Chateau Haut Brion 2001

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Brilliant colour and very interesting, complex nose. Quite nicely evolved. Tealeaf scent. Very confident. Lively and relatively delicate. Good balance. Bone dry. Medium weight. [This was the other wine where I was most at odds with everyone else, although in this case admiring it much more – JR]"

WINE SPECTATOR: "Intense aromas of violets, berries and spices follow through to a full-bodied palate, with layers of supersilky tannins and a long, long finish. Very classic in style. All in elegance and length. I like it better than the 2000. Best after 2009. 1,000 cases imported."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Haut-Brion’s 2001, which was bottled late (the end of September, 2003), possesses an unmistakable nobility as well as a burgeoning complexity. Plum/purple to the rim, this blend of 52% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc is playing it close to the vest, having closed down considerably after bottling. Nevertheless, it reveals pure notes of sweet and sour cherries, black currants, licorice, smoke, and crushed stones. Medium-bodied with excellent purity, firm tannin, and an angular, structured finish, it requires 5-7 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2020+."

WEINWISSER: "Süsses, würziges, feines, frisches Bouquet, Pflaumne, Tabak, feine Röstaromen, Himbeerkernen. Ausgewogener, seidener, frischer Gaumen mit feiner Frucht, gutem Tannin, würziger Aromatik, seidener Struktur, sehr langer, fruchtiger Abgang. 18/20 trinken - 2030"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Smoky, rich, ripe multiple layers of complex aromatics and an opulent palate presence make this a wine with a great future ahead. It reminded me of a young version of 85 Haut Brion."