Tasting Notes

100
Inside Bordeaux Jane Anson - 10 Oct 24
Intense and concentrated blackberry and cassis fruits, with olive tapenade and sweet red liquorice. This is muscular and opulent, seriously structured but with beautiful black truffle and squid ink notes that I find more usually in vintages like 2010 or 2016 - a suggestion of truly ripe Cabernet Sauvignon. The generosity of the vintage comes through in cinnamon and cumin spice, overlaid with incense and crushed rose petals. Exceptional. 100% new oak for ageing, Jean-Philippe Delmas director.
Drinking Date: 2024 - 2050
97
Vinous Neal Martin - 26 Jan 23
The 2010 Haut-Brion is a bit of a monster at the moment. I don't mean that pejoratively. Black fruit, melted tar and Earl Grey soar on the nose, perhaps showing a little more mineralité than prior bottles. The palate is huge (more concentrated than the 2010 La Mission served alongside); it's almost burly and grippy with a muscular finish. This is going to need many years to be tamed. Tasted at the château.
Drinking Date: 2030 - 2075
Pessac-Léognan Fine Wine

Pessac-Leognan

Pessac-Léognan, an esteemed Bordeaux appellation in the Graves region, is renowned for both red and white wines. The reds are elegant and complex, with earthy notes, blackcurrant, plum, tobacco, and graphite, supported by refined tannins and excellent ageing potential. The whites, primarily from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, are fresh, aromatic, and balanced, with citrus, tropical fruit, and floral notes, plus a creamy texture from barrel ageing. Top producers include Château Haut-Brion, Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Château Smith Haut Lafitte, and Château Pape Clément.