2001 Haut Brion
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Tasting notes
The 2001 Château Haut-Brion is fabulous stuff, with a mature yet lively style in its ripe black fruits, scorched earth, tobacco, and spicy wood-like nuances. With medium to full-bodied richness, it has a round, layered mouthfeel, beautifully integrated tannins, and no hard edges. In short, it's a thrilling, mature Haut-Brion that's drinking at point today. It should continue evolving gracefully, yet there's no need to delay gratification at this point. The 2001 is 52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc, pulled from just 50% of the total production.
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You cannot really go wrong with the 2001 Haut-Brion, which showed similarly to the one tasted just a few weeks earlier. The bouquet positively gushes with black cherries and violets, incense and here, a little more black olive. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins and sweet ripe black fruit laced with graphite, blood orange and hints of Provençal herbs on the substantial finish. It is drinking now but will give pleasure for 20-30 years more. (NM)
As with the 2000, this is still extremely young, barely out of the starting gates, and it needs time to open in the glass. It inches forward, rewarding patience with one of the most aromatically complex wines that you'll find in Bordeaux. Deep in colour, it has great aromatic balance of spice, swirled cinnamon and liquorice. Mouthwateringly good. A high yield of 52hl/ha, with 50% of the crop going to the grand vin. 75% new oak. 2018-2038.
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.