WEINWISSER: "Helles, leuchtendes Gelb mit grünlichem Schimmer. Frisches Bouquet, herrliche Agrumennoten, Limetten und helle Grapefruit, weisses Pfirsichfleisch, Lindenblütenduft. Saftiger Gaumen, frische Säure und doch schon finessenreich eingebunden, viel Charme, tolle Länge, während der Rotwein sich in diesem Jahr etwas bourgeois zeigt, weist der weisse Haut-Brion genau jene delikaten Finessen auf, die man sich sonst eigentlich von einem roten Premier Grand Cru wünscht."
WINESPECTATOR: "What a nose, with fresh pineapple, mineral, toasty oak, apricot and other fresh fruits. Full and very structured, with a tight yet thick mouthfeel. Long and flavorful. Really hiding it now, but it's all there. Best after 2011."
WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Barrel sample. The white wine from Haut-Brion is always one of the stars of the Pessac-Léognan whites, and this great white year is no exception. It's the fruit that leads, and behind this the structure follows. The wood is an essential adjunct to the fruit, a spice and toast touch to the recipe."
ANTONIO GALLONI: "Good full yellow with green highlights. Wonderfully complex but reticent nose offers peach, flowers, spices and hints of exotic fruits. Silky, fat and large-scaled, with wonderfully ripe but delineated flavors of mirabelle, ginger and honey. The sweet, very long finish saturates the palate with honey and nut flavors. Compelling wine, but I still give a slight edge to the 2004."
THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "From a blend of 55% Sauvignon Blanc and 45% Semillon, the wine is bright, fresh, lively and delivers a blast of honeysuckle, pomelo, lemon rind and vanilla aromatics with a stony essence. Rich, fresh and refreshing, you can drink this now, or age it for years."
FALSTAFF: "Helles Grüngelb. In der Nase etwas grasige Würze, wirkt eher verhalten, ist noch nicht ganz hefeblank. Am Gaumen stoffig, aber ruhig, feine Battonage-Note, zarte Gewürzanklänge, cremig und mit feinem mineralischem Nachhall."
THE WINEADVOCATE: "It is always interesting to taste this wine next to its stablemate, Laville Haut-Brion. While Laville has 80% Semillon in it, giving it more fat and concentration, Haut-Brion is 55% Sauvignon Blanc and 45% Semillon. This is a crisp yet powerful wine, full-bodied, with great minerality and a subtle smokiness intermixed with hints of quince, white currant, orange skin, and lemon custard. Long, rich, and tightly knit, with good acidity and no evidence of any oak whatsoever despite the use of 100% new French oak, this wine is set for a long life as well. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2035."
