1981 Haut Brion
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Tasting notes
My early notes on this wine were inconsistent, but two tastings of the 1981 in the late eighties revealed a flattering, gentle, medium-bodied wine with a smoky, vanillin oakiness, round, ripe flavors, and a soft, luscious finish. It lacks some guts and richness by the standards of most Haut-Brion vintages since 1978, but, nevertheless, it is a charming, lighter-weight, forward wine that has reached its plateau of maturity. Anticipated maturity: Now-2000. Last tasted, 1/91.
Critic scores
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Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
My early notes on this wine were inconsistent, but two tastings of the 1981 in the late eighties revealed a flattering, gentle, medium-bodied wine with a smoky, vanillin oakiness, round, ripe flavors, and a soft, luscious finish. It lacks some guts and richness by the standards of most Haut-Brion vintages since 1978, but, nevertheless, it is a charming, lighter-weight, forward wine that has reached its plateau of maturity. Anticipated maturity: Now-2000. Last tasted, 1/91. Jan 1998, www.robertparker.com
About the producer
Ch. Haut-Brion is the only classified growth in Pessac-Léognan. One of the five First Growths, it is renowned for producing both exceptional reds and whites. Along with its sister estate, Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion, it is part of the Clarence Dillon stable.