate 20 minutes later. Beautiful sweet fruit, with black fruits and expresso flavors showing the most. Almost a little porty like. Luscious!
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Birthday dinner with the kids at Cafe Juanita. Holly made a special Tre Latte cake. It was wonderful. This particular bottle of the Haut Brion has started to turn the corner, with slight sour hints of madeira around the edges. Still a joy to drink with all that earthy leather and sweet spice, and still an amazing nose. But methinks the rest of my stash will get uncorked this year lest I wait too long.
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Wine tasting from bottle with poor fill, approximately 8 cm ullage. Hints of lingering violets on nose with mostly forest floor. Palate showed hints of fruit for a few seconds, but was just very tired and faded, very earthy. Not terrible, perhaps 87 points.
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Silvia and I first drank this wine at Restaurant Laurent in Paris the night we became engaged (notably her birthday as well-9/20/99). The Haut Brion was recommended by the sommelier, who strictly forbade Silvia from having the boeuf ("No Madame, No. It is a businessman's lunch. Not like americaine boeuf. No!") The Haut Brion was transportive. Sublime. Telling secrets of the Earth. The following evening we shared a pristine magnum of 53 Lafite at Lucas Carton with a bunch of softies. These are two wines at the top of any game. The Lafite was brighter, younger almost, with a forward lovely Gallic nose. The Haut Brion was richer, smoother, with a finish that lingered like blooming trees on damp Spring afternoons. Since then, I snatched a single bottle passing through Heathrow and then, in a moment of savvy I never hope to enjoy again, I traded 9 bottles of '82 Petrus (which is actually the dog of that vintage) for a full original wood case of 12 bottles of 59 Haut Brion packed in honest-to-goodness 40-yr-old yellow straw (something I've never seen before--those were the days!). It's now our tradition to open a bottle each year on our anniversary. (When the case is up, we'll move on to the '82s.) We've had 4, plus the Heathrow bottle, at this point. They have all been magnificent. It's a reference wine, and such dreams it refers to I cannot begin to describe.
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Chicago Wine Company bottle. I had to discard another bottle which was acidic and undrinkable. Fortunately this backup bottle was in fine fettle. Luxurious. Soft yet commanding. Perfect state of maturity. Nineteen fifty-nine Haut-Brion is at its apex. More great experiences with this wine than any other allegedly legendary Bordeaux.
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Chicago Wine Company bottle. Perfect again. Dark garnet center, orange rim. Archetypal Haut-Brion. Lightly smoky complex scent. Medium weight. Intense and concentrated. Impeccable long warm complexity balanced and focused finish. Extraordinary velvet texture of only the greatest well preserved old wine. Awesome. Breathtaking.
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Chicago Wine Company bottle. One inch ullage. Very advanced color but not brown. Pinched meager nose and palate. Seems at least 10 years older than it is. Didn’t fall apart in the glass but never took off either. Obviously disappointing for what should be a great wine.
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Chicago Wine Company bottle. Hard to believe it’s even better than before. Medium dark ruby cedar, amber rim. Quintessential hickory smoke/tobacco nose which grew and expanded over time. Velvety. Very concentrated. Seamless. Very elegant. Very long finish. Impossible to criticize. Staggering.
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Richard’s bottle. Another triumphant ‘59 Haut-Brion. Good color. Darker than the ‘59 Lafite but lighter than the ‘59 Latour. Quintessential Haut-Brion. Stylish. Totally different profile from the Pauillac duo but equally fine. The texture is slightly more coarse. Smoky bricky nose. Clearly superb.
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Chicago Wine Company bottle. Healthy medium ruby color. Interesting, mature, lively. Velvety. Maybe the ultimate Haut-Brion. Although slightly baked it’s very elegant. Hint of caramel or brown sugar. Pure delight. Not as concentrated today as the ‘61 but even more interesting. A very great wine.
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Jim’s magnum. Excellent color. Faint Graves character. Nevertheless extremely subtle and complex. Almost sweet. Intriguing. Medium weight. Fully mature. No sign of fading. Held well for 3 hours. Fascinating contrast to the brutish ‘59 La Mission Haut-Brion.
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On my 31st birthday at dinner at Silks in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. ($300 on the wine list, saved for me by Michael Thorburn.) Still has excellent medium-dark ruby color. Extremely complex, even haunting bouquet, with excellent gravelly, mineral character. Showing age on the palate (it was probably at its very best 5-10 years ago), it is still very enjoyable: smooth, elegant and round, with fine fruit. 5-13-14-8: 90/100.
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Chicago Wine Company bottle, purchased October 1985. Medium color, brown at the edge. Evanescent interesting bouquet, atypical. Full body. Disappointing flavor. Average finish. Similar to a previous bottle last year.
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2/15/2024 - johnh1001 wrote: 97 Points
Another amazing bottle from the same case.
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2/4/2024 - hprphf Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted. Such power and beauty packed within, and this bottle is still young. Fresh dark fruit, woody, soft, salt, cacao fruit, cigar. Silky non-stop. Not the largest wine but the most elegant, my red WOTN. 97
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1/19/2024 - johnh1001 wrote: 97 Points
Cork soaked through. About 4.5cm. Mature and wonderful nose of smoke, sweet dark fruit, earth, asphalt and violet. Smooth, rich and round on the palate. Touch of banana. Drank over 5 hours and gained sweetness and harmony over time. Just brilliant.
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11/4/2023 - sdr Does not like this wine: 86 Points
While it improved somewhat in the glass it was clear this bottle was definitely weak. No one thought it was corked but even for age it was tired and pinched. Still, there was a hint of smoke and gravel but not enough to take a second glass.
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11/7/2022 - englishman's claret wrote: 92 Points
This example shows ripe black cherry and loam, impressive in its depth but a little monotone. This was followed long enough that, if complexities were going to emerge from this particular bottle, they would have done.
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11/5/2022 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Eight Decades of Decadence: A wonderful way to start our journey through 8 decades of wine. While just a cut below the '59 Latour in my opinion, this is a very close second. Fully mature, but it has years to plateau in this wonderful place. Of the entire lineup, this was my favorite of the night. Such a treat to drink such a legend. This benefited with a proper decant. When it comes to 1st growths, especially from a strong year like '59, don't be afraid to decant. Delicioso!
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11/24/2021 - Cailles wrote: flawed
Legends only: 15 Bordeaux & 2 Heitz MV Magnums: Four Haut Brions legends, all tasted from magnums. All double decanted 4 hours prior to consumption. Narrow winner was the 1945 (rated 97 pts) which showed such an intriguing, pure fruit sweetness and showed absolutely weightless. This was quite the contrast to the other Haut Brions which were all quite similar in style, with a darker appearance and much more about raw intensity with unbelievable complexity and the fruit rather in the dried/port-like spectrum. Equally good was the 1934 (rated 96 pts) which must rank among the most complex Bordeauxs I’ve ever had and which showed quite airy, despite all the intensity. The 1929 (rated 93 pts) showed similar to the 1934 and almost equally complex but didn’t had the same absolute airiness and hence, was a bit too overwhelming and heavy. I don’t doubt that for wine lovers who like these port-like aromas and Malaga, Brandy notes more than I do, the 1934 and 1929 would have been a 100 pts experiences. The 1959 (NR) was sadly not an ideal bottle and clearly well past its prime (which is not normal for a 1959).
TN: Sadly, this bottle showed very advanced with lots of curry and broath-like aromas. It was still drinkable as there was so much substance on the palate but clearly not an ideal bottle and hence no rating. I’ve had this before (rated 96 pts) and it was much fresher and without all this fault age aromas.
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9/16/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
While this lacks the concentration of the 1961, the otherworldly, silky texture here is off the hook! At full maturity, this breath-taking wine offers a complex array of campfire scents, burning embers, Cuban cigar, tar, leaves, and currants. The palate is even better with its waves of tobacco-drenched red fruits and earth, all wrapped up in silk. Long and expansive, this is Haut Brion!
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7/8/2021 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 98 Points
From 375ml: drank side by side with the 89’ Haut Brion, and they were surprisingly similar, with the 59’ just more evolved and more open of course. I imagine the 89’ could taste nearly identical in 30 years! Very special wine.
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6/3/2021 - tinybubbles wrote: 94 Points
Darker and more advanced than the best bottles. Lacked the length on the finish that I hope for from this wine
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4/14/2021 - chbent1 wrote: 98 Points
Drank for my birthday over an hour or two. Mid/high shoulder fill, no decant. Incredible complexity and energy, notes of bacon and smoke infused black fruit and earth. Tannins still there, rich presence and weight, long finish. Not sure how much longer it will go, probably time to drink.
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2/9/2021 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 98 Points
Best bottle in quite some time. Deserved another 20 years of slumber.
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1/30/2021 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 95 Points
Typical, although not quite as sharp as some bottles.
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1/27/2021 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 95 Points
Typical and great, with perhaps a bit less definition and energy on the edges of the palate versus the best bottles.
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12/27/2020 - WIBA Likes this wine: 96 Points
Classic classic classic. beautiful and elegant. Great concentration and great length. But I'd drink up though as it's starting to mature.
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9/26/2020 - fclarity wrote: 99 Points
From two good looking bottles with 3.5 in fills, this wine had a very deep red center with tawny rims. The high- intensity nose showed black cherry, Cuban cigar, wet gravel, black spices, and some honeyed meat.
In the mouth, this wine was as smooth as silk with very light tannin and huge length. This wine had incredible complexity and what a mouthfeel!
What wine can say anything more positive about its stunning terrior than this bottle. Arguably 100 points, wow!
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7/22/2020 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
Aged Bordeaux Gems (with Unico/Heitz MV in the mix): Magnum. Upper mid shoulder level. This wine was very impressive. Actually it was more impressive than truly enjoyable. There is so much depth and stuffing, an incredible complexity paired with laser focus but the 20+ minutes this was in the glass it did never fully opened up and become softer. It would have been so great to follow this beauty over several hours and/or with the right amount of decanting. In the whole lineup this was clearly the most complex wine. Yet, without air it didn’t show everything and was slightly too dense and even a bit cloying.
TN: The first appearance is mixed with too much ripeness bordering on cooked fruit. Luckily with a lot of swirling the wines slowly reveals its true self. Hyper precise and complex nose with smokey notes, ripe dark fruit, cassis, coffee, burnt sugar, mineral notes. Very dense, young on the palate with sweet fruit which becomes purer by the minute away from the liquor-like expression at first. Layers and layers of aromas with all the before mentioned aromas and more sexy nutty notes and herbal scents complementing the picture. Intense, precise and yet everything is toned down as the wine is not yet ready. The texture is superb, creamy, with lots of tension, the wall of tannins is silky and fine and the acidity provides a lift to keep it elegant, although that would have been much better with additional hours of air.
Decanting: Double decanted only. This would have been much more open and better with several hours in the decanter.
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6/27/2020 - sirpat00 wrote: 95 Points
Magnum rarities tasting (Near Basel): This was part of a rarity old wine tasting hosted by a merchant and collector. All (almost) bottles were from magnum and double-decanted. The line-ups was dominated by aged Bordeaux, but also included two vintages of Unico and one from Martha's Vineyard. The undisputed winners were Pichon Lalande 82 and Lynch Bages 82. The most memorable, however, was the Pontet Canet 29 and St Croix Dumonts 21. The Unico (60, 65) were underwhelming as was – once again for me – Mouton 82.
Tasting note:
Double decanted, from magnum. Intense and fruity, dried herbs, a bit of candid fruit, also minty notes, extracted fruit but in a good way, a bit of leather and barnyard, tobacco, liquorice and even vanilla beans. Same intensity on the palate, loaded with vibrant energy, incredible tension and structure. Lots of tannin and acidity reminding me much more of a very young, hot vintage Bordeaux rather than a 1959!
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6/27/2020 - G_H wrote: 97 Points
Richter magnum tasting, all wines out of Magnum: I just love mature Haut Brion so much.
This had tobacco, plums, candied sugar, malt, caramelized grain and porcini. The body was full but not quite as extremely opulent as other bottles.
I love this!!
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5/5/2020 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 96 Points
Good bottle of a consistently great wine. Soft palate and less structural underpinning to this bottle.
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3/3/2020 - Wine by Bok wrote: 100 Points
STILL YOUNG
You won’t believe this, a 58 year old bottle and I was still screaming that it was young! To rub it in, this bottle was from a 375ml half sized bottle which was supposed to age faster. Also, serving next to the legendary 89 doesn’t help as both are extremely youthful.
The 59 was simply almost an identical clone of 89, except that it has a lot more depth and sophisticated tastes, coupled with countless layers, except that tannins are still lurking around. I think this really needs another 30y.
more tasting note in finewines.com.sg
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2/2/2020 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Intense, full, rich, deep, complex and knocking on the door of mind-blowing, the wine provides all the sweet, earthy, ripe, pit fruit, smoke, tobacco, ash, cigar box, tar and hay nuances you can handle. Ripe, fresh, sweet, complex, and sensual, with silky tannins and a smoky, red cherry finish, this is just an inch or so behind the other-worldly 1961.
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12/24/2019 - TBean wrote:
Abit maderize ....
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12/20/2019 - Eric wrote: 99 Points
Eastside Tasting Group End of Year Extravaganza (Newcastle, WA): Wow, the nose is reminiscent of the 55, but the palate is deeper and dustier, heavier. There is maybe a little muddiness or the hint of some salt marsh. Wow what a palate. Deep and plummy with fruitcake. Explosive fruit. Alas, this just wowed on first pour, but it tired just a hint in the glass whereas the 55 gained in intensity.
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12/9/2019 - La Flama Blanca Likes this wine: 97 Points
Imagine a clear night sky filled with stars, sitting camp side roasting s’mores over an open fire of embers. The combination of smoke, chocolate and forest floor enlivens the senses.
‘59 Haut Brion is an emotion, a state of feeling, the affective aspect of consciousness.
This first growth is massively structured with an opulent and voluptuous texture. A deep and dense, rich and velvety dark fruit profile of cassis, kirsch and plum. Beautifully perfumed accents of graphite, tobacco leaf and sizzling bacon fat. Pure hedonism on the silky infinite finish!
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9/7/2019 - fclarity wrote: 99 Points
This nice looking bottle with a 4 cm fill did have a somewhat sunken cork. the red/purple center and slightly tawny rims suggested an 82 Bordeaux. However, the complexity of the high intensity nose left no doubt that this was a much older wine. It showed black cherries, wet stones, cuban cigar, plum, honey, and minerals. Not surprisingly, it took several hours of air for this wine to really show its best.
In the mouth, this wine was classic with a light refined texture and an absolute ton of flavor! The tannins were very light and round and the fruit was juicy in a very mature, complex way.
This wine is probably not for everyone as its cuban cigar and stones are so pronounced that it could put off people that love bright, primary fruit. However, it you love terrior, you will have a tough time besting this wine. At peak but will last at least a decade!
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7/13/2019 - Gabe Likes this wine: 99 Points
Opened at Benu, San Francisco. Among the best old Bordeaux I've had. Awesome, amazing fruit, if served blind I never would have guessed it to be 60 years old. I wish we had opened it earlier and followed it longer but it was sublime.
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6/22/2019 - G_H wrote: 99 Points
Richter Raritäten Vol.VII (Magnums only) (Farnsburg): Typical Haut Brion color: clear, dark cola color. Warm butter, walnut. Extremely dense, warm, creamy, rich and long. Just so so good. Such an amazing wine
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6/14/2019 - nywine68 wrote: 99 Points
A 1959 Horizontal Across Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux (Le Cinq Restaurant, George Cinq Four Seasons, Paris): Awesome wine. This is a massive complex and dark wine that will easily last another several decades. Huge nose of cigar box. Intense black fruit and a solid structure. WOTN.
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5/31/2019 - hartmarco wrote:
Wow! One of my all time favourites. Super complex with notes ranging from sweet berries to licorice. Still very vibrant with a finish to take you to the moon and back.
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5/31/2019 - G_H Likes this wine: 98 Points
1950s Bordeaux from Elke (Bad Neuenahr): A monument of a wine. Still so young, warm butter, moss, sweet, licorice, absolutely amazing, rich, long and just layers upon layers of greatness.
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11/11/2018 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 97 Points
Great intensity in this bottle despite being a little more advanced than normal.
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10/4/2018 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
The lightest of the '59 first growths tonight but so expressive of its terroir with flavors of smoky dark red fruits along with warm tar and silty gravel. Finishes soft and complex and was perhaps the most ready tonight. Really elegant, fine and smoky!
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10/3/2018 - nywine68 wrote: 97 Points
Duos, Trios and Quartets Among Friends (Ai Fiori Restaurant, NYC): Very classic. Smokey with lots of lively dark berries. Fresh fruit and layers and layers of complexity. So delicious!
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9/15/2018 - Boone's Farm Likes this wine: 94 Points
We set out to drink some mature Bordeaux as a group. We lined up a 1971 Haut Brion Blanc (we also opened an 82 but it was flawed), a. 1982 Pichon Lalande, a 1966 Petrus , and a 1959 Haut Brion. We also pitched in a 1974 Robert Monday Reserve for good measure.
I cannot say any of them were the greatest red Bordeaux I have ever had but all were really first rate. The 1971 Haut Brion Blanc I have had once before and it was completely consistent. This is perhaps the greatest white Bordeaux I have ever had.
The 59 Haut Brion dark purple with hints of Brick red color. It had an expansive nose of wet earth and forest floor. The palate was similar to the nose With forest floor, leather, and subtle mineral and iron flavors. There was a nice acidity and great balance. The palate was really long and complete. Just a first rate mature Bordeaux. I still think it has years of life ahead of it.
The 82 Pichon Lalande took hours after it was decanted to come around but as it bloomed it was a great wine. The nose was reticent but became more outgoing over time. Black fruit, brambles, forest floor were the primary flavors on the palate. It really took some time to come around but was really first rate down the home stretch.
The 66 Petrus nicely demonstrated the difference between right bank and left bank wine. It was more monolithic than the other 2. I suspect that this wine should have been decanted 5 hours in advance. It developed more and more flavors as it sat. Alas it was gone before it showed us everything it had to offer (I think). There was a mixture of red and black fruit flavors. The earth and forest floor flavors were much more subtle than with the left bank wines. There was a persistent sweetness with this wine that was not present in the left bank wines. This sweetness has been consistent in other right bank, merlot based wines I have had recently that is not present in the predominantly cabernet wines from the left bank. All these wines were excellent but if I had to pick between the 3 I would have to give the 59 Haut Brion a slight edge over the 82 Pichon Lalande for red wine of the night.
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2/21/2018 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very good but lacked the soft elegance of the best bottles. 95-
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2/1/2018 - Peliot Likes this wine: 100 Points
This is why wine is so much fun. Nothing I write will capture it, but I have to write something to mark the occasion. 101 Points. Pure magic. We tasted history. The aromas were genie in a bottle stuff: flowers, gravel, fruit, angels, spices, smokes, earth, heaven. Remarkable color for its age - not even a hint of brown. Incredible deep purple color. Velvety. Plenty of acidity, body and structure. Still had power and a smooth even flow of fruit layers on the palate. Long finish and very elegant. A special wine experience. WOTN vs the ‘82 and ‘89, which were also both spectacular.
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12/19/2017 - fcxj wrote: 94 Points
AT Xmas. Fun to compare against 61 and 89, and I thought showed well though below top form. Kinky, slightly metallic aromatics. Seriously deep, intense palate. Fruit remains very much present.
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10/22/2017 - dcwino wrote: 98 Points
Big 50 lunch (Mi Casa): Black hole of wine, intense nose displaying intense deeply toned black fruit, cassis, blackberry jam, licorice, ink, a hint of mint, mocha, roasted nuts, mint, chocolate, leather and cedar. Perfectly integrated palate, finely layered rich black fruit, silky and polished, perfect amount of acidity, fully resolved tannins and a long incredible dark fruit driven finish. The fruit expression is intense and black. A memorable wine but I prefer the 75 and the 55 LMHB slightly for the richness and complexity.
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8/24/2017 - tinybubbles wrote: flawed
The slightest hint of cork.
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8/17/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
The smoke filled nose, with its campfire embers, cigar box, cigar wrapper, ash, tobacco and earthy, deep, red fruits creates a divine perfume. Silky, opulent and richly textured, this really lingers on your palate, which is just amazing as this is creeping up on its 60th birthday! Not as concentrated as the 1961, which was served in the same flight, but the opulent character really showed great here.
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5/20/2017 - misterstarre Likes this wine: 95 Points
The ullage on this .375 had me concerned, but once we opened this bottle (otherwise in very good condition) I could see that the wine still looked youthful and had a beautiful nose. Purple at the core with red ruby at the edges, there was very little browning. Swirled in the glass while backlit by a candle, this was garnet red. It opened a little tired and had a waft of acetone, but after fifteen minutes of air, it hit its stride and plateaued there, holding nicely together for the next hour and a half (by which time it was gone). It threw almost no sediment, which was shocking. On the nose I got a little stewed plum, tobacco, soy sauce, and mesquite. Each of those notes came forward on the palate, along with the tell tale pessac leognan tar, but most surprising was the fruit component. After all these years, this wine was quite fruity (started off acidic and red fruit, but opened into stewed plum and black currant), a testament to how ripe a vintage 1959 was.
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5/13/2017 - tinybubbles wrote:
An underwhelming and darker bottle. 91-?
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2/9/2017 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 96 Points
1950s Bordeaux tasting (Wine Watch, Fort Lauderdale, Florida): This was a tale of two wines. At the beginning of the evening, I found this to be tired and not showing much at it. Within two hours, the wine had evolved to become superb. The nose just opened up beautifully, with ripe dark fruits, cedar, smoke, leather, eucalyptus, and sous bois. On the palate, this was full of finesse and pure elegance. The tannins were a bit drying, which was the only true flaw to this wine. Nice acidity and good length gave this a pleasant finish. My guess is that this wine has a lot of time left.
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2/9/2017 - sdr Likes this wine: 97 Points
Sensational. If there ever was any doubt that Haut Brion can age as well as its Pauillac brethren, this bottle was emphatic proof. Of the eight Bordeaux from the decade of the fifties we sampled that night, this is the one that improved the most in the glass. Great concentration, marvelous elegance, sweet yet with noble acidity too. The classic Graves smokiness is definitely there but subsumed into the complex whole. This is one of those wines whose bouquet evolves endlessly, mysteriously, intriguingly.
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1/23/2017 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep red floral notes prominent on this bottle. Beautiful rounded red fruit and light soil tones.
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12/20/2016 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 100 Points
The Best Vintages of LMHB vs HB plus some extras (Restaurant Hohenzollern in Bad Neuenahr/Ahrweiler): HB 1959
Diese brutale Fehlerlosigkeit erreicht eben dieser Haut Brion. Er ist noch präziser. Zu den ätherischen Noten gesellen sich noch Kräuter, die den Wein unglaublich würzig und dicht erscheinen lassen. Ewige Jugend. Ergo Traumnote 100P
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12/2/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 95 Points
Red floral notes, red berries, and faint cinnamon. Very composed if not a standout in any one attribute.
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11/9/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 95 Points
Sweet dark berries, rose hips, and perfumed nose. Smooth palate with a lingering sweetness on the finish. Contrasting coal dust and dark earth notes complement the dark fruit on the palate.
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11/8/2016 - Alpine wrote: 99 Points
Fabulous
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9/14/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 100 Points
This is the best bottle of this wine I have ever tasted. Picture an incredibly, sexy, sensuous woman lounging in a cigar shop, and you only start getting the idea. I've posted more than enough notes on the array or tobacco and other scents that there is no need to repeat them here. What made this a breathtaking bottle was its purity of fruit, concentration and sensual, silky, elegant textures, with a finish that never quit. Paired against the 1961, (Both bottles came from the chateau) they were equally perfect, but quite distinctive in their style. This is intellectual hedonism at its best!
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7/31/2016 - fclarity wrote: 97 Points
Tasted blind, this wine had a (young looking) red/purple center with red/orange rims. The nose was excellent right of the bat. However, it improved substantially in the glass despite having been opened a couple hours earlier. Eventually, high- intensity nose showed black cherries, anise, caramel, cassis, and soil.
As is typical of this wine, it was medium bodied but with tons of flavor and incredible balance. It had light, rounded tannin, firm acidity, and fantastic length. At first this wine showed a fair amount of clay soil flavors. As the wine aired, the clay moved into the background as more fruit, carmel, and gravel soil notes emerged. This kaleidoscopic element is common in truely great wines.
This wine has been a consistent performer. It is top notch to drink now and I would not be surprised if it was still great 20+ years from now.
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6/27/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 96 Points
Showed a light greenness on the nose with appealing white pepper and tar notes. Slight mustiness on the palate but with very rich and moist soil tones and coal dust. Quite composed.
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4/12/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 98 Points
A soft elegant nose with cedar, light black truffle, sandalwood, and white pepper bracketing subtle dry fruits. Complex and supremely elegant palate with white pepper, light tar, fresh leather, cedar, dusty earth. For its age, well defined structure. Very long finish
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3/23/2016 - fatboi Likes this wine: 96 Points
Long smooth palate. black truffles, hibiscus flowers and overall red flowers. decanted for a small period of time. wish we would have opened earlier. Slight Iron at the end. A beautiful wine.
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11/24/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 95 Points
Blackberry, black raspberry, coal dust, black truffle, dark earth, rose and violet accents. Seamless melding of and transtions between different elements. Silky smooth on the palate with a long finish notable for its earth and tar notes. Decanted 30 minutes, consumed over the following 1.5 hours. This bottle could have benefited from a 1 - 1.5 hour decant. Into neck fill, one of the higher from this case. 95-96
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11/21/2015 - krister wrote: 96 Points
The 1959-2012 Haut-Brion dinner in Stockholm (Stockholm): Youthful to begin with and then changed into a mature sweet tobacco. Complex, earthy, coffee, mocca, wonderful lenght.
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11/8/2015 - francois999 Likes this wine: 97 Points
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10/21/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Some Wine Tasted at the Zachys Auction (Four Seasons Restaurant - New York NY): Wow! Absolutely sensational. Incredibly elegant while powerful for a wine its age. High 90s points for certain.
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10/15/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
There is such a beautiful, elegance to Haut Brion, especially as it ages that it's hard not to be enthralled, anytime you get to taste mature bottles. The nose, with its truffle, cedar chest, Cigar box, tobacco, tar, smoke and wet earth nose, could keep you busy for hours. The wine has concentration, soft, polished, elegant textures and the roundness that only comes from the patina of age. The finish really lingers on, with its fresh, sweet, ripe cherries and juicy plums.
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10/12/2015 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Very fresh nose of black cherry, cassis, violets and menthol. It has a delicious core of briary fruit. There's a thread of vanilla to the flavor profile and some sweet earth and cedar. It has understated power and is a wine of great harmony, drinking at the top of its game.
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6/4/2015 - ricknat1 wrote: 96 Points
smooth and silky and more elegant than the 61
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12/26/2014 - nba1017 Likes this wine: 98 Points
I'm not sure where to begin.
First off, purchased at a damn steal of $450. About 4cm reduced. Cork was incredibly clean, totally saturated and reduced. Stored and turned beautifully. Surprisingly little sediment.
Initial aromas of concentrated black and deep red fruit, almost plummy with baked blackberries. Definite heat but a freshness and purity keeping the whole thing tied together. The mouthfeel was a cross between old port, lacquer, and a very thick jam. Totally coating, unlike anything I've ever had. 55 years old and completely unrelated yet constantly evolving, even in mouth.
Over two hours the wine definitely mellowed, revealing south asian spice notes, charred root vegetables, cigar smoke, and, of all things, seaweed and hoisin sauce. We opened this at a Christmas buffet and were able to pair it with a wide range of foods. Amazingly, by far the best was grilled freshwater eel sushi. However, it also sung along with deep dark chocolate and was a better complement for roast turkey than any cranberry sauce I've ever had.
Overall, one of the most muscular, precise, svelte, and complex wines I"ve ever had the pleasure to try. As unrelenting as the melange of flavors were, it is an undeniably delicate wine too.
Truly a joy.
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9/11/2014 - LWI wrote: 98 Points
Haut Brion Tasting 1918-1999 (Oslo): Very, very deep and mature fruit, complex, some smoke; outstanding length, big body, but very clean and fresh fruit, enormous finish, some tannins are still noticeable in the finish. Wonderful bottle that was much cooler and fresher than many 59.
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9/11/2014 - EndreS Likes this wine:
Chateau Haut-Brion Vertical (Litteraturhuset, Oslo): Touch of acetone at first. Brimming with red fruits after some air, notes of licorice and tobacco, maybe some five-spice. Blackcurrant and red fruits with a seemingly perfect degree of maturity. Balance is spot on, and the finish is very long and ever so fresh. Gorgeous wine!
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6/1/2014 - fclarity wrote: 97 Points
Tasted blind, this wine was said to have a 4 cm fill. It had a deep red center and tan rims. The high- intensity nose of currants, soil, honey, kirsch, and tea was impressive.
In the mouth, this wine was light and refined but with tons of flavor impact. It was exquisitely balanced with great length. Was it just the tiniest bit less complex than other bottles I have had or was it the greatness of the (served blind) 59 Mouton next to it?
This wine will easily last for 10-20 years but is certainly drinking great now. Tasted numerous times with consistent notes.
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12/17/2013 - fclarity wrote: 96 Points
From a nice looking bottle with a 4.25 cm fill, this wine had a red/purple center and rusty orange rims. The medium intensity showed black cherries, gravel, clove, and a hint of tobacco. It was quite complex but maybe not quite as vibrant as some bottles I have had.
In the mouth, this wine was very refined and integrated. However, the flavor impact was much larger (out of proportion) than one might expect given the suave texture of the wine. The wine's length was excellent but you had to keep your focus to appreciate it. It was so smooth and silky it almost seemed to disappear in your mouth leaving lingering flavors.
I have had better bottles but if this is the low end, that's OK with me! This is drinking but will easily last a decade or more.
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9/28/2013 - GEDC wrote:
My 36th Birthday lunch after a flight of 72/80/81 Lafite and 71/85/86 Latour we decided to change the pace and started with the Haut Brions. 59/99/02 Unbelievably the cork came out in one piece perfectly consumed almost to the top of the bottle with 3.5cm ullage. This magical specimen looked like and tasted like Avignonesi.
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8/13/2013 - cortoncharlie wrote: 91 Points
Typhoon Squad at the Wine Vault: It's all getting a bit blurry for me after 8 bottles so i decided to pull down the curtain by grabbing a bottle of 1959 Haut Brion to end the evening. This was definitely a step up to the Pichon and it had a lovely clear ruby color and that signature tea, tobacco and earthy nose that is Haut Brion. The palate was fine too but I just had much higher expectations for this wine. Definitely better bottles out there than this one.
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8/1/2013 - NewFrenchClaret Likes this wine: 96 Points
Bought with a poor fill (7.5cm) but a bargain basement price. Thought about selling it on and letting somebody else take the risk but thank goodness I resisted the temptation.
Cork was fairly loose but got it out in one using a regular corkscrew to stop the cork sliding into the bottle and an Ah-So to actually extract it.
Lots of crud around the edges which needed wiping up. Decanted and was slightly worried about the color; almost completely brown (though relatively translucent). Later learned this is a characteristic of this particular wine; looking even older than it is. Michael Broadbent says it was brown in 1964! Cleared up nicely after a few hours though, and the color morphed to a redder shade..
Pouring a glass straight out of the decanter, the nose was a little off-putting at first. A very strong aroma of acetone initially hinted at total cork failure. But it seems that was the tobacco component of the nose just being a bit over-eager out of the blocks. After a few minutes in the glass it settles down and displays a treasure trove of bitumen, violets, forest fire, plenty of tobacco, leather, and all the other Haut-Brion staples. A touch of menthol too. Has a lot in common with a recent '66.
What sets this wine apart from that though is its staggering concentration in the mouth. Every flavor on the palate is epically proportioned. Waves and waves of silken perfection. Very, very smooth but a potent acid tang as well. Later a touch more medicinal but not to its detriment. You wouldn't describe it as powerful, exactly though. The tannins have completely gone, which leaves it lacking a little in backbone, but there's just enough bite to prevent it from feeling tired. The alcohol is very noticeable unfortunately, although this too settles with time.
Finishes very, very long indeed, if a little dryly. Almost a Sauternes-like level of persistence. 20 years ago this would probably be a 98 pointer, even though I'm not usually a great fan of Haut-Brion. Right now it is on a graceful and probably long decline though, so time to drink up.
EDIT- day two. Everything is just as exciting as before, but the alcoholic fumes noticable the first day have largely melted away. Everything is so rounded and smooth but at the same time demands your attention. This really is a fabulous wine- perhaps loses a point or so for the advanced color (let's face it drinking a red wine is more enticing than a brown one), but still an incredible treat.
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3/18/2013 - cultwine Likes this wine: 96 Points
1959 Château Haut-Brion 6/25/2006. On one hazy summer day 2006, while regrouping my bottles in the cellar, I, by accident, tipped over the jewel : Chateau Haut Brion 1959. As it happens in similar cases it got crashed. Fortunately enough this has been secured with plastic foil wrap – the content did not get spilled. The decision was to be made quickly. There were two choices – either I would drink it all by myself or I split it with some friends. In addition to it – who can quickly get enough real wine buffs on Saturday evening to make the degustation not like throwing pearls to swine ? Few phone calls were made and the wine transcended into Riedel Duck decanter. The most illuminated brains available at that time were «Leterroir’s» guys. Within few minutes the cab with this liquid treasure pulled down at their sanctuary and feast started. The adventure spoke for itself. One has to realize that this nectar is /was/ almost 50 years old and it can still get better. I spilled some of this wine in my bathroom as I left the broken bottle there. The smell fulfill space more intensely than when I use my Gucci pour hommes eau d'toilette. It lasted for 3 days. When we drank it, it has almost Porto like taste, the complexity was superb, the ultimate roundness and balance was overwhelming. The elements of pork, tobacco and cocoa too. The presence of wild fruit can never be better - it tasted almost kitschy, science fiction portrait of ideal garden similar to what Jehovah Witnesses show in their leaflets. We had some Veuve Cliquot NV champagne afterward, it tasted like a Gatorade laxative. Awful. This was my life time experience, which, I guess, will hardly gets surpass. 100 in Parker scale. 1 700,- Euros
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2/21/2013 - crmasson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent for its age, but not nearly as good as a 1952 Latour we had recently. Bought at auction. Bottle had very good high shoulder fill despite a loosish cork. Wine was definitely brown and a bit port-flavored, but still enjoyable. The score is a compromise between actual quality and quality for its age.
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4/20/2012 - BradE wrote:
Haven't had this for a while. Great bottle, and a very good HB.
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11/6/2010 - Jdub wrote:
"Open something that hurts club" Seattle Chapter get together (Morton's Steakhouse Seattle): If someone told me blind that this wine was '89 Haut Brion I don't know that I would have argued given the color and density. Still very dark, almost brooding color with slight bricking. Screamed Graves the second I took a sniff and only got better from there. Impressive weight to the palate with just enough acid to offer lift and balance the old fruit sweetness. Loads of chicory, tobacco and sweet black fruit. Must have been a real beast in its youth. A legend that lived up to its lofty reputation.
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10/19/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
1959 Haut Brion is filled with smoke, truffle, cigar box, pipe tobacco, mineral, cassis and blackberry aromas. Supple, opulent, round and soft, this sensuously textured wine feels great as it slips and slides over your palate. 97 Pts
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5/17/2010 - noppakit s. wrote: 97 Points
....Day 5....
1/4 left from the last time, nothing to loose...A miracle...
Bad smell has gone, terroir de Graves opened up better than I hope. A typical scent of old fashion Haut-Brion is still seductive, tempting fruits nose, passionate rock and stone...I love to feel these...
Nice firm in structure and tannin, beautiful layers, I can totally enjoy this dark brown Haut-Brion '59 very much.
The finish has power enough to last very long when compare with the other ordinary great wines.
I should try to find another bottle to test again when it wakes up in next 2-3 years.
Drink 2014 - 2025....................97+/100..........................
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5/13/2010 - noppakit s. wrote: 98 Points
Wine for my 44th birthday.
1995 Sir Winston Churchill : Pol Roger 91/100
1970 Latour 99/100
1989 Lafite 90-91/100
1983 d'Yquem 95-96/100 and....
1959 Haut-Brion
So sad...
Day 1 : The cork is clean and good condition. The color is dark brown but nice clear. The strong scent of Chinese herbs, some fruit and wet wood shows up a bit sometime. Should I write more about it ?
Do you believe about the sleeping peroid of wine ?
That's why I siad " So sad "
When those wine are in sleeping period, many different steps, the color is bad, the smell is sometime nothing, no taste, no power.
My 1959 today...the taste is better than nosing. Great structure remains and powerful long finished.
I remember that I saw its color through light when I got this bottle, the color was very nice, the level is perfect. Mmmm...I decanted the rest into the bottle.
Day 2 : At lunch time, the color is still brown but has some red appears in the middle. The nose of tradition Chinese herb is much better, more elegant, clean, very deep and seductive. The structure is firm, low acid at first sip and delicious. Aftertaste is deep, reminds me of 1990.
Very tempting !!! I drink it 4 big sips....the acid is still fresh and lively, tannin is tight and spicy finished. Mmmm...splendid !!!
The old man is down onto the road again.
I have to go to work so I keep the rest to taste in next few days, nothin' to loose !!!
Let's see what it gonna be.
Drink now - 2022.......................98+/100..........................
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9/6/2009 - fclarity wrote: 98 Points
This bottle had 5 cm of ullage but otherwise looked pretty good. The color was deep red with some orange on the rim. The nose was a bit reduced at first and took about 2 hours to open up. Afterward, it showed gravel, figs, red fruit, melted brown sugar and tobacco. The complexity was mind-boggling.
The aforementioned flavors echoed in the mouth with a nice glycerol richness and excellent length. The group, guessing blind, thought it was an '82 or an '85 because it was so flavorful and vibrant.
Other tasters have occasionally reported a slight roughness in the texture of this wine. This particular bottle was as seamless and smooth as a young woman's skin. Wine just doesn't get much better than this............
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12/13/2006 - Rupert wrote: 93 Points
Haut Brion Vertical (Bentley Hotel, London): This too was dark and healthy, assertive nose, a tad earthy, but on the palate lovely sweet smoky tobacco fruit, mellow and long
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6/24/2006 - G SQUARED wrote: 97 Points
Brought to Flemings with Jeff and Jere T. Stunning wine. Nose of Bacon fat, tar, crushed black fruits. In fact, smelled just like the New York Strip that came on my plate 20 minutes later. Beautiful sweet fruit, with black fruits and expresso flavors showing the most. Almost a little porty like. Luscious!
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4/17/2005 - JeffO wrote: 96 Points
Birthday dinner with the kids at Cafe Juanita. Holly made a special Tre Latte cake. It was wonderful. This particular bottle of the Haut Brion has started to turn the corner, with slight sour hints of madeira around the edges. Still a joy to drink with all that earthy leather and sweet spice, and still an amazing nose. But methinks the rest of my stash will get uncorked this year lest I wait too long.
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9/18/2004 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Wine tasting from bottle with poor fill, approximately 8 cm ullage. Hints of lingering violets on nose with mostly forest floor. Palate showed hints of fruit for a few seconds, but was just very tired and faded, very earthy. Not terrible, perhaps 87 points.
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11/22/2003 - JeffO wrote: 100 Points
Silvia and I first drank this wine at Restaurant Laurent in Paris the night we became engaged (notably her birthday as well-9/20/99). The Haut Brion was recommended by the sommelier, who strictly forbade Silvia from having the boeuf ("No Madame, No. It is a businessman's lunch. Not like americaine boeuf. No!") The Haut Brion was transportive. Sublime. Telling secrets of the Earth. The following evening we shared a pristine magnum of 53 Lafite at Lucas Carton with a bunch of softies. These are two wines at the top of any game. The Lafite was brighter, younger almost, with a forward lovely Gallic nose. The Haut Brion was richer, smoother, with a finish that lingered like blooming trees on damp Spring afternoons. Since then, I snatched a single bottle passing through Heathrow and then, in a moment of savvy I never hope to enjoy again, I traded 9 bottles of '82 Petrus (which is actually the dog of that vintage) for a full original wood case of 12 bottles of 59 Haut Brion packed in honest-to-goodness 40-yr-old yellow straw (something I've never seen before--those were the days!). It's now our tradition to open a bottle each year on our anniversary. (When the case is up, we'll move on to the '82s.) We've had 4, plus the Heathrow bottle, at this point. They have all been magnificent. It's a reference wine, and such dreams it refers to I cannot begin to describe.
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11/1/2000 - sdr Likes this wine: 98 Points
Chicago Wine Company bottle. I had to discard another bottle which was acidic and undrinkable. Fortunately this backup bottle was in fine fettle. Luxurious. Soft yet commanding. Perfect state of maturity. Nineteen fifty-nine Haut-Brion is at its apex. More great experiences with this wine than any other allegedly legendary Bordeaux.
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9/1/2000 - sdr Likes this wine: 98 Points
Hugh’s bottle. Wonderful. Classic Haut-Brion. Soft and smooth. Fruity and long. A masterpiece.
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12/1/1999 - sdr Likes this wine: 100 Points
Chicago Wine Company bottle. Perfect again. Dark garnet center, orange rim. Archetypal Haut-Brion. Lightly smoky complex scent. Medium weight. Intense and concentrated. Impeccable long warm complexity balanced and focused finish. Extraordinary velvet texture of only the greatest well preserved old wine. Awesome. Breathtaking.
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3/1/1999 - sdr Does not like this wine: 81 Points
Chicago Wine Company bottle. One inch ullage. Very advanced color but not brown. Pinched meager nose and palate. Seems at least 10 years older than it is. Didn’t fall apart in the glass but never took off either. Obviously disappointing for what should be a great wine.
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11/1/1998 - sdr Likes this wine: 98 Points
Jim’s magnum. Good color. Superbly harmonious. Elegant, lush and long. Very Graves. Fragrant. Almost perfect. A masterpiece.
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9/1/1998 - sdr Likes this wine: 100 Points
Chicago Wine Company bottle. Hard to believe it’s even better than before. Medium dark ruby cedar, amber rim. Quintessential hickory smoke/tobacco nose which grew and expanded over time. Velvety. Very concentrated. Seamless. Very elegant. Very long finish. Impossible to criticize. Staggering.
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6/1/1997 - sdr Likes this wine: 98 Points
Richard’s bottle. Another triumphant ‘59 Haut-Brion. Good color. Darker than the ‘59 Lafite but lighter than the ‘59 Latour. Quintessential Haut-Brion. Stylish. Totally different profile from the Pauillac duo but equally fine. The texture is slightly more coarse. Smoky bricky nose. Clearly superb.
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5/1/1997 - sdr Likes this wine: 98 Points
Chicago Wine Company bottle. Healthy medium ruby color. Interesting, mature, lively. Velvety. Maybe the ultimate Haut-Brion. Although slightly baked it’s very elegant. Hint of caramel or brown sugar. Pure delight. Not as concentrated today as the ‘61 but even more interesting. A very great wine.
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9/1/1996 - sdr Likes this wine: 97 Points
Jim’s magnum. Excellent color. Faint Graves character. Nevertheless extremely subtle and complex. Almost sweet. Intriguing. Medium weight. Fully mature. No sign of fading. Held well for 3 hours. Fascinating contrast to the brutish ‘59 La Mission Haut-Brion.
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1/13/1990 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 90 Points
On my 31st birthday at dinner at Silks in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. ($300 on the wine list, saved for me by Michael Thorburn.) Still has excellent medium-dark ruby color. Extremely complex, even haunting bouquet, with excellent gravelly, mineral character. Showing age on the palate (it was probably at its very best 5-10 years ago), it is still very enjoyable: smooth, elegant and round, with fine fruit. 5-13-14-8: 90/100.
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10/1/1986 - sdr wrote: 83 Points
Chicago Wine Company bottle, purchased October 1985. Medium color, brown at the edge. Evanescent interesting bouquet, atypical. Full body. Disappointing flavor. Average finish. Similar to a previous bottle last year.
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