Haut Brion 2016

Pessac-Leognan, First Growth

Units	Size	Case size	GBP Price:	Quantities	Buy
36	75cl Bottle	Case 6	£2,400 per Case	Cases	[Add to shopping basket]

Tasting Notes
The 2016 Haut-Brion has a beguiling sense of purity on the nose, which features scents of blackberry, crushed violet petals, hints of dark chocolate and even a suggestion of fresh fig. Underneath all this is a seam of mineralité that becomes more conspicuous with aeration, tightening everything up. The palate is medium-bodied with filigreed tannin, a satiny texture, perfect acidity and incredible harmony. Everything here is in the right place. Quite sensual in style, conveying an enthralling sense of delineation on the long finish. About as good as you will find in this vintage. Score: 99 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2026-2080 01 January 2019
The 2016 Haut Brion is a blend of 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.5% Cabernet Franc that was picked between 19 September and 13 October. Jean-Philippe Delmas told me that this represents a touch more Merlot than last year's vintage. It clearly has a more powerful and intense bouquet compared to the La Mission Haut-Brion, although maybe not the same killer level of detail and delineation. The palate is beautifully balanced with arching tannins that insistently grip the mouth. There are layers of black fruit, minerals, sea salt and a touch of crushed violets. Unlike the 2015 Haut-Brion, this is more linear, stricter and you could argue more nimble on its toes. Yet maybe it does not quite have the same depth and labyrinthine complexity that made the 2015 such an astonishing wine. Nevertheless, this 2016 is not far behind and it will be fascinating to compare in the future. Score: 97 - 99 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2026-2070 28 April 2017
The 2016 Haut-Brion is quite possibly even more magnificent from bottle than it was from barrel. Powerful and rich, yet not at all heavy, the 2016 is a wine of nearly indescribable beauty. Haut-Brion is often a thrilling wine, but it is rarely this finessed in its youth. Gravel, cure meat, tobacco and cedar are some of the many nuances that develop with air, but it is an extraordinary sense of harmony that really stands out. What a wine! Score: 100 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2026-2066 01 January 2019
The 2016 Haut-Brion is shaping up to be one of the jewels of the vintage. Towering, powerful and intense, the 2016 is marvelously complete in all of its dimensions. Gravel, bacon fat, black cherry, smoke, leather and licorice are all pushed forward. The 2016 is quite rich, but never heavy. It is especially polished, even understated Haut Brion built more on finesse than power. Score: 95 - 98 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 25 April 2017
The 2016 Haut-Brion is blended of 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.5% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is at once profound and arresting, offering drop-dead gorgeous Morello cherries, lilacs and red rose scents with a core of Black Forest cake, warm blackcurrants and blueberry preserves plus wafts of sandalwood and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the elegantly crafted palate is completely packed with intense floral, mineral and cassis-laced flavors with a firm frame of very finely pixelated tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and achingly stunning. Score: 100 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2025-2070 30 November 2018
This stunning wine is flexing its muscles, showing off its power and depth. Perfectly placed, so precise and utterly gorgeous with a hand-in-glove power. The texture is satin, silky and velvety, each strand providing a different take on charcoal, slate, menthol and bilberry, with mouthwatering acidity that suspends the finish for several minutes. Harvesting took place between 19th September and 13th October. 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.5% Cabernet Franc aged in 78% new oak. Score: 98 Decanter, - Maturity: 2027-2050 25 April 2017
Even deeper colour than La Mission. Broad and spicy and very rich and a compote of warm bricks. (La Mission is more muscular and obviously tannic.) Firm and not over the top. Prances. Transparent and very much Haut-Brion. Score: 19 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2028-2050 21 April 2017
56% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Intense and powerful aromas of blackberries, ruby fruit, violets, spiced fruits, tar, smoke and char. There is huge power of concentrated fruit and structure here, all in finesse. Built for the long term. Fantastically balanced, long suave finish. Score: 97 - 99 Albany Vintners, - 19 April 2017
This is a monument for Haut-Brion and reminds me of the great 1998 but in a modern and bright style. Full-bodied, very tannic and superbly structured yet always agile and vivid. Its energy and dynamic nature grabs you by the shoulder and tells you it’s great. Staggeringly precise. It can’t get better than this, can it? Score: 100 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 04 April 2017

Tasting Notes

The 2016 Haut-Brion has a beguiling sense of purity on the nose, which features scents of blackberry, crushed violet petals, hints of dark chocolate and even a suggestion of fresh fig. Underneath all this is a seam of mineralité that becomes more conspicuous with aeration, tightening everything up. The palate is medium-bodied with filigreed tannin, a satiny texture, perfect acidity and incredible harmony. Everything here is in the right place. Quite sensual in style, conveying an enthralling sense of delineation on the long finish. About as good as you will find in this vintage.

Score: 99

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2026-2080 01 January 2019

The 2016 Haut Brion is a blend of 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.5% Cabernet Franc that was picked between 19 September and 13 October. Jean-Philippe Delmas told me that this represents a touch more Merlot than last year's vintage. It clearly has a more powerful and intense bouquet compared to the La Mission Haut-Brion, although maybe not the same killer level of detail and delineation. The palate is beautifully balanced with arching tannins that insistently grip the mouth. There are layers of black fruit, minerals, sea salt and a touch of crushed violets. Unlike the 2015 Haut-Brion, this is more linear, stricter and you could argue more nimble on its toes. Yet maybe it does not quite have the same depth and labyrinthine complexity that made the 2015 such an astonishing wine. Nevertheless, this 2016 is not far behind and it will be fascinating to compare in the future.

Score: 97 - 99

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2026-2070 28 April 2017

The 2016 Haut-Brion is quite possibly even more magnificent from bottle than it was from barrel. Powerful and rich, yet not at all heavy, the 2016 is a wine of nearly indescribable beauty. Haut-Brion is often a thrilling wine, but it is rarely this finessed in its youth. Gravel, cure meat, tobacco and cedar are some of the many nuances that develop with air, but it is an extraordinary sense of harmony that really stands out. What a wine!

Score: 100

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2026-2066 01 January 2019

The 2016 Haut-Brion is shaping up to be one of the jewels of the vintage. Towering, powerful and intense, the 2016 is marvelously complete in all of its dimensions. Gravel, bacon fat, black cherry, smoke, leather and licorice are all pushed forward. The 2016 is quite rich, but never heavy. It is especially polished, even understated Haut Brion built more on finesse than power.

Score: 95 - 98

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 25 April 2017

The 2016 Haut-Brion is blended of 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.5% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is at once profound and arresting, offering drop-dead gorgeous Morello cherries, lilacs and red rose scents with a core of Black Forest cake, warm blackcurrants and blueberry preserves plus wafts of sandalwood and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the elegantly crafted palate is completely packed with intense floral, mineral and cassis-laced flavors with a firm frame of very finely pixelated tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and achingly stunning.

Score: 100

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2025-2070 30 November 2018

This stunning wine is flexing its muscles, showing off its power and depth. Perfectly placed, so precise and utterly gorgeous with a hand-in-glove power. The texture is satin, silky and velvety, each strand providing a different take on charcoal, slate, menthol and bilberry, with mouthwatering acidity that suspends the finish for several minutes. Harvesting took place between 19th September and 13th October. 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.5% Cabernet Franc aged in 78% new oak.

Score: 98

Decanter, - Maturity: 2027-2050 25 April 2017

Even deeper colour than La Mission. Broad and spicy and very rich and a compote of warm bricks. (La Mission is more muscular and obviously tannic.) Firm and not over the top. Prances. Transparent and very much Haut-Brion.

Score: 19

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2028-2050 21 April 2017

56% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Intense and powerful aromas of blackberries, ruby fruit, violets, spiced fruits, tar, smoke and char. There is huge power of concentrated fruit and structure here, all in finesse. Built for the long term. Fantastically balanced, long suave finish.

Score: 97 - 99

Albany Vintners, - 19 April 2017

This is a monument for Haut-Brion and reminds me of the great 1998 but in a modern and bright style. Full-bodied, very tannic and superbly structured yet always agile and vivid. Its energy and dynamic nature grabs you by the shoulder and tells you it’s great. Staggeringly precise. It can’t get better than this, can it?

Score: 100

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 04 April 2017

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