Chateau Haut Brion 2010

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted blind at the Southwold Bordeaux 2010 tasting. The Haut-Brion 2010 is a stunning wine that provoked a few perfect scores around the table. It is blessed with a compelling bouquet with superb precision and focus: wonderful mineralite, slightly conservative and withdrawn and yet displaying immense clarity and terroir expression. With continued aeration there is just a hint of the sea surfacing and one never detects the 14.6% alcohol. The palate is backward, tannic and broody, but immensely powerful and multi-layered. This is a multi-dimensional wine, very long and persistency in the mouth with a bewilderingly complex finish. Tasted January 2014.

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Following a harvest that finished on October 10, Haut-Brion produced a 2010 that should turn out to be one of its all-time greats ... an amazing feat given what they have accomplished over recent vintages. A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc that came in at 14.6% alcohol, the 2010 boasts an opaque purple color as well as a gorgeous perfume of scorched earth/burning embers, blueberries, black currant liqueur and crushed rocks. Full and opulent with nobility, finesse, purity and elegance, this amazing effort possesses extraordinary levels of extract as well as formidable, but sweet, well-integrated tannins. It requires 8-10 years of cellaring and should drink well for 50+ years.

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

A blend of 23% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, this has a quintessential Haut-Brion nose with that trait of fresh black olives defining the nose straight out of the blocks. It is a little less opulent than La Mission but with slightly better clarity at this stage. The palate displays very fine, succulent tannins and like the La Mission there is a Pauillac-like personality thanks to the graphite imparted by the ripe Cabernet Sauvignon. Wonderful definition towards the finish. This is a superb Haut-Brion. Tasted March 2011.

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted at Chateau Haut-Brion. The first impression is that the aromatics upon the Haut-Brion almost cower compared directly against the ebullient, vivacious La Mission. It is probably an unfair comparison. Over time in the glass, it unfurls a little to reveal understated mineral-rich black fruit, tar and cigar box aromas. After 30 minutes and interchanging with an empty glass, it really opens up with hints of black olive and sea foam. The palate is very refined: a real class act. The tannins are fine but firm, initially a little austere and bashful but opening to reveal a sensual Haut Brion with just a touch of leafiness, allied with sublime freshness and delineation. It is keeping its secrets close to its chest at the moment, although the finish is very persistent and focused. It will require a decade cellaring. Tasted November 2012.

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

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 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 but 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 a compelling fashion. It is full-bodied, but that’s only apparent in the aftertaste, 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.

robert_parker99

Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Haut-Brion charges out of the gate with exuberant notes of crème de cassis, blueberry pie and baked plums followed by nuances of dark chocolate, licorice and cloves. Full-bodied, the palate has lots of subtle earth and mineral accents with a firm, finely grained texture and great freshness lifting the long finish.

vinous99

Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata

(a blend of 57% cabernet sauvignon, 23% merlot and 20% cabernet franc; 14.6% alcohol) Deep ruby-purple. Brooding, closed nose hints at strawberry, ripe red cherry, white pepper, minerals and violet; showing its cabernet franc element today. Rich and full on entry, displaying lovely depth to its ripe red fruit, underbrush and tobacco flavors. Harmonious acidity keeps this concentrated, dense wine dancing on the palate. Finishes smooth and very long, and still youthfully tight. Another great Haut-Brion, atypically dominated by the cabernet franc presence. I'd venture to say that Haut-Brion is remarkably Lafleur-like this year. One of the stars of the vintage.

vinous97

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2010 Haut-Brion is a bit of a monster at the moment. I don't mean that pejoratively. Black fruit, melted tar and Earl Grey soar on the nose, perhaps showing a little more mineralité than prior bottles. The palate is huge (more concentrated than the 2010 La Mission served alongside); it's almost burly and grippy with a muscular finish. This is going to need many years to be tamed. Tasted at the château.

vinous96

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2010 Haut-Brion has a very attractive bouquet with blackberry, briary, raspberry and sous-bois aromas, just a hint of roasted chestnut in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with a strong graphite note on the entry. Very harmonious with good acidity, this is classic Pessac-Léognan, although it does not possess the substance and grip of its peers. This is far more understated but it does feel very persistent. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.

vinous97

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2010 Haut-Brion has a more flamboyant and showier bouquet than the La Mission with copious black fruit, orange blossom, fireside ash and chai tea aromas that are irresistible. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine and supple tannins, firm grip, quite saline in the mouth with strong truffle notes on the finish. Quite brilliant. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.

vinous98

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Good full ruby-red. Complex, expressive, very showy aromas and flavors of cassis, menthol, smoke and tobacco complemented by violet, milk chocolate and sweet spices. Fat, sweet and concentrated in the mouth, with an almost liqueur-like ripeness to its highly concentrated, palate-saturating flavors. Finishes ripe and savory, with huge but plush tannins and lingering notes of blueberry and minerals.