Superb deep crimson colour. At first, the bouquet is both subtle and intense, with ripe fruit notes. The aromatic complexity of this wine comes to the fore with aeration. Starts out wonderfully smooth and delicate on the palate, becoming full-bodied yet never aggressive. The tannins are tight-knit, subtle and alluring, with no hardness whatsoever. The finish is long and aromatic. Haut-Brion surprises once again by achieving the perfect complementarity of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Merlot: 48.7% Cabernet Franc: 8.1% Cabernet Sauvignon: 43.2%
Château Haut-Brion’s vineyard is located in the commune of Pessac, just a few miles southwest of Bordeaux’s city center. It belongs to the Pessac-Léognan appellation, to the north of the Graves wine-growing region. Château Haut-Brion is the only wine to be both First Growth from the 1855 classification and Classified Growth of the Graves. The grape varieties used at Haut-Brion for its red wines are: 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 40% Merlot. The property stands facing Château La Mission Haut-Brion and shares with it the same gravelly terrace, ideal for cultivating vines already named Haut-Brion on ancient maps and deeds. The nature of the gravel at Château Haut-Brion, consisting of small stones of various types of quartz, is a key element contributing to the particularly valuable wine-growing potential of the soil. The quality of the soil in which it is planted has a critical influence on the quality of the wine produced.