Aubergine Restaurant
Tasted Tuesday, July 28, 2015 by rikipedia with 57 views
A look at a number of the left bank First growths, in particular Haut Brion. Introduction: Haut Brion established in 1585, 260 hectares, 38 under vine, was the most expensive at the time. Dillon bought it in 1936 and innovated stainless steel in 1960. Each hectare has 10-15 different clones. Competition with La Mission who bought it in 1983. 48 ha reds: Prod: 10-12,000 cases, 800-900 cases haut brion Blanc. 10,000 cases of second wines. 3 generations of winemaking.
Margaux: bought in 16th century and wine production. 18 century, 1/3 is vines, 87 hectares bought in 1976 by supermarket chain. ch. margaux 1787 broke insured for $235,000
Prod : 75% CS, etc. also 150,000 bottles 1st growth , pavillon, rouge 200,000 bottles,
Lafite: 1234 history, later purchased 16th , rothschild bought in 1698, $156,000 1787
107 ha. 35,000 cases of which 15-20000 1st growth.
Latour: 1330 occupied, sold to Pearson group invested heavily, 1989 sold to £110m to ?
18,000 cases grand vin, 11,000 forts de la tour
Mouton Rothschild: elevated in 1973, massive lobbying, prod: 203 ha, of vine.
2008 Château Haut-Brion 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
(Tasted Blind): 50 CS, 41 Merlot; 9 CF. Mid to deep ruby-coloured wine, the bouquet is intense with aromas of red cherry, blueberry, redcurrant, cedar, spices and toasty oak.
The palate enters with a pure fruit character, notable oak and whilst ripe, there has a tad of green elements suggesting a cooler year with cold, clammy clay joining some bright red-oriented fruits, almost slightly bipolar ripeness of sweet fruit and sour cherry skins and cherry stone. The acidity is more piercing than expected with a mineral lift, the texture is relatively thick, and the wine has decent fruit depth yet only medium length. Good concentration, I liked the line of the wine, and there are some lovely notes of cedar, cigar even ferrous with hessian tannins and a prickle of alcohol. This wine is still tight and primary, mineral-driven with a bright red fruit character and reasonable structure, but it needs more time to reach its full potential.
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2006 Château Haut-Brion 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
(Tasted Blind): A mid+/deep garnet colour running to a slight orange rim. The nose is more tertiary and complex, with some pomace & raisin, forest fruit (more black fruits than red), undergrowth and comes across as brooding.
An elegant wine on entry, there is a thick, powdery, sticky texture with herbal notes, very ripe sweet black fruit (almost overripe), cassis with a tertiary overlay more so than expected at 10 years old. A fresh lemon acidity rises underneath the wine and gives lift whilst the mid-palate has length and reflects classic Pessac with a little more muscle and power and width to the solid tannin structure. Full-bodied, with fair concentration, this feels denser in line with its quality. At this point the wood is well integrated giving a cedar edge, and balances the ripeness of fruit with an elegant feel. Fabulously long, the wine improved in glass and will still need more time to open further.
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2004 Château Haut-Brion 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
A mid+ garnet to cherry coloured wine with a heady, aromatic nose of milk chocolate, sweet red fruits, and blackcurrant. The wine has less undergrowth and more tertiary notes, as well as a spicy, clean aroma than the 2006. On the palate, the wine is surprisingly youthful, but lacks mid-palate depth, with a more sinewy blackcurrant skin texture, crisp acidity and narrower yet coarser, seagrass tannins perhaps more gravelly as it opened. More medium-bodied than full with more red fruits than black, earthier, it feels quite athletic and finer boned than the 2006. However, I found the wine less integrated and not as long in the mid-palate nor exit and there is a metallic grasp to it along with a woody tree bark element and green, herbal edge that didn’t live up to the quality of wine 1 and 2. Perhaps reflecting the more classic 2004 vintage it certainly was fresher with a mineral edge and standing upright with a stronger spine. It did take time to open and improve but to me never quite as intense or deep as the first two wines.
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