I was kindly invited tonight to the Acker Wine Workshop tasting of Chateau Haut-Brion . Dave Hamburger enthusiastically led a great discussion on Haut Brion, its history, its wines and its terroir. When you attened an event like this you realize how much history is tied into Bordeaux and wine in general. Haut Brion goes back to the 1400's with many twists, turns, ups and downs but what remains is the unique quality of the Haut Brion terroir. It is a very sophisticated, cerebral wine that has much more in common with Burgundy rather than Bordeaux because as Dave put it "Bordeaux is made in the winery, and Burgundy is made in the vineyard." Great quote because it is so true...but at this tasting, with Haut Brion's unique gravelly elevated terroir, there is a distinction that really sets it apart from the other first growth's. There is an austere quality that focuses on minerality, earthiness, a charred aspect and little fruit when young...but as it ages there is a resurgence of fruit plus that tobacco, mineral quality integrates with the rising fruit and you have a pretty distinct beverage. After this tasting I was more convinced than ever of the unique quality of Haut-Brion that truly separates it from the rest of the pack. On to the notes.
'99 Laville Haut Brion - This wine was a straight up freak show on the nose. So aromatic. Caramelly oak, minerals, grilled nuts, honey, slight oxidative notes on the very ripe nose. The palate followed through with great ripeness, lowish acidity and a silky yet voluptious texture. This wine really got stunningly good with sufficient air time and a slight rise in temperature. This will be a beauty in 15 years.
Flight I
'02 Haut Brion - I have always loved this wine. My first time since barrel. Really reminds me of the '96 with maybe a shade less finesse. Smokey nose with burnt grass, hay, touch of oak, scorched earth, iodine and somewhat backwards but deep nose. Fruit comes out after a while on the nose. The palate is complex and elegant with some big tannin. The wine though never shows its heaviness. Concentrated with red fruits and great purity and a long finish with some oak tannin and mineral. Persistent. Lovely wine. An ager for sure.
'01 Haut Brion - More fruit on the nose than the '02. Seems to be in an early drinking style with cassis and cherry fruit on the nose. Extremely forward and lush on the palate with high acid and a trace of heat. Good Haut Brion but the least favorite of the first flight.
'00 Haut Brion - Easily my second favorite wine of the vertical. This wine had it all. The nose was deep, brooding and ominous. I loved it. Certain nose of certain wines have this all encompassing aspect that also includes a shade of evil. This definetly had that. Lots of minerality with a wisp of deep cassis fruit and currants. That gravelly quality really starts to show itself. Long, firm and structured palate with great finesse. Enormously concentrated but never heavy with just perfect balance. Acid gives this great freshness. A stunner that easily has 40-50 years ahead of it. True first growth vin de garde. I love the 2000 vintage.
'99 Haut Brion - Very scorched earth nose. Only back one year in the vertical but at least five years in maturity. This stuff is advanced. Nice nose though. All that great Haut Brion stuff plus a hint of early secondary. Cedar and stuff like that. The palate shows some fruit. Red fruits along with complex mineral tones and some oak peeking out. Long and pure. Very good drinking claret.
'98 Haut Brion - CORKED!! But last time I had this in December 2006 it was closed and showing alot of oak. Still great material there.
Flight II
'97 Haut Brion - The greedy, rained out vintage lives up to it's name. The wines aren't bad but paying $150-$200 for this wine is a joke. Good $50 Tuesday night claret. No more. No less. Pretty green nose with some cedar. Almost like blanched string beans. Palate is much better though with good quality of fruit but with pretty grippy tannins that are out of proportion with the fruit. Not bad. I could drink this.
'96 Haut Brion - I really liked this. My type of vintage and this wine showed very well. Nose was slightly closed with intense tobacco, iodine and lots of pepper. Also a truffle element develops after a while. Mike noted rubber tires and was on point there. Great inner mouth aromas and concentration of fruit. Slightly austere but very complex and definetly started fleshing out after a while in the glass. A great wine.
'95 Haut Brion - This had a great nose. Really high-toned with deep spice and tobacco. Gravelly minerality developed after a while. The palate was what I expected out of a '95. Closed awkward and promising but was it? The story of 1995 right now. Another 1970 in the making? Only time will tell....or will it? A paradoxical vintage if there ever was one.
Flight III'90 Haut Brion - This was a great wine and many people had it up there with their wines of the night but I can appreciate the quality of this wine but the style was not that much to my liking. Did not seem as clean as the '96 or '00. Ripe, fat and opulent. Easily the most opulent wine of the night. Nose was high-toned and round with a distinct Beaucastel-like touch of brett. There was also green peppercorn, mineral and lots of fruit. This wine showed the most fruit on the nose so far. Palate was complex with good acidity and very ripe. Stayed with you but lacking the cut I look for out of classic Haut Brion.
'89 Haut Brion - This was just amazing wine and one of the best Bordeaux I have ever had. My first time with this legendary wine. I was expecting to be hit over the head but instead I got a back massage. Delmas' masterpiece as Dave so aptly put it. Defines the whole cerebral element of Haut-Brion with one sniff. Just a cacophany of Haut-Brion goodness seamlessly presented. Tobacco, spice, gravel, mineral, cassis, cherries, cedar, tweed but in such a refined package. Palate had an amazing texture and wonderful acidity which made it come alive on your palate. So elegant and ripe but the harmony here is what separates it from the pack. The finish is brillant and lip-smacking and soooooo long. A masterpiece no matter how you look at it.
'88 Haut Brion - Tough to taste after the '89 and it did suffer in comparison. Very '88 is all I could say. Muddied, high acid, little fruit, ton of minerals and decent material but it really does not seem like it is going anywhere. It was closed but still not sure about this one.
'86 Haut Brion - This bottle was obviously heat affected. Maderized and weird. This can be great when properly stored bottles are in play.
Flight IV
'85 Haut Brion - This is just a sexy bottle of wine that is in such a good place right now. Huge fruit, opulent palate, great crisp acids and a killer finish. All the Haut Brion character you could want but in an easy way. Great fragrance on the nose. A bottle could be finished very easily of this due to the sensational lithe yet heavy texture. I lked this alot.
'83 Haut Brion - Classic Haut Brion nose of tobacco, weeds, cedar, minerals and fruit and a tea-like aspect. Also some florality develops after a bit. Palate was full of fruit along with wonderfull integrated weedy tobacco-like elements. Tannins almost completely resolved. A great bottle at it's apogee.
'82 Haut Brion - Shows of the opulence of the vintage with it's ripe fruit profile. It was dense, concentrated with great refinement and waves of dense fruit on the palate. Easily the fruitiest wine of the night which was very interesting as the '02 was the most austere of the nigh with the least fruit. Well the '95 . . . but that is a special case.
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