Chateau Haut Brion 1981

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Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted at The Sampler wine shop in London. Showing signs of maturity on the rim, this has a lovely, earthy, almost autumnal bouquet, hints of wild mint coming through, a speck of cardamom. The palate is medium-bodied, leafy, decayed red fruits on the entry but the mature tannins are very fine. Undoubtedly at the end of its drinking plateau, there is no denying that it has maintained excellent freshness and a sense of natural balance and effortlessness. Dry towards the finish, a little hardness perhaps, but a perfect Graves who like the wines “autumnal”. Very fine. Tasted June 2009.

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Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

My early notes on this wine were inconsistent, but two tastings of the 1981 in the late eighties revealed a flattering, gentle, medium-bodied wine with a smoky, vanillin oakiness, round, ripe flavors, and a soft, luscious finish. It lacks some guts and richness by the standards of most Haut-Brion vintages since 1978, but, nevertheless, it is a charming, lighter-weight, forward wine that has reached its plateau of maturity. Anticipated maturity: Now-2000. Last tasted, 1/91.