Wine Advisor
Haut Brion Blanc 2003
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Wonderful definition on the nose like a top-quality Burgundy. Crisp apples and creamy oak. The palate is quite open and forward, rich, oaky with good weight. The acidity is a little lower than I would have preferred and it is not as intellectual as say the 1996. Tasted March 2004.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The earliest harvest since 1893, virtually every dry white 2003 produced in Pessac-Leognan and Graves was harvested between mid-August and early September as the grapes were becoming dehydrated, the sugars high, and the acid levels dangerously low. The greatest dry white of the vintage is undeniably Haut-Brion-Blanc, which was harvested on August 13-14. In contrast to what I expected, this white is not out of balance, yet it possesses more mid-palate as well as higher alcohol and glycerin than usual. However, it is not over the top, being remarkably well balanced and richly fruity, with no evidence of over-ripeness or exoticism.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Although limited in availability, Haut-Brion Blanc is the Rolls Royce of the dry white wines of Graves. The colossal 2003 is super-rich, full-bodied, and unctuously-textured with plenty of fig, melon, honeysuckle, and bees’ wax characteristics in addition to enormous concentration and a huge finish. Remarkably, the grapes for this cuvee were harvested in mid-August. It should evolve and drink well for 30+ years.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Sadly, because of space limitations, it was not possible to include tasting notes for this wine. However, readers should be aware that neither 2003 nor 2002 was a great vintage for white wines. Normally these wines can be extremely long-lived, lasting 20-25, sometimes 30+ years. I would be careful about long term aging for the 2003 given its fragile acidity.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Even better, and clearly the best wine made in the Haut-Brion stable in 2003 (the last vintage of the great Jean-Bernard Delmas as administrator), the 2003 Haut-Brion is a blend of 58% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc that hit 13% natural alcohol, which seemed high at the time, but given more recent vintages is modest. Dark ruby/plum in color, with no amber or orange at the edge, the wine exhibits an abundance of roasted herbs, hot rocks, black currants, plum, and balsamic notes. Quite rich, medium to full-bodied and more complete, with sweeter tannins than La Mission Haut-Brion, this full-bodied Haut-Brion has hit full maturity, where it should stay for at least a decade. Bravo! These are two great successes in this vintage that have aged well and surprised me by their intensity and overall complexity.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
This is a wine that left me perplexed. A similar colour to La Mission but much more depth and concentration on the nose. Voluptuous blackberry/cassis and cherry. The palate was a little disjointed at this stage. Medium rather than full-bodied but lacking the controlled hedonism of Lafite or Latour. Moderate grip and an attractive cassis finish. This could definitely improve, so I would love to retaste this after bottling. Needs to settle. Tasted March 2004.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
This has a lovely lift on the nose with scents of blackberry, a touch of black olives and forest floor. Good definition: very Pessac. The palate is full-bodied, quite burly and savoury with cassis, blackberry and a touch of cedar. Lacks a little finesse for me. Huge grip on the finish, which has a slight irony element to it. A great wine compromised by the growing season. Drink 2012-2025. Tasted January 2007.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2003 Haut-Brion reveals the vintage’s opulence and low acidity, but it possesses an even higher tannin level than the 2000. A deep ruby/purple color accompanies classic aromas of cranberries, scorched earth, minerals, and blue as well as black fruit notes. It hits the palate with considerable richness and intensity, but is neither overripe nor heavy. Cropped at low yields of 36 hectoliters per hectare, it has a good inner core of depth as well as sweetness. I do not think it will hit the heights of the perfect 1989, but it is a beautifully made, broad, medium to full-bodied claret with vigor, freshness, great texture, and not one trace of over-ripeness. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2025.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The blockbuster 2003 Haut-Brion (13% alcohol) possesses extremely high tannin, but that component is well-concealed by a cascade of mulberry, blackberry, cherry, and plum-like fruit. There is even a hint of figs under the blue and red fruit spectrum. While broad and ripe with a sweet, glyceral mouthfeel as well as a long, powerful, persistent finish, it retains its elegance and nobility. A wine of both power and finesse, it will benefit from 3-4 years of cellaring, and keep for 25-30.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at Farr Vintner’s Left Bank tasting. This has a ravishing, decadent nose: rich summer pudding, raising, blackberry, scorched earth and leather. The palate is well balanced with just a touch of sur-maturite on the entry, undergrowth, sous-bois and tobacco towards the finish that is more like Lafite-Rothschild than Haut-Brion. Tasted October 2010.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
I have never been bowled over by the 2003 and here it is shown up by two other vintages. The nose is dominated by a ball of sweet ripe red fruit, sweet redcurrant, strawberry and a touch of bay leaf, but it seems to lack a little complexity. The palate is medium-bodied and just a little smudged. Tobacco and sous-bois seem more prominent on the finish that I would have preferred. This is still a classy 2003, but it is beginning to lost a bit of puff with age. Tasted November 2011.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
There are only 10,000 cases of this 2003 (12.85% alcohol, high for this estate). A blend of 58% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc, it reveals more tannin and a tougher texture than it did last year. Deep ruby/purple to the rim, with a fragrant bouquet of plums, figs, hot rocks, and tobacco smoke, this medium-bodied claret possesses outstanding concentration and purity, but some toughness to the tannin needs to be resolved. It had just been fined, so perhaps it had not yet fully recovered. It is certainly an outstanding Haut-Brion, but at this stage, I would rank it behind such prodigious classics as the 2000, 1998, 1995, 1990, and 1989. It will be slow to evolve. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025+.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Bordeaux Index’s “10-Year On” tasting in London. Served from magnum, the Haut-Brion ‘03 offers an attractive nose of briary, blackberry, sous-bois and black olive that is well defined and shows a little more gumption than the La Mission. The palate is medium-bodied with a chewy entry, plenty of fresh red berries infused with graphite and cloves. But is seems rather monotonous towards the finish and does not possess the complexity of the La Mission. Tasted March 2013.
About the Producer
Haut-Brion has long produced the most prestigious Graves Blanc, although it faced strong competition from its neighbour La Mission Haut-Brion, which had been producing its own white wines under the Laville Haut-Brion label until 2009, when it was rebranded as La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (both estates are under the same ownership). With very small production since the first vintage in 1916, La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc has always been a wine of considerable strength and longevity; its rarity, and the fact that it is the only white wine produced by a first growth in the Graves, makes it highly sought after by collectors. The estate's first growth status does not include white wines and it remains unclassified. Of the 52 hectares planted on the estate, only 2.9 are white: 53% Sémillon and 47% Sauvignon Blanc. (There are also a few rows of Sauvignon Blanc today, but they were not planted in 1989). They are planted on a 27m high hillock opposite the château. The soil is very deep gravel, on a clay subsoil. There is less clay than in Lamena and a different mix of varieties, with much more Sauvignon Blanc in Haut-Brion. The whole estate is located within the city limits of Bordeaux and therefore benefits from a warmer microclimate. Yields range from 25-40 litres/ha. Harvesting is carried out by hand, at maximum ripeness, so that the wines vary from 13% to 14% alcohol. Sorting takes place in the vineyard and the grapes are pneumatically pressed in whole bunches with no skin contact. Fermentation was carried out in oak barrels with native yeasts, but malolactic fermentation was prevented. The wines were decanted every three or four months and aged for 10 to 12 months, with very little stirring of the lees. In the 1980s it was common for wines to be aged entirely in new oak barrels, but today this percentage is around 50%. Production varies from 5,500 to 8,500 bottles. In 2000, the British critic Tom Cannavan enthused: "The nose has a wax and wet wool character, very buttery, with a gorgeous weight of fruit and little floral notes in the peaches, vanilla and nuts. Wonderful fruit ripeness gives a sweet impression, lots of oranges and lush apricots ...... A long, very concentrated and pure finish. Recently, American critic Jeff Leve reported on the 2010 vertical tasting, noting that the 1989 "opens with freshly picked flowers, honey, caramel, grass, lemon and lime aromas. Accompanied by a rich, polished fruit texture, the wine finishes with a blend of citrus flavours".
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