Chateau Haut Brion 2022

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Reife Nuancen von Cassis, dunkle Herzkirschen, zart nach Nugat, Bergamotte und kandierte Orangenzesten, facettenreich wie ein Pfauenrad. Saftig, feine rotbeerige Nuancen, ein Hauch von Kirschen und Karamell, sehr lebendig, lässt seine Kraft nicht einmal im Ansatz erahnen, ein Wein von enormer Länge und großer Verführungskraft, nie war ein Haut-Brion jemals zuvor in einem so frühen Stadium derart anziehend. Einfach sensationell."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Picture walking into a flower show with a basket of fresh berries and a lit Cuban cigar, and while that is not quite PC, it is the aromatic profile here. On the palate, the wine is fresh, bright, vibrant, lifted and floral. The wine is elevated, refined, soft, and silky with a refreshing, silky edge to the fruits in the finish. The wine is pure elegance There is nothing between you and the fruits. There is intensity, length, and a striking sense of purity. The wine lingers seamlessly for 60 seconds, or longer. The wine blends 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. 14.45% ABV, 3.83 pH. Harvesting took place August 29 - September 15. Yields were 35 hectoliters per hectare, with 50% of the harvest placed into the Grand Vin. This is not only in competition for wine of the vintage, it is one of the best vintages of Haut Brion ever produced. If you are an Haut-Brion fan with the disposable income, you cannot own enough of this future legend. Drink from 2030-2065."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Currants and cedar with sandalwood and peaches. Fascinating aromas. Violets. Full-bodied with a crunchy and electric palate of primary fruit, with hints of tangerines and citrus. Great finish with structure and polish. 53.6% merlot, 35.4% cabernet sauvignon and 11% cabernet franc. Interesting to have such high merlot in the blend."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: „Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Haut-Brion is a blend of 53.6% Merlot, 35.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc aging in 62.9% new oak. The nose is typically closed and broody, requiring a lot of shaking to wake up enticing notes of iron ore, red roses, lavender, mint tea, and forest floor, leading to a tantalizing core of plum preserves and blueberry pie. The medium to full-bodied palate is very tightly knit with vibrant black and blue fruit layers and red berry sparks, framed by very fine-grained tannins and a refreshing backbone, finishing long and minerally. A classic, breath-taking expression of Haut-Brion, I expect this to remain shy and restrained for the first 10 years so in bottle, and then watch it soar."

WEINWISSER: "53,6 % Merlot, 35,4 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 11 % Cabernet Franc. 63 % Grand Vin. Dicht verwobenes Bouquet, Wildkirsche, Schlehensaft, Koriander, dunkle Terroirwürze und zartes Veilchenparfüm. Am erhabenen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, balancierter Rasse, engmaschigem Tanningerüst und durchtrainiertem Körper. Im konzentrierten, langanhaltenden Finale schwarzbeerige Konturen, gepaart mit tiefgründiger Mineralik und feinkörniger Adstringenz. Besticht dieses Jahr durch Klassik und bleibt trotz der Hitzewellen im Sommer elegant und typisch Haut-Brion. Ist dieses Jahr deutlich kommunikativer als La Mission. 2032 – 2070."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Slightly better than its sibling La Mission Haut-Brion, the 2022 Château Haut-Brion has a full-bodied, concentrated, structured style that's going to demand bottle age. Cassis, graphite, scorched earth, and tobacco are just some of its nuances aromatically, and it shows the ripe, powerful style of the vintage. There are lots of tannins here, especially on the finish, and it's going to need 7-8 years in the cellar."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2022 Haut-Brion shows considerable promise, revealing aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with notions of pencil lead, licorice, tobacco leaf, spices and incense. Full-bodied, broad and seamless, it's rich and muscular, with a deep, layered core of fruit framed by an ample endowment of tannin. This blend of 53.6% Merlot, 35.4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc, the result is a lip-smacking exemplification of controlled power. Analytically, the 2022 possesses a similar level of tannins to the 2010, and a similar pH to the 2009, yet it is more suave and polished than the 2010 at the same stage, and seemingly more dynamic than the 2009."

DECANTER: "Milk chocolate and blackcurrants on the nose, fragrant ripe black cherries and some floral notes. Sleek, supple, suave, really confident and shiny. This keeps the tension more than La Mission at this point with a vein of freshness and intensity. It’s not out to charm but it’s out to impress. Excellent construction, clean depth and power, tense, strict and streamlined, a touch of creaminess and saltiness. You get waves of flavour intensity with ripe, concentrated fruit, soft acidity and a clean stone freshness. Tannins fill the mouth with edges of both minerality and toasted spices. Calm and controlled, impressive with focus. 3.8pH. A yield of 35hl/ha."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Hallmark Haut-Brion opulence of texture. Powerful tannic frame behind. Lovely depth of fruit. Dark- and red-fruit notes with a touch of liquorice as it opens. Complex, powerful and persistent with enough freshness to provide balance. "