2021 Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan

Tasting Note

Wine Advocate: 96-98

A candidate for the title of wine of the vintage, the 2021 Haut-Brion unwinds in the glass with aromas of rich red and black fruit mingled with notions of cigar wrapper, licorice, black truffles, loamy soil and burning embers. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's elegant and multidimensional, with superb depth at the core, lively acids and ultra-refined tannins. Combining the classical proportions of the vintages of two decades ago with the viticultural and winemaking of today, it's a timeless classic in the making, but it's difficult to find an obvious analogy with an older vintage. When pressed, Jean-Philippe Delmas suggests a superior version of the 2014 vintage, and to me, a more concentrated, serious version of the 2012 vintage also comes to mind. What is clear, however, is that this is one of the real high points of 2021. The blend is 50% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Cabernet Franc, and it attained 13.8% alcohol—a percentage point or so lower than in 2020 or 2019.

Sotheby's Wine: 94-96

Brambles, blackcurrant, black cherry nose with a touch of liquorice and tobacco. Juicy and vibrant. Red fruits come through on the palate with cedar, lead pencil and tobacco. Elegant, pure and transparent, while being multi-layered and complex. Very well balanced with fruit acidity and tannin in equilibrium. A complete wine with detail and definition. Definitely, for me, one of the red wines of the vintage. - Jamie Ritchie