Chateau Haut Brion 1994

robert_parker91

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted at an off-line lunch at The Ledbury. A deep garnet core. The nose is quintessential Graves with notes of black tarry fruit, black truffles and a touch of sandalwood, all very refined and natural, nothing in excess of what the growing season offered. The palate is medium-bodied with cedar and tobacco on the entry, lovely balance, that hint of truffle inflecting the black fruit, slightly dusty towards the finish but harmonious and elegant. This is a beautiful First Growth from a now over-looked vintage, but it is certainly worth seeking out. Moreover, it will drink well over the next decade. Drink now-2025. Tasted October 2009.

robert_parker91

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

By far and away the best wine of the evening, the Haut Brion has a pretty bouquet that becomes floral in the glass. Classic dark black fruit infused with cedar, truffle and tobacco gain intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins. Foursquare but well balanced, the Haut-Brion '94 has retained vigor and style, a perfect gentleman's claret. Drink now. Tasted April 2014.

robert_parker93

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

One of my favorite and most educational visits in Bordeaux is the time I spend with Haut-Brion's highly respected administrator, Jean Delmas. Delmas is the thinking man's winemaker, with a level of experience and success that is unequaled in Bordeaux. On this visit, we discussed at length the strong tendency in Bordeaux to produce wines with higher and higher percentages of Merlot. As Jean Delmas says, (1), Merlot provides grapes that can be picked earlier, and tend to ripen with higher degrees of sugar, thus producing wines with higher alcohol. (2) Merlot has less acidity, which, combined with its tendency to produce high alcohol, results in a sweeter, supple, and initially more seductive wine. (3) Winemakers can extract more from Merlot than they can from Cabernet Sauvignon, thus they can vinify Merlot at higher temperatures, ultimately producing exotic, opulent wines that are thrilling to taste young. However, as Delmas pointed out, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon that provides the structure, backbone, and, to his palate, ultimately the greatest measure of complexity, character, and Bordeaux typicity. Jean Delmas enjoys a sumptuous Merlot-based wine as much as any Bordeaux wine lover I know, but he is concerned by the replacement of Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards with Merlot. In short, he worries that much of the intrinsic character of many Medoc and Graves chateaux could be muted or lost in a succession of exotic, flashy, glitzy wines that are garish Medoc imitations of Pomerols and St.-Emilions - something to think about. In contrast to the 1993's penetrating, upfront aromas, the 1994 is closed aromatically. With coaxing, some truffle-like, sweet, black fruit aromas, as well as those of mineral/stones come forward. This spicy, full-bodied, powerful wine is a more masculine, structured effort than the 1993, with a potentially more complex, richer character. It is superbly crafted, beautifully balanced, and as pure as a wine can be. The integration of new oak, acidity, and tannin is commendable. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2025.

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Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

I continue to find similarities between Haut-Brion's flattering, elegant, rich, powerful 1985 and the estate's gorgeous 1994. The latter wine possesses outstanding color saturation, as well as an open-knit, forward nose of smoky, sweet, red and blackcurrant fruit intermixed with minerals and vanillin. Medium to full-bodied, with layers of flavor, this superb wine is a great example of just what intensity and elegance administrator Jean Delmas is able to pack into this wine without it tasting aggressively oaky, overblown, or too heavy. In many respects, this is the most aromatically complex and best-balanced of all the Bordeaux first-growths. Look for the 1994 to be precocious and flattering by age 4-5, and keep for 20-25+ years. All of the wines in this segment were tasted between March 19 and March 28 in Bordeaux. Most of the important wines from both the 1994 and 1995 vintages were tasted three separate times during my ten-day stay in Bordeaux.

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Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

No first-growth administrator has been on a hotter streak in terms of consistency and quality than Haut-Brion's Jean Delmas, where nearly everything since the late seventies has been meritorious. Haut-Brion's terrific 1994 does not possess either the thick, unctuous texture or the weight of La Mission. Like La Mission, it contains more Merlot than normal, but the result is an elegant wine with medium to full body, exceptional concentration and purity, great balance and harmony, a dazzling aromatic profile consisting of sweet, mineral, cassis, and white chocolate scents, similar flavors, an enthralling texture, and a long, highly-concentrated finish. This is a gorgeously supple and precocious Haut-Brion that avoids tasting heavy or out of balance, rather amazing for such a young wine. The 1994 reminds me of the 1985, but with more plumpness and fat. Only 66% of Haut-Brion's harvest (which ended on 9/24) made it into the grand vin.

robert_parker91

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted at the “First Growth” lunch in London. A deep garnet hue. The bouquet is embracing secondary aromas such as smoke, leather and a touch of the old dusty bureau. It displays a simple, yet somehow rather aristocratic nose. The palate is surprisingly ripe on the entry for a 1994, supple in texture with good acidity although it does lack complexity vis-a-vis other vintages and it remains linear and slightly pinched towards the cedar, cigar-box finish. Not an essential Haut-Brion but it would complement cuisine with suitable aplomb. Drink now-2014. Tasted October 2008.

robert_parker92

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

This is one of the surprise sleeper wines of the vintage which has more successes than many people suspect in spite of all the rain. The tremendous drainage enjoyed by the Haut Brion vineyard worked in its favor during this wet September harvest. The color is deep plum/ruby with a bit of lightening at the edge. Notes of compost, truffle, earth, spice box, dried herbs, and licorice compete with sweet black cherry and currant fruit. The wine is medium-bodied, with a relatively plump, chewy feel to it. It is certainly one of the top half dozen or so wines of the vintage. The tannins are still there, but the wine seems far more accessible than the two bigger wines that Haut Brion produced in 1995 and 1996. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2024. Last tasted, 11/02.