Château Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan rouge 2019 - 1er Grand Cru Classé

Decanter

About the wine:

Hints of licorice and graphite on the nose with black fruits, even some blueberries and pomegranate. Great intensity, power and muscle here - it's full of life with complex layers you can feel right from the start. It's not as immanently plump or round as some, but it's clearly powerful and generous. Sweet persistence with so many nuances of flavor, but you get the impression that it's hiding all its best features, showing just the tiniest hint of fruit, spice and savory aspects. Definition, precision and wonderful freshness. You have to work a little harder to understand it, but it has such potential. 

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are almost equal, with a further 8% Cabernet Franc. In the glass, a Haut-Brion worthy of its rank, dense and deep as expected. On the nose, gourmet scents of blueberry tart combine with fine floral and smoky nuances, pencil lead and café au lait notes. Full-bodied, dense and very fresh on the attack, the palate rapidly builds up power around fine, tightly-knit tannins, well coated by ripe fruit, and finishes on a long, vigorous, smoky-toned finish. To say that this is a wine to look forward to is an understatement... 2028 - 2045

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Emerging from the glass with aromas of blackberry and plum mingled with notes of pencil shavings, glowing embers and creamy new oak, Haut-Brion 2019 is full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a textured attack that melts into a full, enveloping core of fruit, ending with a long, expansive finish. Broadly shouldered and muscular, its rich, powdery tannins are already perfectly integrated; and although it's labeled at 15% alcohol, much higher than the great vintages of yesteryear, it avoids any sensation of over-ripeness.

About the domain :

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the domain :

"The only property outside the Médoc to have been included in the 1855 classification, Château Haut-Brion has a second distinctive feature: it is totally enclosed within the town. Its terroir is certainly the earliest in the appellation, and the grapes ripen perfectly here, producing a full-bodied, rich wine that develops inimitable smoky notes as it ages. After a brief, less than stellar period (2000-2005), the cru has just produced three high-flying vintages, including a 2009 that promises to be legendary, and an even more aristocratic 2010."

James Suckling

About the wine:

Blackcurrant emerges from the glass, accompanied by iodine, sandalwood and subtle nuances of moss and damp bark, then turns to violet. The palate is breathtaking, with a cashmere texture that unfolds on the palate and continues for minutes. It's full of superbly complex, ethereal character and mouthfeel. One of the wines of the vintage. As glorious as it may be to taste now, this is a wine for your deep cellar. Try it in 2029.

Le Figaro vins

About the wine:

An elegant bouquet, all in black, with notes of equally black fruits, charcoal, ink and graphite, which then reveal more opulent notes of multicolored flowers, blood orange, medlar and spices. The palate is round, soft and fluid, like a Bottero character, with suggestive curves and fine attachments. A velvety, gliding texture and that lovely length you find on a dynamic finish of mocha and spices, with quite a pedigree.

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

The nose is elegant, discreetly tight at present (but this will fade with time), offering precision, delicacy and harmonious power. There are notes of fresh quenette, bright white peach and, more lightly, fresh kumquat, combined with hints of lemon blossom, racy minerality and lemon, as well as fine tips of mandarin blossom and a subtle hint of fresh almond. The palate is fruity, elegant, delicate, racy, harmonious, taut (in delicacy) and offers precision, lovely freshness, minerality, roundness, lovely salinity, fatness, a little unctuousness with freshness, a lovely acidic structure and a lovely "silk thread that unwinds" aspect. On the palate, juicy/pulpy lemon, juicy/pulpy tangerine and a hint of quince are combined with hints of passion fruit, star fruit, crushed nectarine, racy minerality and a very discreet hint of pepper (in the background). Imperceptible hint of vanilla on the aftertaste.

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About the wine:

Seeing a 100-point score may not come as a surprise here, but the devil is in the detail as each vintage carries a unique signature, and that's the whole point of tasting and comparison. I'm jealous of the younger generation of consumers who will be able to compare 2018, 2019 and 2020 on maturity, as each vintage has its strengths and character. The 2019 offers a vibrant, rich, refined, powerful, concentrated and smoky profile with countless layers of roasted and smoky red and black fruits, herbs, spice box, cigar wrapper, cedar and burnt leaves. While incredibly dense and intense, it's also light on its feet. Easy to drink, with a beautiful, elegant, silky, refined finish that exceeds 60 seconds, it will be regarded by future generations as one of Haut-Brion's great vintages. Drink from 2032 to 2075.