Chateau Haut Brion 2019

Chateau Haut Brion, First Growth Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, France, 2019

Grapes: 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, located a few miles south of Bordeaux city centre, ageing in 79% new wood

Jean-Philippe Delmas is delighted with his 2019s, and justly so, as this rich, dramatic and unusually powerful vintage is a great success for Château Haut-Brion (and its neighbour, La Mission Haut-Brion). In the vineyards, a touch more Cabernet Sauvignon is being planted these days, but the evolution is subtle, as the 2019 blend remains very much in line with tradition at this address, at 49% Merlot and 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the balance Cabernet Franc. That predominance of Merlot, combined with Haut-Brion's warm mesoclimate, have delivered an above-average alcohol level, labelled at 15%. The vineyard team are working to mitigate the effects of climate change and minimize the quantities of copper employed in treatments throughout the year. In the cuvier and chai, winemaking remains very classical, with fermentation in Haut-Brion's proprietary two-tier stainless steel tanks, designed to maximize the quantity of high-quality free-run juice; malolactic fermentation in tank; and maturation in new oak barrels, some 80% of which are produced in house by Séguin Moreau (complemented by purchased barrels from Demptos and Taransaud). 

Chateau Tasting Note:

Elegant and complex, Château Haut-Brion red presents mineral aromas and a unique complexity. Its strength lays in the finish, which is surprisingly long. This aromatic persistence is due to its very noble origins. Superb deep crimson colour. At first, the bouquet is both subtle and intense, with ripe fruit notes. The aromatic complexity of this wine comes to the fore with aeration. Starts out wonderfully smooth and delicate on the palate, becoming full-bodied yet never aggressive. The tannins are tight-knit, subtle and alluring, with no hardness whatsoever. The finish is long and aromatic. Haut-Brion surprises once again by achieving the perfect complementarity of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon

Critics Tasting Notes:

"Wafting from the glass with aromas of blackberries and plums mingled with notions of pencil shavings, burning embers and creamy new oak, the 2019 Haut-Brion is full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a textural attack that segues into an ample and enveloping core of fruit, concluding with a long, expansive finish. Broad-shouldered and muscular, its rich, powdery tannins are already seamlessly integrated; and though it's labeled at 15% alcohol, far higher than the great vintages of yesteryear, it avoids any sense of over-ripeness."

98/100 points, William Kelley, WINE ADVOCATE, April 2022

"Flexes muscle this year. Deep and complex but broody and subdued on the nose. Big, bold palate with an impressive density of mouth-filling fruit. Huge tannic frame behind, the tannins plentiful but ripe and swathed in all that fruit. Just a touch more freshness than La Mission. Really long and persistent"

18.5+/20 points, James Lawther MW, JANCISROBINSON.COM June 2020

"Perhaps seeing a 100 Pt score is not a surprise here, but the devil is in detail as every vintage carries a unique signature, and this is the point of tasting and comparing. I am jealous of the younger generation of consumers that will be able to compare the 2018, 2019, and 2020 on maturity, as each vintage has its own strong points and character. The 2019 offers a vibrant, rich, refined, powerful, concentrated, smoky profile with countless layers of roasted, smoked red and black fruits, herbs, spice-box, cigar wrapper, cedar, and burnt leaves. Even though this is incredibly dense and intense, it is also light on its feet. Effortless to drink, with a beautiful, elegant, silky, refined finish that surpasses the 60-second mark, this will be seen by future generations as one of the great vintages of Haut Brion."

100/100 points, Jeff Leve, THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER, March 2022

Another brilliant wine from Haut-Brion!