Chateau Haut Brion   Haut Brion

2015 Haut Brion

By Chateau Haut Brion

2015 Haut Brion from Chateau Haut Brion, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux

In the pantheon of Bordeaux's celebrated grands crus, the 2015 Haut Brion from Chateau Haut Brion warrants special attention, not merely as a testament to its storied terroir but as an embodiment of a singularly illustrious vintage in Pessac-Leognan. The year 2015 was marked by a dream arc of seasons – punctuated by sunny days and cool nights, culminating in grapes that bore the ideal constellation of ripeness and structure.

 

Elegance and Terroir: A Vintage Character

The 2015 Haut Brion radiates a finesse that surpasses even the lofty bar set by its forebears. This vintage reveals its pedigree through an aromatic labyrinth of dark cherries, wisps of cigar box, and a grounding earthiness that whispers the unique stories of the gravel and clay environs.

Upon tasting, sommeliers and investors alike marvel at the wine’s impeccable balance; the marriage of firm yet silky tannins with vibrant acidity hints at monumental longevity, a critical factor for collectors assessing investment horizons. Strikingly complex, this wine casts a spell with sumptuous layers that unfurl like silk – yet there is power here too, a subtext that speaks to patient cellaring.

 

A Confluence of Craftsmanship and Climatic Serendipity

Chateau Haut Brion’s expertise in vinification shines through once more in this offering, where traditional methods harmonize with nature's own magnanimous gesture in 2015. Beyond its opulent bouquet and structured elegance, investors discern in the ’15 Haut Brion a robust potential for appreciation. The poised integration of fruit, minerality, and oak poses a careful study in the enduring prowess of Old World oenology.

Reflecting on this vintage’s journey – from bud break to bottle – it indeed suggests a promising narrative for those seeking to diversify their portfolio with a storied liquid asset. With time, I am confident that enthusiasts will bear witness to its metamorphosis into perhaps one of Pessac-Leognan’s most captivating chapters.

For those connoisseurs seeking to indulge or invest in an exemplar of Bordeaux's finest workmanship encapsulated by an exceptional vintage, I contend that the 2015 Haut Brion is ripe for consideration. Its remarkable poise arrays it firmly atop my list of noteworthy collectables as we venture further into this decade.

Current market price

£4,460.00

12x75cl

Highest score

100

POP score

223

Scores and tasting notes

100

A blend of 50% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Haut-Brion is reticent to begin, languidly revealing crushed black cherries, ripe black plums and wild blueberries with sparks of cinnamon stick, cloves, nutmeg, espresso, unsmoked cigars, tapenade, crushed rocks and lavender. The full-bodied palate possesses wonderfully complementary contrasts of bold black and blue fruit richness and delicately nuanced cherry fruit, baking spices and floral accents, strutting ripe, finely pixelated tannins and seamless acidity that is placed firmly in the background, finishing very long and with plenty of attitude. This impeccably poised, exquisitely perfumed 2015 Haut-Brion possesses the most alluring yet seemingly effortless beauty. While it bears only a passing resemblance in its opulent personality to the now legendary 1989, like that vintage the 2015 cannot fail to hedonically satiate and intellectually edify all lovers of great Bordeaux who drink it. What’s more, it also has the blue-blooded tenaciousness to remain this jaw-droppingly impressive, throughout its many guises over time, and for a very, very long time.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 21 February 2018

98-100

The 2015 Haut Brion, a blend of 50% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, was picked between 8 September and 5 October, and is matured in the same level of new oak (78%) and IPT (75) as the La Mission. It has a heavenly bouquet that like the La Mission bestows instant gratification - a veritable kaleidoscope of aromas so crystalline that you can pick them out one by one: dark plum, blackcurrant, Kalamata olive and graphite. It is tempting to just nose this all day. The palate has an indescribably stunning balance and like the La Mission, there is a paradoxical sense of intensity married to weightlessness. Everything here is so precise, so pure and yet as it crescendos towards the finish, it offers a profundity that is unmatched across Bordeaux in this vintage. Having had the pleasure of many great wines from this estate in the past - 1945, 1955, 1959, 1961 and 1989 - the 2015 belongs among that pantheon.

Neal Martin - eRobertParker.com, #224, April 2016

97-98

A structured and powerful Haut-Brion with so much finesse and beauty. Complex and long. It’s full and ultra-refined. Super length and polish. A formed and sexy Haut Brion.

James Suckling - jamessuckling.com

96

This is an Haut-Brion to stick away in the cellar and forget about for a decade or more. Thick, compact and very concentrated, it doesn’t win many points for elegance and finesse, but will soften and flesh out with age. The flavours - plum, damson and blackberry - are just a little jammy, yet the acidity freshens the finish. Drink: 2028-40

Tim Atkin - timatkin.com

18.5

50% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon. Picked 8 September to 5 October. Much more aromatic than La Mission. Lovely silky tannins but masses of them. Very strict and savoury. Really dense but manages to be expressive and convincing. A megalith.

Jancis Robinson - jancisrobinson.com

Vintage performance