Appellation: Pessac-Léognan

Size: 750mL

Tasting Notes:

"The colour of this Château Haut-Brion is a dark, radiant red.  Before swirling, the nose already reveals both fresh and spicy notes.  Swirling the wine confirms good ripeness of the grapes, with no excess.  The first taste is incredibly tightly-knit and precise.  Straight away the wine is assertive, with instant presence.  The development is never forceful, but what presence on the palate!  The tactile sensations are completed by the taste, the flavours.  The tannins are well-rounded, refined, juicy.  Excellent length, even when the wine is no longer in the mouth.  The musical score composed by the three grape varieties, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, is incredibly accurate and harmonious."

Ratings:

100 James Suckling

"The black cassis comes out of the glass, together with iodine, sandalwood and subtle moss and wet-bark undertones, then turning to violets. The palate is mind-blowing, with a cashmere texture that unravels on the palate and continues on for minutes. It’s full of superbly complex, ethereal character and mouth-feel, One of the wines of the vintage. As glorious as it may be to taste now, this is one for your deep cellar. Try in 2029."

100 The Wine Independent

"Composed of 48.7% Merlot, 43.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8.1% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Haut-Brion is deep garnet-purple in color. It waltzes out with flamboyant scents of wilted roses, star anise, mossy tree bark, and kirsch, leading to a core of blackcurrant pastille and stewed black plums. The full-bodied palate has a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and lively acidity supporting the densely packed, muscular black fruit, finishing incredibly long and with a spicy lift. Give it 5-6 more years in bottle to really hit its stride and drink it over the next 40-years+"

99 Neal Martin for Vinous

"The 2019 Haut-Brion has an ethereal degree of transparency on the nose, perhaps the most delineated of all the 2019s, fabulous precision and detail considering the growing season. The palate is medium-bodied with fine bone tannins, unerring symmetry and poise. Cohesive from start to finish with an extraordinarily persistent and compelling closing. Off the charts. (NM) 99+"

98 Jeb Dunnuck

"The Grand Vin 2019 Château Haut-Brion checks in as a classic blend of 49% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc. Its deep purple hue is followed by a stunning bouquet of ripe black cherry and currant-like fruit as well as classic Graves cold fireplace, burning embers, tobacco, and cedar pencil. More regal, firm, and classically structured on the palate, this full-bodied beauty has a deep, concentrated mid-palate, building tannins, background oak, and a great, great finish. It's very much in the focused, elegant, yet still concentrated and powerful style of the vintage. It will need a solid decade of cellaring, but it’s a brilliant wine. (JD) 98+"

98 Wine Advocate

"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. (WK)"

98 Decanter

" Liquorice and graphite touches on the nose with black fruits, even some blueberries and pomegranate. Great intensity, power and muscle here – this is full of life with layers of complexity you can feel from the beginning. It's not as immedaitely plump or round as some but this has clear power and generosity. Gentle persistence with so many nuances of flavour, but you get the impression its hiding all it's best features just showing the barest hint of fruit, spice and savoury aspects. Definition, precision and wonderful freshness. You have to work a little harder to understand this, but it has such potential. 48.7% Merlot, 43.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8.1% Cabernet Franc. (GH). " 

98 The Wine Enthusiast

"The wine's richness give it the density for aging. The bold structure is mitigated by the wine's juicy acidity that cuts the structure with freshness. This grand wine has a solid character as well as plenty of juicy fruits. *Ranked #7 Top Cellar Selection of 2022* (RV)"