Château Haut-Brion 2010

As for the 2010 Haut-Brion, it does not have the power of Latour’s 2010 or the intense lead pencil shavings and chocolaty component of Lafite-Rothschild, but it is an extraordinary, perfect wine. It has a slightly lower pH than the 2009 (3.7 versus the 2009’s 3.8), and even higher alcohol than the 2009 (14.6%). The wine is ethereal. From its dense purple color to its incredibly subtle yet striking aromatics that build incrementally, offering up a spectacular smorgasbord of aromas ranging from charcoal and camphor to black currant and blueberry liqueur and spring flowers, this wine’s finesse, elegant yet noble power, and authority come through in compelling fashion. It is full-bodied, but that’s only apparent on the finish, as the wine seems to float across the palate with remarkable sweetness, harmony, and the integration of all its component parts—alcohol, tannin, acidity, wood, etc. This prodigious Haut-Brion is hard to compare to another vintage, at least right now, but it should have 50 to 75 years of aging potential. Anticipated maturity: 2022–2065+. Kudos to the team at Haut-Brion and to the proprietors, the Dillon family, who are now represented admirably and meticulously by Prince Robert of Luxembourg. He has made some changes, and all of them seem to have resulted in dramatic improvements to what was already an astonishing group of wines.

Very dense, with layers of cocoa-covered coffee bean, mulled blackberry, smoldering charcoal and fig paste notes, carried in turn by dense but velvety tannins. The long, tar- and loam-fueled finish thumps some serious bass. Best from 2018 through 2030. 50 cases imported.

This magnificent wine has lost some of the almost frightening intensity it had en primeur (15% alcohol), but it is still far too young to drink, even at 13 years of age. The profuse, youthful aromas of ripe plum, fig and blackberry fruit are accented with smoke and mineral notes. The texture is rich and substantial, with a significant tannic grip, but plenty of crisp acidity helps bring the wine into line. While it still needs a few more years in the bottle before it is ready, this should last for generations.

This is very spicy with dried mushroom aromas, dark fruits and plum undertones. Sweet tobacco as well. This is full-bodied, with lots of tannins that are chewy and firm. This is muscular for HB and flexing it. Try in 2020.

A little less dramatic than La Mission 2010 on the nose. Savoury and a bit low key but velvety textured and with masses there. Really very exciting with mass and pace. A great Haut-Brion with such energy and savour. (JR)

Intense, deep aromas of earth, burning wood, truffle, hot bricks, tar, licorice, espresso, smoke, and blackberry. There is an incredible sense of purity in the fruit. The wine is rich, concentrated, and multifaceted. Each layer of the finish delivers something new, making it one of those rare wines you want to keep going back to. Frightfully expensive, but if you have the money, coupled with the patience to age the wine for more than a decade, probably closer to 20 years, along with a cold cellar to store it, this is a wine for the ages. The finish kept building and expanding for close to one minute.

Deep, dark ruby, purple reflections, brightening toward the rim, underpinned by dark berry fruit, chocolaty nuances, ripe plums, a hint of dried fruit, DELICATE caramel and honey, a hint of dried herbs in the background. Elegant, silky and soft, pronounced in fruit texture, DELICATE and light on its feet; one hardly feels anything of the inherent power of this wine; fine nougat on the finish, seamless style, very long-lasting, great ageing potential.

Pure perfection and one of truly legendary wines out there, the 2010 is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc that hit a whopping 14.6% natural alcohol, with a healthy pH of 3.7. This deep rich, opulent beauty is just now at the early stages of its prime drink window and has an incredible array of blackcurrants, chocolate, truffly earth, graphite, and hints of tobacco. A massive wine in every sense, it still somehow stays weightless and graceful, with silky, building tannins, flawless balance, and just everything in the right place. It needs an hour or two in a decanter if drinking any time soon, and it's going to have upwards of 75-100 years of ultimate longevity.

57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 20% perfect Cabernet Franc, yield: 39 hl/ha. Very dark purple with violet highlights at the dense core. Delicately fragrant bouquet of red plums, blue berries and black fruit notes, gradually joined by classic spices of Havana, cedar, mocha and dark noble woods. Surprisingly juicy palate with fine, almost delicate texture, black cherries and licorice, a focused, harmonious finish with plenty of lingering aromatics. Already more present than La Mission, but with great potential.

57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. 39 hl/ha. Very dark purple with plenty of violet highlights at the dense core. Delicately fragrant bouquet: red plums, blue berries and black-fruit notes—a very versatile Haut-Brion that gradually reveals its classic spice notes, a Havana touch, cedar scent, a hint of mocha and dark noble woods. Surprisingly juicy palate with fine, almost delicate texture. Black cherries and licorice, a focused, harmonious finish with plenty of lingering aromatics. Even if this Haut-Brion may be a little more approachable earlier than its sibling La Mission, its potential should not be underestimated. This heads toward great classicism, not unlike the 1995. Over a decade, the Cabernet Franc were truly great only in one vintage. But when they are, they make a brilliant addition to the blend. We heard the same at Mouton, but the opposite applies there, since there is no Cabernet Franc in Mouton 2010. Pauillac is not Pessac!

(23% Merlot, 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc) Dense, fresh, complex, elegant, and profound bouquet: black blackberries, black cherries, black berries, prunes, mocha, leather, pralines. Elegant, tightly woven, multi-layered palate with dense, fine fruit, plenty of quality tannins, a velvety, dense structure, highly nuanced aromatics, a very long, sensational finish with cedar, truffle, tobacco, graphite. 20/20 2020 - 2045

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.

Still in its youth, majestic, long, with first-class tannins.

The nose is elegant, deep, nicely defined, precise, complex, and offers depth, freshness, precision, and purity. It reveals notes of ripe wild blackberry, small wild black fruits and, more subtly, violet, combined with touches of cubeb pepper, cornflower, wild strawberry, camphor, as well as fine hints of blond tobacco, incense, very discreet touches of grey pepper, star anise, and undergrowth. The palate is delicate, gourmand, nicely fresh, racy, and offers racy minerality, a lovely tangy framework (all in delicacy/accuracy), energy, a fine grain, a beautiful silky finesse, depth, a lovely purity of aromatics, and freshness. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy blackberry, juicy/ripe raspberry and, more slightly, juicy/ripe blackcurrant, combined with touches of small red berries, fleshy/ripe purple plum, as well as hints of cornflower, graphite, camphor, tonka bean, very fine hints of blond tobacco, toasted hazelnut, sweet spices, and star anise. The tannins are elegant, precise, and supple. Good length. Very discreet hints of cocoa, toasted almond/hazelnut, a touch of toastiness and salinity on the finish. A wine of great finesse (despite the power), delicacy… a true square of silk. (+17 caudalias)

Logo on the cork: inverted T (Trescases) Tasted blind, not decanted. Dark color, intense and slightly evolved. Moderately aromatic nose with ripe fruit. Overall fairly discreet. Soft on the attack, subtle as it develops, precise and fleshy mid-palate; the wine flows very flavorful, but curiously it finishes on an unexpected touch of acidity.

A firm and serious wine, complex and complicated, one of the finest wines from 2010 vintage. It has a rich undertow of black fruits, while the tannins dominate at this stage. To add to the powerful range of flavors, the wine has an edge of severity that bodes well for its long-term future.