2016 Château Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan (Premier Grand Cru Classé)

2016 Château Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan Premier Grand Cru Classé

Château Haut-Brion

Frankrijk

Bordeaux

Pessac-Léognan

Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Château Haut-Brion, gevestigd in Pessac-Léognan, is het enige landgoed dat in twee afzonderlijke classificaties is opgenomen. Ondanks het feit dat het landgoed niet in de Médoc gevestigd is, heeft Château Haut-Brion toch de Premier Grand Cru Classé status weten te bemachtigen in 1855. Daarnaast is het geclassificeerd als Cru Classé de Graves. Het is, kortom, één van de meest legendarische wijnen van de wereld.

Robert Parker 100

Wine Spectator 98

James Suckling 100

Jancis Robinson 18/20

Wine Enthusiast 100

Vinous 100

"The 2016 Haut-Brion is blended of 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.5% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is at once profound and arresting, offering drop-dead gorgeous Morello cherries, lilacs and red rose scents with a core of Black Forest cake, warm blackcurrants and blueberry preserves plus wafts of sandalwood and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the elegantly crafted palate is completely packed with intense floral, mineral and cassis-laced flavors with a firm frame of very finely pixelated tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and achingly stunning." - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"Stunning black fruit with plenty of forest berries in there, the whole picture cool and very delicate, also on the concentrated and highly structured palate. The tannins are very fine-grained, but decisively austere and, together with the vibrant acidity, they propel the finish out towards infinity and leave a breathtaking final impression. A blend of 56 per cent merlot, 37.5 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 6.5 per cent cabernet franc. Very long aging potential, but you could try it in 2023." - James Suckling

"Tasted blind. Relatively pale garnet. Light and fresh on the nose. Just a tad simple. Lots of acidity and freshness but no great concentration of fruit. Though it’s deceptive as it really opens out on the end. Very refined." - Jancis Robinson

"The 2016 Haut-Brion is quite possibly even more magnificent from bottle than it was from barrel. Powerful and rich, yet not at all heavy, the 2016 is a wine of nearly indescribable beauty. Haut-Brion is often a thrilling wine, but it is rarely this finessed in its youth. Gravel, cure meat, tobacco and cedar are some of the many nuances that develop with air, but it is an extraordinary sense of harmony that really stands out. What a wine!" - Vinous

"Large and in charge, this has a prodigious core of steeped plum, black currant and loganberry fruit flavors that show both compote and coulis aspects. While that steeps, this delivers a sturdy frame of roasted mesquite, smoldering tobacco and incense, surrounding a muscular spine of worn cedar and tar. Still rather backward, this will be showing well when most others from the vintage have had their day. Best from 2025 through 2045. 11,600 cases made." - Wine Spectator

"Immensely tannic, this is a great Haut-Brion, one of the finest for many years. It shows the severe side of this estate, with a dense structure to match the powerful black fruits. Rich with berry flavors and lifted by enough acidity, the wine will age for many years. Drink from 2026." - Wine Enthusiast