Chateau Haut Brion 2001

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

There is a slight green pepperiness on the nose, perhaps lacking the aromatic harmony of others in this flight. Perhaps it needs more aeration? Full-bodied on the palate, good acidity but with a stern, masculine, austere middle then turning volte face with a sweet redcurrant, blackberry, blueberry finish but concluding with a dry tannic finish. Great length and persistency, one of those wines crying out for time and consideration not afforded at this intense blind horizontal. Tasted October 2007.

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

The 2001 Haut Brion has added weight, flesh, and substance. It is not as dense or powerful as the 2000, but it is as noble and potentially as complex. A blend of 52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc, it is more evolved and slightly lighter than its fleshier, fuller-bodied sibling, the 2000. A moderately intense perfume of iron, sweet and sour cherries, earth, smoke, black currants, plums, and licorice is followed by a medium-bodied wine with excellent purity, fine density, supple tannin, and a long, persistent finish. Haut-Brion's 2001 represents only 50% of the production. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2025.

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted blind at Bordeaux Index’s 10-Year On horizontal. This has a very elegant bouquet with blackberry, briary, potter’s kiln and bacon fat with fine delineation and lift. The palate is medium-bodied with great freshness on the entry, very good acidity with red-berried fruit interlaced with cedar, graphite and leather. Very good depth, very feminine and focused with ample freshness on the finish that seems to have “filled out” in recent years. Excellent. Tasted March 2011.

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Deep garnet hue with ruby rim. The nose is of moderate intensity, still a little tight, blackberry leaf, touch of tobacco, nori seaweed and decayed leaves. It actually shuts down in the glass rather than opening up for around 20 minutes, before opening up again with baked red cherries. The signature scent of black olives is starting to develop. The palate is medium-bodied with fresh acidity with firm tannins, just a touch of astringency. An unassuming Haut-Brion brimming with vivacity and charm, more feminine than usual, but utterly delectable. Tasted December 2006. Drinking 2010-2040

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Deep garnet hue. A dense nose: minerally, cassis with a little tobacco. More intense than the Haut Brion 2002. The palate has an attractive roundness with a smooth entry and velvety tannins. Very good acidity and excellent definition. A fine dense mid-palate with black tobacco-infused fruit and a blackberry finish. Quite a muscular Haut-Brion. Excellent. Then blind at the IMW tasting in November 2005. The nose is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon far more that the previous wine (Chateau Margaux 2001.) Tobacco, pencil lead and blackberry lead. Very well-integrated new oak on the palate with a touch of black pepper. Quite a sumptuous texture with a mid-palate infused with tobacco and smoke. Just lacks a little length on the finish to merit a higher score.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Haut-Brion's 2001 represents only 50% of the production. This extremely powerful blend of 52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc reveals notes of iron, plums, black currants, cherries, earth, and smoke. The wine possesses excellent purity and medium body. It is a quintessential example of Haut-Brion's elegance and finesse. It is lighter than either the massive 2000 or stunningly convincing 1998. The 2001 is another beauty from the brilliant father and son team of Jean and Jean-Philippe Delmas. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2019.

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Haut-Brion’s 2001, which was bottled late (the end of September, 2003), possesses an unmistakable nobility as well as a burgeoning complexity. Plum/purple to the rim, this blend of 52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc is playing it close to the vest, having closed down considerably after bottling. Nevertheless, it reveals pure notes of sweet and sour cherries, black currants, licorice, smoke, and crushed stones. Medium-bodied with excellent purity, firm tannin, and an angular, structured finish, it requires 5-7 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2020+.

vinous95

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

You cannot really go wrong with the 2001 Haut-Brion, which showed similarly to the one tasted just a few weeks earlier. The bouquet positively gushes with black cherries and violets, incense and here, a little more black olive. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins and sweet ripe black fruit laced with graphite, blood orange and hints of Provençal herbs on the substantial finish. It is drinking now but will give pleasure for 20-30 years more.

vinous95

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2001 Haut-Brion has a very refined bouquet of pure black cherries, wild strawberry, iodine and crushed violet scents. Hints of potpourri and incense emerge with time, but it does not quite slip into fifth gear. The palate is medium-bodied with Seville orange marmalade, tangy and lively, and expands gently toward the sensual Bing cherry and orange zest finish. Wonderful. 13.2° alcohol.

vinous89

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Deep red-ruby. Raspberry, smoke, tobacco and roasted nuts on the nose. Sweet, supple and fairly deep, with nicely integrated acids giving shape to the wine. This has very good breadth and palate presence. Lingering finish features sweet tannins.

vinous92

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Full red-ruby, less bright than La Mission. Brooding aromas of raspberry, nuts, menthol and game. Dense, rich, chewy and deep but a bit youthfully closed, showing less personality today than the 2001 La Mission. Larger but not longer. Finishes with building tannins and a minty nuance.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Full ruby-red. Raspberry, minerals, lead pencil, smoked meat and roasted oak on the nose. Sweet and suave but discreet, with nicely integrated acidity contributing to an impression of firm spine. Very suave wine, but not clearly superior to La Mission in 2001.

vinous89

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Good bright medium ruby. Slightly reduced aromas of raspberry and game. Offers good flavor intensity but shows a faint dry edge in the middle palate. Then finishes with good grip and thrust and a minty nuance.

vinous93

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

(a blend of 52% merlot, 36% cabernet sauvignon and 12% cabernet franc) Full deep medium ruby. Deep, roasted aromas of black raspberry, smoke and tar. Dense and highly aromatic in the mouth, with impressive flavor intensity; conveys more of an impression of acidity and spine today than the La Mission I tasted next to it. Long finish features substantial tannic clout.