2016 Haut Brion Blanc
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Haut-Brion Blanc is rather closed on the nose and lacks the personality of other dry white Bordeaux in the flight. The palate is balanced but quite simple compared to previous showings. Quite spicy in the mouth, with an oily texture, but I would have liked more body and depth toward the finish, and certainly more tension. I will reserve judgment on this as I think the bottle was just not performing. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Wine Enthusiast
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The white of the vintage is the 2016 Haut Brion Blanc, a Sauvignon-dominated blend that includes just under 30% Sémillon. Amazingly deep and rich, yet vibrant at the same time, it offers an exotic, liquid rock-like minerality as well as notes of citrus zest, crushed limes, and white flowers. It’s unquestionably one of the most concentrated, powerful wines out there, yet it still just glides across the palate with flawless integration of its fruit and acidity. It needs short-term cellaring and will keep for 20-30 years if you’re so inclined.
The 2016 Haut-Brion Blanc is a very good white from the first growth, though I have never found it to be the very best. It has a well-defined bouquet of Golden Delicious apple, orange peel and light citrus notes, but it is not the epitome of complexity, and it lacks a little mineralité . The palate is very well balanced with a fine thread of acidity; there is an impression of tension and salinity here. Light Williams pear and white peach notes emerge toward the persistent finish. Excellent.
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.