Chateau Haut-Brion Blanc 2019
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Jeb
Dunnuck - Decanter
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Château Haut-Brion white wine is synonymous with uniqueness, excellence and aromatic intensity. Only 400 cases are produced per vintage. The unique blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon gives this Graves wine a concentration and breadth that is atypical of a dry white Bordeaux. The wine is a beautiful pale yellow in color. The first nose is intense, marked by Sauvignon, ethereal yet ripe, delicate and fresh. When swirled in the glass, there is an incredibleimpression of “densification” and complexity: the Sémillon clearly acts as an aroma enhancer, beyond a doubt. The first impression is generous, fragrant and flavorful. The wine then extends, displaying an outstanding length that continues to gain momentum, revealing spicy nuances. This Haut-Brion confirms that years marked by a very hot and dry summer can produce white wines of incrediblefreshness and power of flavors. One of the most beautiful Haut-Brion whites, very similar to the 2017, and undoubtedly a future 1993, one of the most successful vintages of recent years.
Blend: 64.4% Sauvignon Blanc, 35.6% Semillon
The Barrel Sample for this wine is under 14% ABV.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is crazy quality. The depth and intensity is really something. It is so compact and powerful with such intensity and density. Energy. So structured. Full-bodied. Layered and superb. Like a great Montrachet from a great vintage, but so Haut Brion. Speechless. Perfect wine.
Barrel Sample: 100 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This Haut-Brion 2019 Blanc is a blend of 64.4% Sauvignon Blanc and 35.6% Semillon, harvested from the 29th of August to the 9th of September. The estimated label alcohol degree is 14%. The nose is quite subdued to begin, soon unfurling to offer fragrant scents of orange blossoms, white peaches and lime cordial with hints of oyster shell, fresh ginger, pomelo and kumquat plus a suggestion of jasmine. The medium to full-bodied palate has a seducing hint of oiliness texturing the intense citrus and chalky layers, lifted by bold freshness and finishing with incredible length and perfume. Just stunning.
Barrel Sample: 96-98+ -
Wine Enthusiast
The richness of the Sauvignon Blanc in this wine is outstanding. Combined with a tight mineral texture and the purity of the fruits, the wine is on the cusp of something seriously great. It will certainly age over many years.
Barrel Sample: 96-98 -
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Château Haut-Brion Blanc is a more Sauvignon Blanc-dominated white that includes 36% Semillon. Its light gold hue is followed by a bright, racy Sauvignon nose of crushed limes, caramelized grapefruit, white flowers, and subtle minerality. It's incredibly pure, vibrant, and crystalline on the nose. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied and shows the richer side of the vintage with good mid-palate density, bright, juicy, clean acidity, flawless balance, and a great finish. It's a beautiful, elegant, seamless Blanc that will evolve for 20 or 30 years if well stored. Bravo! Best after 2022.
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Decanter
Clear difference in personality from La Mission Blanc, tons of rich texture, but more pulled together, with the Sauvignon making its mark. Feels poised at exactly the right level of ripeness, where there is so much flavour, it drips with citrus and nectarine alongside hints of green leaf and juice. One to savour, a brilliant Haut Brion Blanc with mouthwatering salinity on the finish.
Barrel Sample: 97
Other Vintages
2022-
James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
James
Suckling - Decanter
-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
James
Suckling - Decanter
-
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Spectator
Chateau Haut-Brion is the oldest and by far the smallest of the "Premiers Grands Crus" vineyards of the Gironde 1855 classification. Chateau Haut-Brion is one of the few remaining family-owned domains of the Bordeaux region with a history going back to the 16th century. It has been owned by the American Dillon family since 1935.Thanks to its long history as one of Bordeaux's most prestigious wines, the estate has left its mark on the region for centuries.
The vineyard covers an area of 51 hectares (about 126 acres). Slightly more than 48 hectares are planted with red grape varieties. The terrain at Haut-Brion, formed of two large mounds of a type of gravel known as Gunzian because it was deposited during the earliest geologic stage of the Pleistocene epoch, rises between 40 and 50 feet above the beds of the neighboring streams. This gravel consists of small stones, including various kinds of quartz, and it is these precious gems that help to give Chateau Haut-Brion's wines their distinctive character. This expansive elevated reach of gravelly terrain, bounded at the north by the Le Peugue stream and at the south by the Le Serpent stream, has been called Haut -Brion at least as far back as the early years of the fifteenth century, as evidenced by ancient maps and deeds dating from this period. The sub-soil consists of a mixture of clay and sand.
Sometimes light and crisp, other times rich and creamy, Bordeaux White Blends typically consist of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Often, a small amount of Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris is included for added intrigue. Popularized in Bordeaux, the blend is often mimicked throughout the New World. Somm Secret—Sauternes and Barsac are usually reserved for dessert, but they can be served before, during or after a meal. Try these sweet wines as an aperitif with jamón ibérico, oysters with a spicy mignonette or during dinner alongside hearty Alsatian sausage.
Recognized for its superior reds as well as whites, Pessac-Léognan on the Left Bank claims classified growths for both—making it quite unique in comparison to its neighboring Médoc properties.
Pessac’s Chateau Haut-Brion, the only first growth located outside of the Médoc, is said to have been the first to conceptualize fine red wine in Bordeaux back in the late 1600s. The estate, along with its high-esteemed neighbors, La Mission Haut-Brion, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pique-Caillou and Chateau Pape-Clément are today all but enveloped by the city of Bordeaux. The rest of the vineyards of Pessac-Léognan are in clearings of heavily forested area or abutting dense suburbs.
Arid sand and gravel on top of clay and limestone make the area unique and conducive to growing Sémillon and Sauvignon blanc as well as the grapes in the usual Left Bank red recipe: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and miniscule percentages of Petit Verdot and Malbec.
The best reds will show great force and finesse with inky blue and black fruit, mushroom, forest, tobacco, iodine and a smooth and intriguing texture.
Its best whites show complexity, longevity and no lack of exotic twists on citrus, tropical and stone fruit with pronounced floral and spice characteristics.