2017 Haut Brion
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Tasting notes
44% Sémillon, 56% Sauvignon Blanc (includes a bit of Sauvignon Gris). Another weird gear change, going from 2017 Nahe Rieslings to 2017 Chave Hermitage to 2017 Pessac. The green Sauvignon rasp of Sauvignon sings out on the nose. And tasted straight after the Chave, the acidity is almost shocking, filling the mouth with blanket attack. Despite that, it somehow seems to lack definition. Amorphous. Very very minty – almost soapy. This didn't really shine in the line-up but maybe it was just in a closed phase. (TC)
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Diam closure. Tasted blind. Pale lemon colour. Sappy fruit, some honeyed, waxy character. Very textural, full and ripe, with a little warmth of alcohol. Very powerful and full bodied. Glossy, spicy and round. Quite a hedonistic style but retains its balance. Very long finish. (TP)
The 2017 Haut-Brion is rich and virile, even in a vintage where it has less power than is the norm. My impression is that the 2017 is going to lie dormant for many years before it awakens, but its pedigree is quite obvious. Black cherry, plum, gravel, smoke, licorice and dark spice all burst out of the glass. The 2017 is a powerful, vertical Haut-Brion endowed with a real feeling of gravitas and somber intensity. The long, substantial finish suggests readers can look forward to many years of fine drinking.
A blend of 53% Merlot, 6.3% Cabernet Franc and 40.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Haut-Brion sashays gracefully out of the glass with fragrant notions of black raspberries, kirsch, dark chocolate, star anise and candied violets with a core of warm red and black currants and a touch of pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate bursts with red and black fruit layers, superbly supported by firm, ripe, finely grained tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced.
About the producer
Ch. Haut-Brion is the only classified growth in Pessac-Léognan. One of the five First Growths, it is renowned for producing both exceptional reds and whites. Along with its sister estate, Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion, it is part of the Clarence Dillon stable.