From a pristine bottle, another great 1997 (an underrated merlot vintage now coming into its own). Not a deep rendition, and somewhat green, its aromas are to die for. Evolving but dominated by smoke, followed by cigar tobacco and finally like sitting by a log fire. Rich and long in the mouth. Not a technical high-scoring wine, but one to saviour as it evolves in the glass. Needed a 2hr decant to open. No hurry, drink to 2035+. 95pts
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Part of a larger tasting with a lot of really good wines, this clearly stood out, especially considering the low expectations from the vintage. Opened about two hours before we tried it, the aromatics were all about earthiness, aged tobacco and dusty, almost dried fruit. I really didn't need to drink it, as it smelled so wonderful I was happy to just take another sniff every minute or so. The aromatics alone were enough. That said it tasted very good as well, even if it was lighter in body than normal for a first growth. It also went through a couple of twits and turns, where it was richer for a few minutes, then got lighter, and then filled out again. Not a lot of structure left, so I think this was about as good a time as any to have opened it, and everyone around the table enjoyed, so job well done Haut-Brion!
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Surprisingly good showing with nice maturity but a bit thinner and less precise than the other vintages tonight. Still, on its own, I bet it would be a fine dinner companion. Double-decanted for 3 hours.
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We found this bottle to be a nuanced and well balanced expression of a top Bordeaux. It was agile on the palate smoothly delivering a mix of dark fruits, vanilla and forest floor with everything tied together in a rounded core of acidity.
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Nicely faint and subdued nose, on the palate delicate plummy flauvors, hints of tobacco and cassis, fully resolved as expected, astringent and light bodied, the finish is surprisingly long considering the delicate overall nature. For a first growth (sort of) bargain at 270 euros but feels a bit pricey. Good and a success for the vintage but I probably enjoyed recently tasted Trotanoy 1997 and Palmer 1997 at least as much as this.
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First, I must mentioned that I bought this wine a little more than half dozen years after the vintage, which would be a few years after the release. Bought it at a great discount of $139. The price went up to $299 at the same shop just a few months after. The wine had been in my very cool cellar since. The cork came out perfectly. When decanted, there was virtually no sediment. The color was deep showing virtually no tile hint. The nose was of dark fruit and consistent with the taste. Not showing any sign of age or flavors related to maturity like cedar, dust and dead leaves. No tobacco or leather either it just deep fruit and lots of concentration. This is simply too young at this stage. I haven’t had this wine for about a dozen years. The one drink even younger was bright but of course missing what one really wants. Still two left so I will wait. Ten more years will be good for this wine. Those flavor I thought were missing will come in time. It is an Haut-Brion after all. Good wine for sure but we need to wait. Perhaps another bottle with less ideal storage condition would be more mature.
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Relatively pale ruby with a noticeable bricking at the rim; an interesting nose - pretty rich developed fruit and a strong mineral note. Cedar and sous bois, some herbal complexity; lightweight and pleasant but goes without saying that if you are paying current 1er GCC prices for this then its a pretty poor return. The finish is drying out and the fruit is almost a memory now. Drink up.
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Cellaraid - Cabernet Sauvignon Taste-Off Dinner (Tonny's Restaurant): great bouquet of sour cherry, raspberry and coffee, but palate was comparatively muted; it was intense though, but what came thru was quite a lot of alcohol heat, rather than flavours; so (unpleasantly) surprised when it was revealed later (initially tasted blind) as the 1er GCC; honestly, disappointed...
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The wine looks ruby colored. It smells like blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, black currant (cassis), forest floor, mushroom, toast, coffee and black pepper.
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A fantastic wine. Spontaneously opened. Decanted for about 30 minutes. A great nose with tobacco, a little smoke and still a black fruit, more blackberry than cassis. In the mouth the wine is super smooth and soft. Perfectly integrated tannins do the rest. Not uncommitted, no millimeter, and the whole mouth is intensely full of taste for 120 seconds. In the finish comes marzipan with a delicate trace of Amaretto. From my point of view now absolutely at peak.
At first, showed somewhat vegetal on the nose -- green beans predominantly. After some air, the vegetal aspect blew off, and an intensely gravelly and cedary perfume emerged, with some cassis and black fruits. A lovely wine, sexy, complex, long. Great given the off vintage. At its peak, and should be drunk in the next couple of years.
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Plenty of gravel and scorched earth. However, the palate is a little lean, even mean. It is not clear how this will evolve, but it is at risk of losing fruit faster than tannin recedes, and becoming more angular and attenuated. It still provides quite a bit of excitement and pleasure, and that is not just by looking at the label. But you get the feeling this is on a slow boat to China destined to disappear into the shimmering haze without going down in the annals of history.
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Night Two in Paris (La Tour D'Argent): From a magnum. This so outperformed expectations I can hardly believe it. Fresh and gravelly nose balanced with floral aromatics and, of course, sweet dark fruits. Just entering the secondary stage in my view, with a palate dominated by lots pure, balanced dark fruits and layers of gravel and tobacco, without a hint of greenness. Fine tannin and structure, a soft, graceful finish with admirable persistence. Later in the evening, I could not help but notice a striking resemblance to well-aged Nebbiolo, with violets and licorice emerging.
V good bottle towards the end of its drinking window. Tertiary notes of tea leaves dominate w a tinge of rounded black fruits. Short finish but still a good specimen. Classy.
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We had this beside the 1989 which isn't really fair but I still loved it in its own way. Vegetal but very fresh delicious and very food friendly. This is in a very good spot right now
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Monthly Tasting Group HWS #094; Bordeaux: Pessac-Léognan (By BD): Unknown source and this must be a seriously mistreated bottle. I will not score the wine, but I will write down my impressions. In the bouquet organic, celery, animals, barnyard, earth, salty licorice and some chocolate. On the palate celery and completely over the hill. Some licorice is the best impression I can think of. Very old wines which were stored properly can be over the hill as well of course, but then there is always still some finesse noticeable. This bottle was almost completely dead. What a pity!
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Vegetal, chocolate and coffee nose. Nicely balanced acidity coupled with notable tannins at first give way to prunes, leather and tobacco leaf on the mid palate. Soft lengthy finish with very little sticking out. Yum
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1997 first growth tasting: polished cherry red color, bouquet distinguished by its warm herbs, tobacco , black tea notes. Palate gentle, with a sweet earthiness and good length. Lovely wine in great condition. The most open knit, soft and rustic of the 5 wines, easily picked in the lineup.
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Opened and decanted an hour and change before drinking. Beautiful and balanced overall. Seductive nose. Slight green pepper, charcoal, leather, and earthiness with mellow tannins still lingering. Contrary to previous reviews, I do not think this wine was anywhere near the end of its life. It drank beautifully and paired equally well with my roast leg of venison and my wife's chicken breast stuffed with wild mushrooms and goat cheese.
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First impression is coffee and tobacco with a good balance to the wine. This is a special wine that is scaled back in a lesser vintage. Still very impressive.
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opened and started drinking within hour or so , was very nice on the 1st glass but started to fade a bit , lost some of the fruit and nose . much more drying on my tongue . This experience was the poorest of the 4 i have had with this wine in the past 5 years. i wouldn't say it is bad wine by any means just not what i was expecting/ looking for .
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This seemed fine on first opening, but developed an offputting acrid smell (burnt rubber, fag ash) in the decanter, totally masking the clean, attractive, ripe blue- and blackberry fruit that had been evident on first tasting. The wine remained relatively youthful, and was round and balanced on the palate - in fact, quite attractive as long as one was able to ignore the aromas. There was no sign of TCA or VA, so it's a bit of a mystery where these off-aromas came from. Perhaps just the smokey, tobacco-leaf characteristics of the wine taken to excess? NR.
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excellent graves wine. Enjoyed with a tri tip and veggies...... the nose was wonderful still full of youthful fruit and the taste was great also. Steve and ZLily birthday party
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Alcohol :: 13% Fresh, lively complex nose of deep gravel soil with perfume spring flower, violet, earth surrounded by lots of sweet dark fruits. Still very youthful for a 1997, in fact, not really into secondary stage as the palate still dominant by lots of sweet pure dark fruits, blackcurrant and layer of gravel, tobacco, cigars box and traces of barnyard that supported firmly by the medium level of fine grained tannin and structure, good mid palate grip, the finished is soft, but amazing persistence, juicy and sweet with spices after taste. Impressive effort for a 1997. Like this a lot. Buy - Maybe.
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Simple Series Dinner 2 (Huat Kee): Surprisingly for a Haut Brion, I thought this had quite a high percentage of Cab Sauv. After a brief decanting, this was actually quite charming now in a classic claret way. If I had to be picky, I would say it was a bit flabby. Don't see much upside potential from here so probably drink this up over the near to medium term.
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2011 Simple Series II: Henry's Dinner (Huat Kee, Amoy Street): Very weak vintage, but pretty good wine. Very nice on the nose, showing a melange of coffee, tobacco, cedar box, leather and cassis scents. There was just that bit of the green stemmy scents of the vintage hovering around in there there threw me off a little, but I still thought it was pretty attactive. The palate hinted at a bit of rich sweetness at the start, with clear cassis notes laced with tobacco, but was clearly a bit weak at the back-end, finishing softly and lacking a bit in terms of energy. Still though, there were plenty of nice Graves flavours on the way, with a little layer of teeth coating tannins over the mid-palate forming a backdrop for gummy cherry and cassis fruits as the wine opened up in the glass, alongside some cigar smoke and a whiff of spice at the finish. A good wine, but not a great Haut Brion, with a more gentle, feminine feel than usual. It was perhaps unfair putting this in the same flight as a toweringly good 1988 La Mission, but I still found the wine very enjoyable.
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Wonderful bottle with Christmas eve dinner. Incredible notes of dry gravel and earth on the very clean nose. Nose notes continue on the palate with pencil lead, restrained fruit, and tobacco. Medium, smooth but drying finish. I know that this is a weak vintage, but wow! A bit surprised by the other so-so notes. As another plus, everyone at the table enjoyed.
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A very balanced and elegant Bordeaux, some notes of cedar and cigar boxes, still some fruit. Good but miles away from the Las-Cases from the same vintage
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Pre f1 dinner (Chinois by susur lee): V fresh , herb n mineral dry earth V Bordeaux with ripr black Currant fruits. Still v structured n steely, fresh cool leather. still needs time but v cool almost minty palate n good fresh fruits. Some fresh cabbage shows. Drinking at it's adolescence. A good example of a weak rated vintage tt actually is drinking well earlier.
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Allowed to open for over 2 hours. This was not an impressive wine and seemingly "around the bend". Drink up. No sense in holding this particular vintage
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decanted two hours before drinking. Initial scents of blackberries, loganberries from decanter. Bright, clear, light garnet color. In the glass, pencil lead and smoke on the nose. On the palate 30 or so seconds of technically correct and balanced but subdued flavors, the tannins had softened significantly with opening. No real fruit or charm to justify the price. Shame the taste did not live up to the nose from the initial decanting.
For my taste, a technically sound offering but not a vintage to seek out. One could keep it but why bother?
Note; these comments are very much driven by the price/quality quotient. At $30, this would have been a lot more positive. I keep thinking "technically correct"; nothing to criticize, but not a lot to praise
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Amazingly balanced. Hard to put a finger on what was most excellent. Tannins were soft, rolling off the tongue.Wow! Is the only description. Could have done with a tad more obvious fruit, but maybe that would have messed with the overall harmony. If this is a bad year I can't wait to try a good year.
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Brought and drank at Bacchanalia restaurant in Atlanta for a $25.00 corkage charge. Cassis, cedar, smokey tobacco. First growth quality in a so so year. Very impressive. Improved as it opened. Dry finish.
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good stuff again , has the smokey aroma and taste it had last time , nice deep red coloring , nothing overly mature about this bottle of wine> we drank it within 20 minutes of opening i assume it would have benefitted frm more air time.
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92-93. This tasted of burnt wood and charcol at the cork popping , after an hour exposed to some air it really came around. This was both tannic and sweet , with fewer secondary attributes than i was expecting . I would say that this is drinking very nicely right now , i had one 2 years ago that was not very easy to drink > very nice
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The wet gravel note was one of which I had always been suspicious in regards to Haut Brion, as it seems to be referenced as a matter of course. Yet, in the glass, it couldn't have been more apparent. As it opens, mint, tobacco, and earth come forward. Not a ton of fruit on the palate, but is intellectually interesting as opposed to being a fruit bomb. The only downside is a somewhat short and drying finish. Don't know why you wouldn't drink it now. Delicious and fresh wine.
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Colour shows the 1st stages of red brick colour. The nose is open and shows gravel stone, wet stone very aromatic. In the mouth the tannin are a bit under ripe but the finish is long and fresh. This wine keeps you thinking on how it will become with more age, but I can say that it is a good light style of Haut Brion which will show you a good intro into this chateau. Start drinking now.
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Decanted for about 3 hours. Lovely purple color. Very pleasant nose, dominated by the known smell of cigar-box. Also wooden aromas. On the palate smoke, tar, leather and ripe red fruits. Very opulent and balanced wine, ready to drink now. The specialists says that this in not an exceptional year for Haut - Brion, but who cares... I realy enjoy it!
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Wine Education Service - The Big Five: Slight signs of age, very translucent. Very appealing nose, fruity with plenty of complexity, still youthful. Fruity attack, maybe lacking a bit in acidity, generally very attractive, smooth mid palate, reasonable length, still a little way to go before it starts to decline.
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We drank this medium bodied red with Thanksgiving dinner. The wine paired well with roasted turkey and was not over powered with the sides that go with such a dinner. Wine smelled of berries and flowers. Had a mineral flavor to it and a very long, smooth finish. This is an incredible wine and should improve for the next couple years.
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Wine Education Service - First Growths: Almost opaque, deep claret colour with a slight tawny rim. Inviting bouquet, dusty, a little vegetal (asparagus), spicy, jammy fruit, complex.
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Dark garnet colour. Aromas of herbs (sage), cassis, and vanilla. Full-bodied with a pleasant herbaceousness and replays from nose. Moderate finish, ~35-40s. Typical Haut-Brion.
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Wine Education Service - The Big 5 (Again): Rich dark cherry with minimal age. Attractive nose, fruity, a little vegetal and tobacco. Still strongly tannic but fairly soft, fruity, complex, reasonable length. This wine has some development to come, but don't keep it too long.
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Wine Education Service - The Big Five: Dark cherry with aging. Blackberry nose with pleasant vegetal notes. Still very tannic, very much a wine still developing, it'll work with food now, medium length.
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This wine had a nutty/walnut nose. It was decanted for 2+ hours before we tried it. I detected a little sweetness upfront. Floral, plum and a hint of spice was noted. Full bodied with a long but somewhat dry finish. Nice depth. 90-92 points.
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Wine Education Service - First Growths: Dark with some orange colour. A nose that says quality, cassis with a hint of oak. Fruity with good soft tannic balance, smooth.
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2/11/2024 - ppandian Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ripe red fruits, intense bouquet of violets, pronounced cigar and tobacco notes. Fruit has receded a bit, but quite balanced and powerful.
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10/23/2023 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
Dark fruit. Chewy but not tannic. Hint of bricking.
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10/4/2023 - JulianSkeels wrote: 95 Points
From a pristine bottle, another great 1997 (an underrated merlot vintage now coming into its own). Not a deep rendition, and somewhat green, its aromas are to die for. Evolving but dominated by smoke, followed by cigar tobacco and finally like sitting by a log fire. Rich and long in the mouth. Not a technical high-scoring wine, but one to saviour as it evolves in the glass. Needed a 2hr decant to open. No hurry, drink to 2035+. 95pts
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3/30/2023 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Part of a larger tasting with a lot of really good wines, this clearly stood out, especially considering the low expectations from the vintage. Opened about two hours before we tried it, the aromatics were all about earthiness, aged tobacco and dusty, almost dried fruit. I really didn't need to drink it, as it smelled so wonderful I was happy to just take another sniff every minute or so. The aromatics alone were enough. That said it tasted very good as well, even if it was lighter in body than normal for a first growth. It also went through a couple of twits and turns, where it was richer for a few minutes, then got lighter, and then filled out again. Not a lot of structure left, so I think this was about as good a time as any to have opened it, and everyone around the table enjoyed, so job well done Haut-Brion!
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9/22/2022 - dream Likes this wine: 92 Points
Surprisingly good showing with nice maturity but a bit thinner and less precise than the other vintages tonight. Still, on its own, I bet it would be a fine dinner companion. Double-decanted for 3 hours.
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7/14/2022 - AValdes Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really fresh. Pretty ripe. A decent amount of power. Developing softness but has years ahead agree with Al - it has upside.
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12/28/2021 - doug374 Likes this wine: 95 Points
We found this bottle to be a nuanced and well balanced expression of a top Bordeaux. It was agile on the palate smoothly delivering a mix of dark fruits, vanilla and forest floor with everything tied together in a rounded core of acidity.
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6/9/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Acker's Post-COVID BYO, Dinner and Auction Simulcast (Craft - New York NY): Small glass, brief note. Rich and clearly ripe, but fresher than I expected. Good+ weight, modestly nuanced now. Possible upside?
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5/8/2021 - Lype Likes this wine:
Nicely faint and subdued nose, on the palate delicate plummy flauvors, hints of tobacco and cassis, fully resolved as expected, astringent and light bodied, the finish is surprisingly long considering the delicate overall nature. For a first growth (sort of) bargain at 270 euros but feels a bit pricey. Good and a success for the vintage but I probably enjoyed recently tasted Trotanoy 1997 and Palmer 1997 at least as much as this.
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3/30/2021 - hargy Likes this wine: 93 Points
the last of my bottles and undoubtedly the best - mature and complex with a lovely smokey depth to it - wonderful!
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3/25/2021 - steinersing wrote: 93 Points
Not as energetic as the 1999 next to it - mature Bordeaux just a little past its optimal drinking window.
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7/31/2020 - RayOB Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank at Home
Wonderful complexity and depth. Beautiful
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12/14/2019 - uberoh Likes this wine: 96 Points
Classic HB nose - well balanced and drinking amazingly well.
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5/31/2019 - Euoinos wrote: 93 Points
Red berries and grilled bread. Elegant structure. Medium to light bodied. Opened up properly after 1h. Double decanted.
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5/16/2019 - steinersing wrote: 93 Points
a bit timid but elegant
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10/12/2018 - hargy Likes this wine: 91 Points
certainly mature and with a wonderful bouquet - not a blockbuster but quite delicious nonetheless!
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4/11/2018 - Wineteacher Likes this wine: 88 Points
First, I must mentioned that I bought this wine a little more than half dozen years after the vintage, which would be a few years after the release. Bought it at a great discount of $139. The price went up to $299 at the same shop just a few months after. The wine had been in my very cool cellar since. The cork came out perfectly. When decanted, there was virtually no sediment. The color was deep showing virtually no tile hint. The nose was of dark fruit and consistent with the taste. Not showing any sign of age or flavors related to maturity like cedar, dust and dead leaves. No tobacco or leather either it just deep fruit and lots of concentration. This is simply too young at this stage. I haven’t had this wine for about a dozen years. The one drink even younger was bright but of course missing what one really wants. Still two left so I will wait. Ten more years will be good for this wine. Those flavor I thought were missing will come in time. It is an Haut-Brion after all. Good wine for sure but we need to wait. Perhaps another bottle with less ideal storage condition would be more mature.
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10/27/2017 - vespasian wrote:
Relatively pale ruby with a noticeable bricking at the rim; an interesting nose - pretty rich developed fruit and a strong mineral note. Cedar and sous bois, some herbal complexity; lightweight and pleasant but goes without saying that if you are paying current 1er GCC prices for this then its a pretty poor return. The finish is drying out and the fruit is almost a memory now. Drink up.
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10/21/2017 - vinhonotte Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Cellaraid - Cabernet Sauvignon Taste-Off Dinner (Tonny's Restaurant): great bouquet of sour cherry, raspberry and coffee, but palate was comparatively muted; it was intense though, but what came thru was quite a lot of alcohol heat, rather than flavours; so (unpleasantly) surprised when it was revealed later (initially tasted blind) as the 1er GCC; honestly, disappointed...
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10/16/2017 - Sean Tay wrote:
The wine looks ruby colored. It smells like blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, black currant (cassis), forest floor, mushroom, toast, coffee and black pepper.
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8/11/2017 - Brown11 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A fantastic wine. Spontaneously opened. Decanted for about 30 minutes. A great nose with tobacco, a little smoke and still a black fruit, more blackberry than cassis. In the mouth the wine is super smooth and soft. Perfectly integrated tannins do the rest. Not uncommitted, no millimeter, and the whole mouth is intensely full of taste for 120 seconds. In the finish comes marzipan with a delicate trace of Amaretto. From my point of view now absolutely at peak.
Thanks Eddy!
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6/16/2016 - la turque wrote: 92 Points
At first, showed somewhat vegetal on the nose -- green beans predominantly. After some air, the vegetal aspect blew off, and an intensely gravelly and cedary perfume emerged, with some cassis and black fruits. A lovely wine, sexy, complex, long. Great given the off vintage. At its peak, and should be drunk in the next couple of years.
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1/31/2016 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 89 Points
Plenty of gravel and scorched earth. However, the palate is a little lean, even mean. It is not clear how this will evolve, but it is at risk of losing fruit faster than tannin recedes, and becoming more angular and attenuated. It still provides quite a bit of excitement and pleasure, and that is not just by looking at the label. But you get the feeling this is on a slow boat to China destined to disappear into the shimmering haze without going down in the annals of history.
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4/24/2015 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 96 Points
Night Two in Paris (La Tour D'Argent): From a magnum. This so outperformed expectations I can hardly believe it. Fresh and gravelly nose balanced with floral aromatics and, of course, sweet dark fruits. Just entering the secondary stage in my view, with a palate dominated by lots pure, balanced dark fruits and layers of gravel and tobacco, without a hint of greenness. Fine tannin and structure, a soft, graceful finish with admirable persistence. Later in the evening, I could not help but notice a striking resemblance to well-aged Nebbiolo, with violets and licorice emerging.
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4/7/2015 - Andice wrote: 91 Points
V good bottle towards the end of its drinking window. Tertiary notes of tea leaves dominate w a tinge of rounded black fruits. Short finish but still a good specimen. Classy.
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2/26/2015 - CellarBord Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was a great bottle! Great depth and shear power. Cigar, red current, cedar. This wine has added weight since I last had a chance to taste.
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12/21/2014 - bjlcrucrazy Likes this wine: 93 Points
We had this beside the 1989 which isn't really fair but I still loved it in its own way. Vegetal but very fresh delicious and very food friendly. This is in a very good spot right now
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12/10/2014 - Zweder wrote:
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #094; Bordeaux: Pessac-Léognan (By BD): Unknown source and this must be a seriously mistreated bottle. I will not score the wine, but I will write down my impressions. In the bouquet organic, celery, animals, barnyard, earth, salty licorice and some chocolate. On the palate celery and completely over the hill. Some licorice is the best impression I can think of. Very old wines which were stored properly can be over the hill as well of course, but then there is always still some finesse noticeable. This bottle was almost completely dead. What a pity!
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8/29/2014 - fcxj wrote: 88 Points
Meh
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3/30/2014 - VinVet Likes this wine: 92 Points
Vegetal, chocolate and coffee nose. Nicely balanced acidity coupled with notable tannins at first give way to prunes, leather and tobacco leaf on the mid palate. Soft lengthy finish with very little sticking out. Yum
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9/24/2013 - dglebo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Clearly HB. tobacco and gun powder. Soft but it is a 1997. Dark cherry swallow. Very enjoyable. Drink up.
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12/15/2012 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
Not the best Haut Brion I've ever had, but still a fantastic bottle of wine. It may still require a couple years for the tannins to round out.
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10/13/2012 - Shanta wrote:
1997 first growth tasting: polished cherry red color, bouquet distinguished by its warm herbs, tobacco , black tea notes. Palate gentle, with a sweet earthiness and good length. Lovely wine in great condition. The most open knit, soft and rustic of the 5 wines, easily picked in the lineup.
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10/6/2012 - never oenough wrote: 98 Points
Opened and decanted an hour and change before drinking. Beautiful and balanced overall. Seductive nose. Slight green pepper, charcoal, leather, and earthiness with mellow tannins still lingering. Contrary to previous reviews, I do not think this wine was anywhere near the end of its life. It drank beautifully and paired equally well with my roast leg of venison and my wife's chicken breast stuffed with wild mushrooms and goat cheese.
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5/22/2012 - Flavito wrote: 93 Points
Floral, beautiful nose, very mineral. Medium body, quite long and smooth, one of the best wines of the vintage.
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4/13/2012 - CellarBord wrote: 91 Points
First impression is coffee and tobacco with a good balance to the wine. This is a special wine that is scaled back in a lesser vintage. Still very impressive.
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3/11/2012 - jsebiri wrote:
opened and started drinking within hour or so , was very nice on the 1st glass but started to fade a bit , lost some of the fruit and nose . much more drying on my tongue . This experience was the poorest of the 4 i have had with this wine in the past 5 years. i wouldn't say it is bad wine by any means just not what i was expecting/ looking for .
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1/1/2012 - wineamateur wrote:
This seemed fine on first opening, but developed an offputting acrid smell (burnt rubber, fag ash) in the decanter, totally masking the clean, attractive, ripe blue- and blackberry fruit that had been evident on first tasting. The wine remained relatively youthful, and was round and balanced on the palate - in fact, quite attractive as long as one was able to ignore the aromas. There was no sign of TCA or VA, so it's a bit of a mystery where these off-aromas came from. Perhaps just the smokey, tobacco-leaf characteristics of the wine taken to excess? NR.
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10/30/2011 - helicopterbob wrote: 97 Points
excellent graves wine. Enjoyed with a tri tip and veggies...... the nose was wonderful still full of youthful fruit and the taste was great also.
Steve and ZLily birthday party
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8/14/2011 - RayOB wrote: 95 Points
wow, incredible
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1/25/2011 - Sleepy Dave wrote:
Alcohol :: 13%
Fresh, lively complex nose of deep gravel soil with perfume spring flower, violet, earth surrounded by lots of sweet dark fruits. Still very youthful for a 1997, in fact, not really into secondary stage as the palate still dominant by lots of sweet pure dark fruits, blackcurrant and layer of gravel, tobacco, cigars box and traces of barnyard that supported firmly by the medium level of fine grained tannin and structure, good mid palate grip, the finished is soft, but amazing persistence, juicy and sweet with spices after taste. Impressive effort for a 1997. Like this a lot. Buy - Maybe.
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1/25/2011 - Dbrane wrote: 89 Points
Simple Series Dinner 2 (Huat Kee): Surprisingly for a Haut Brion, I thought this had quite a high percentage of Cab Sauv. After a brief decanting, this was actually quite charming now in a classic claret way. If I had to be picky, I would say it was a bit flabby. Don't see much upside potential from here so probably drink this up over the near to medium term.
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1/25/2011 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
2011 Simple Series II: Henry's Dinner (Huat Kee, Amoy Street): Very weak vintage, but pretty good wine. Very nice on the nose, showing a melange of coffee, tobacco, cedar box, leather and cassis scents. There was just that bit of the green stemmy scents of the vintage hovering around in there there threw me off a little, but I still thought it was pretty attactive. The palate hinted at a bit of rich sweetness at the start, with clear cassis notes laced with tobacco, but was clearly a bit weak at the back-end, finishing softly and lacking a bit in terms of energy. Still though, there were plenty of nice Graves flavours on the way, with a little layer of teeth coating tannins over the mid-palate forming a backdrop for gummy cherry and cassis fruits as the wine opened up in the glass, alongside some cigar smoke and a whiff of spice at the finish. A good wine, but not a great Haut Brion, with a more gentle, feminine feel than usual. It was perhaps unfair putting this in the same flight as a toweringly good 1988 La Mission, but I still found the wine very enjoyable.
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12/24/2010 - jasonrsa wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful bottle with Christmas eve dinner. Incredible notes of dry gravel and earth on the very clean nose. Nose notes continue on the palate with pencil lead, restrained fruit, and tobacco. Medium, smooth but drying finish. I know that this is a weak vintage, but wow! A bit surprised by the other so-so notes. As another plus, everyone at the table enjoyed.
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11/27/2010 - chills Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wine was incredibly balanced. Had a fantastic nose. I really wish I had more.
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11/19/2010 - G_H wrote: 84 Points
A very balanced and elegant Bordeaux, some notes of cedar and cigar boxes, still some fruit. Good but miles away from the Las-Cases from the same vintage
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9/19/2010 - Alex H wrote: 88 Points
Pre f1 dinner (Chinois by susur lee): V fresh , herb n mineral dry earth V Bordeaux with ripr black Currant fruits. Still v structured n steely, fresh cool leather. still needs time but v cool almost minty palate n good fresh fruits. Some fresh cabbage shows. Drinking at it's adolescence. A good example of a weak rated vintage tt actually is drinking well earlier.
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8/22/2010 - ldorf wrote: 89 Points
Good. Actually, really good about 2 hours in. Not a big wine, but pretty well balanced with a bit of earthy finish.
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7/28/2010 - jlgnml wrote:
BYOB Haut Brion 60 Year Perspective (Les Nomades Chicago): Fresh, very clean, fruit and fat, good flavor. Great expression of an early wine.
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4/5/2010 - swan64 wrote:
올리브에서
오미경원장님. 손정화원장님.. 그리고 안대희교수님..
아주 부드럽게~~ 마지막을 향해 가고 있는 고고함..
화려하기 보다는 우아하고 고상함.
아주 진하지 않는 color
풀바디 지만,, 오히려 미디움 바디 같은,
전혀 모나지 않게,, 자신을 드러내지 않는.... well balanced.
오원장의 2003년 샤또 무통.. 까쇼의 젊음과 강렬함이 깆든,, 아직은 야수의..
오브리옹보다 진한 칼라,, 더 까쇼의 느낌.. 발라스보다는 힘..
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3/14/2010 - Richard Henderson wrote:
2 with snyders
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7/13/2009 - Birddog29 wrote: 88 Points
Allowed to open for over 2 hours. This was not an impressive wine and seemingly "around the bend". Drink up. No sense in holding this particular vintage
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4/12/2009 - jmcmchi wrote: 89 Points
decanted two hours before drinking. Initial scents of blackberries, loganberries from decanter. Bright, clear, light garnet color. In the glass, pencil lead and smoke on the nose. On the palate 30 or so seconds of technically correct and balanced but subdued flavors, the tannins had softened significantly with opening. No real fruit or charm to justify the price. Shame the taste did not live up to the nose from the initial decanting.
For my taste, a technically sound offering but not a vintage to seek out. One could keep it but why bother?
Note; these comments are very much driven by the price/quality quotient. At $30, this would have been a lot more positive. I keep thinking "technically correct"; nothing to criticize, but not a lot to praise
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4/12/2009 - ydris wrote:
Amazingly balanced. Hard to put a finger on what was most excellent. Tannins were soft, rolling off the tongue.Wow! Is the only description. Could have done with a tad more obvious fruit, but maybe that would have messed with the overall harmony. If this is a bad year I can't wait to try a good year.
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5/4/2008 - bluevespa wrote: 93 Points
Brought and drank at Bacchanalia restaurant in Atlanta for a $25.00 corkage charge. Cassis, cedar, smokey tobacco. First growth quality in a so so year. Very impressive. Improved as it opened. Dry finish.
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3/29/2008 - jsebiri wrote: 91 Points
good stuff again , has the smokey aroma and taste it had last time , nice deep red coloring , nothing overly mature about this bottle of wine> we drank it within 20 minutes of opening i assume it would have benefitted frm more air time.
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12/21/2007 - jsebiri wrote:
92-93. This tasted of burnt wood and charcol at the cork popping , after an hour exposed to some air it really came around. This was both tannic and sweet , with fewer secondary attributes than i was expecting . I would say that this is drinking very nicely right now , i had one 2 years ago that was not very easy to drink > very nice
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12/6/2007 - tendring Likes this wine: 87 Points
Wine Education Service - Bordeaux Style (Imperial College): Vegetal, earthy, implied fruit.
Earthy, good balance, a hint of fruit, drinking well.
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11/7/2007 - johnphinney8 wrote: 94 Points
The wet gravel note was one of which I had always been suspicious in regards to Haut Brion, as it seems to be referenced as a matter of course. Yet, in the glass, it couldn't have been more apparent. As it opens, mint, tobacco, and earth come forward. Not a ton of fruit on the palate, but is intellectually interesting as opposed to being a fruit bomb. The only downside is a somewhat short and drying finish. Don't know why you wouldn't drink it now. Delicious and fresh wine.
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3/14/2007 - LEOWINE wrote: 90 Points
Colour shows the 1st stages of red brick colour. The nose is open and shows gravel stone, wet stone very aromatic. In the mouth the tannin are a bit under ripe but the finish is long and fresh. This wine keeps you thinking on how it will become with more age, but I can say that it is a good light style of Haut Brion which will show you a good intro into this chateau. Start drinking now.
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12/7/2006 - tendring Likes this wine: 89 Points
Wine Education Service - The Big Five Plus One (South Hampstead High School): Unattractive nose, leathery, spicy, slightly vegetal.
Fruity with tobacco, fairly smooth and attractive, deceptively substantial, medium length, at its peak.
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12/2/2006 - JScott wrote: 90 Points
Nice, no point in holding, though it's nowhere near decline.
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10/16/2006 - balassis wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for about 3 hours. Lovely purple color. Very pleasant nose, dominated by the known smell of cigar-box. Also wooden aromas. On the palate smoke, tar, leather and ripe red fruits. Very opulent and balanced wine, ready to drink now. The specialists says that this in not an exceptional year for Haut - Brion, but who cares... I realy enjoy it!
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12/15/2005 - tendring wrote: 89 Points
Wine Education Service - The Big Five: Slight signs of age, very translucent.
Very appealing nose, fruity with plenty of complexity, still youthful.
Fruity attack, maybe lacking a bit in acidity, generally very attractive, smooth mid palate, reasonable length, still a little way to go before it starts to decline.
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11/25/2005 - matthen wrote: 92 Points
We drank this medium bodied red with Thanksgiving dinner. The wine paired well with roasted turkey and was not over powered with the sides that go with such a dinner. Wine smelled of berries and flowers. Had a mineral flavor to it and a very long, smooth finish. This is an incredible wine and should improve for the next couple years.
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12/13/2004 - tendring wrote: 89 Points
Wine Education Service - First Growths: Almost opaque, deep claret colour with a slight tawny rim.
Inviting bouquet, dusty, a little vegetal (asparagus), spicy, jammy fruit, complex.
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6/19/2004 - futronic wrote: 89 Points
Dark garnet colour. Aromas of herbs (sage), cassis, and vanilla. Full-bodied with a pleasant herbaceousness and replays from nose. Moderate finish, ~35-40s. Typical Haut-Brion.
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12/15/2003 - tendring wrote:
Wine Education Service - The Big 5 (Again): Rich dark cherry with minimal age.
Attractive nose, fruity, a little vegetal and tobacco.
Still strongly tannic but fairly soft, fruity, complex, reasonable length. This wine has some development to come, but don't keep it too long.
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11/8/2003 - jmcmchi wrote:
Earthy, thinnish nose
On palate, tight and closed, lacking charm
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10/10/2003 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 88 Points
Interesting nose: fruit and fresh leather and cedar. Good structure. Chewy flavours from hefty tannins. Very Good.
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12/15/2002 - tendring wrote:
Wine Education Service - The Big Five: Dark cherry with aging.
Blackberry nose with pleasant vegetal notes.
Still very tannic, very much a wine still developing, it'll work with food now, medium length.
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11/17/2002 - R2-D2 wrote: 90 Points
Aromas of cedar, smoke, earth, and currant. Some sweet fruit, earth, and sage on the almost abrupt finish.
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11/3/2002 - Vino Me wrote: 91 Points
This wine had a nutty/walnut nose. It was decanted for 2+ hours before we tried it. I detected a little sweetness upfront. Floral, plum and a hint of spice was noted. Full bodied with a long but somewhat dry finish. Nice depth. 90-92 points.
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12/10/2001 - tendring wrote:
Wine Education Service - First Growths: Dark with some orange colour.
A nose that says quality, cassis with a hint of oak.
Fruity with good soft tannic balance, smooth.
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