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- Recently Viewed
Colour
Red
Vintage
2009
Producer
Chateau Haut Brion
Country
France
Region
Bordeaux
Sub Region
Pessac-leognan
Product code
23BRI1B2009
Grape Variety
Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot
Tasting Notes
Robert Parker
Score: 100 Robert Parker"There are 10,500 cases of the 2009 Haut-Brion, from a blend of 46% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 14% Cabernet Franc. For technicians, the highest ever natural alcohol, 14.3%, was achieved, with a pH of 3.9, which is about the same as the 1989 and 1990, as well as 1959. This is the kind of wine to send chills even up my spine, and I have been tasting here for nearly 30 years. An extraordinary nose of plum, blueberry, raspberry, crushed rock, and that intriguing floral as well as unsmoked cigar tobacco note (a classic sign of this terroir) is followed by a wine of creamy unctuosity reminiscent of 1989, but there is a freshness, vibrancy and precision that is historic and possibly unprecedented. Some graphite emerges as the wine sits in the glass, but the wine is very thick while at the same time precise and elegant. This is the quintessential expression of one of the greatest wine terroirs of the world. To reiterate, the good news is that there are going to be 10,500 cases of Haut-Brion in 2009, which is about 1,500 more cases than the 9,000 produced in 2005. This wine will probably need 7-8 years of cellaring when released and evolve as well as the 1959 has (which is still a perfect wine today), so weêre realistically talking 50-75 years when stored in a cool cellar."
Jancis Robinson
Score: 19 Points"Dark crimson with a little more blue than La Mission. LOVELY supple exciting nervy nose with a great deal of integrity and complexity already. Reminds me a little of Ch Margaux in its immediate appeal and class, even if the actual aromas are different (though equally terroir-driven). Real knockout stuff with lovely suppleness on the palate and real grace. Not a blockbuster, amazingly; it seems beautifully balanced. It has the same dense tannic charge but with a bit more fruit and less austerity than La Mission. Very long. So it's definitely Haut-Brion, just more concentrated than usual! Lots of pleasure and luxury."
Wine Spectator
Score: 97-100"A dark and brooding wine, delivering blackberry, black licorice, mahogany, subtle grilled meat and raspberry jam. Full-bodied, with layers of ripe and chewy tannins. Loads of fruit yet subtle and reserved, and a long, long finish. Super fruit, yet held back. A 2005 in the remaking, but perhaps slightly supercharged." JS
Producer Information
Chateau Haut-Brion is a golden oldie in Bordeaux; Parliament Member Samuel Peyps records drinking it in his famous diary dating back to the 17th Century. Interestingly this highly celebrated Haut-Brion is the only chateau outside the Medoc and Sauternes to be included in the 1855 Classification; when it was named as a First Growth.
Located at the very centre of Bordeaux itself, in the commune of Pessac, Haut-Brion is undoubtedly the most famous chateau in the Graves region. There are 65ha of vineyards planted with both red and white grapes (Cab, Merlot, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc are the major plantings). Haut-Brion is also the only one of the five Premier Crus to be as famous for its white wine as for its red! The estate also owns nearby Chateau La Mission Haut Brion and La Tour Haut Brion, making it a highly illustrious portfolio in the world of fine wine. Enjoy.
