Chateau Haut Brion 2016

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2016 Haut-Brion is blended of 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6.5% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is at once profound and arresting, offering drop-dead gorgeous Morello cherries, lilacs and red rose scents with a core of Black Forest cake, warm blackcurrants and blueberry preserves plus wafts of sandalwood and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the elegantly crafted palate is completely packed with intense floral, mineral and cassis-laced flavors with a firm frame of very finely pixelated tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and achingly stunning."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Stunning black fruit with plenty of forest berries in there, the whole picture cool and very delicate, also on the concentrated and highly structured palate. The tannins are very fine-grained, but decisively austere and, together with the vibrant acidity, they propel the finish out towards infinity and leave a breathtaking final impression. A blend of 56 per cent merlot, 37.5 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 6.5 per cent cabernet franc. Very long aging potential, but you could try it in 2023."

WEINWISSER: "56 % Merlot, 37,5 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 6,5 % Cabernet Franc. Tiefes Purpur mit granatrotem Rand. Komplexes Brombeerbouquet mit Veilchen, erkaltetem Früchtetee und After-Eight-Touch. Was für ein royaler Wein! Erst diese Souplesse und cremige Textur am kräftigen Gaumen, dann explodiert er förmlich und zeigt Cassis, dominikanischen Tabak, Pflaumenhaut und Brombeermark. Er endet schliesslich in einem ewig langen, facettenreichen Finale, was seine grosse Sonderklasse unterstreicht. Der beste Wein aus Pessac-Léognan – mit klarer Tendenz zur Bestnote!"

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "Composed of 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6.5% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Haut-Brion is deep garnet in color. The nose beings with simple licorice notes before slowly unfurling to deliver growing scents of creme de cassis, plum preserves, dark chocolate, and lilacs, followed by suggestions of crushed rocks, tar, black truffles and cardamom. The full-bodied palate is a tightly coiled spring, taut with black fruit preserves and earthy layers and framed by very firm, grainy tannins, delivering a burst of freshness to carry the long, long, long finish. This will need a good 7-10 more years to fully blossom, and it will be well worth the wait."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "The nose, with its knockout sensations of smoke, mint, cigar wrapper, tobacco and crème de cassis is off the hook. For many wine-lovers that would be enough. But for me, it is the elegance, concentration, complexity, endless length and sensuous textures that hits the bulls-eye. This is one of those dream wines that if you can afford it, it belongs in your cellar!"

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Immensely tannic, this is a great Haut-Brion, one of the finest for many years. It shows the severe side of this estate, with a dense structure to match the powerful black fruits. Rich with berry flavors and lifted by enough acidity, the wine will age for many years. Drink from 2026."

JEB DUNNUCK: JEB DUNNUCK: “As to the reds, the 2016 Haut Brion is a prodigious, legendary wine in the making, although it’s not for those seeking instant gratification. Deeper colored and more concentrated than the La Mission Haut Brion, it reveals a purple/ruby color as well as a sensational bouquet of blackcurrants, cassis, cigar tobacco, cold fireplace, violets, and lead pencil. Deep, masculine, structured, and mineral-laced, it has a stacked mid-palate, full-bodied richness, building tannins, and a firm, blockbuster styled finish that lasts for close to a minute. A wine for the ages, don’t even think about opening bottles for at least 7-8 years. It should keep for half a century. The blend in 2016 is 56% Merlot, 37.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6.5% Cabernet Franc."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, dezente Randaufhellung, noch etwas zurückhaltend, dunkler Schokotouch, reife Herzkirschen unterlegt, tabakige Nuancen, kandierte Orangenzesten. Komplex, schwarze Beerenfrucht, straff und engmaschig, präsente, gut integrierte Tannine, angenehme Frische, zart nach Nougat im Abgang, braucht noch seine Zeit, hat alles, was ein großer Wein benötig."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Large and in charge, this has a prodigious core of steeped plum, black currant and loganberry fruit flavors that show both compote and coulis aspects. While that steeps, this delivers a sturdy frame of roasted mesquite, smoldering tobacco and incense, surrounding a muscular spine of worn cedar and tar. Still rather backward, this will be showing well when most others from the vintage have had their day. Best from 2025 through 2045."

DECANTER: "Another glorious wine from the Dillon group. Massively dark in colour, the palate is a wonderful mix of dark fruit, exoticism, violet and lilac flowers on the nose, supremely glossy tannins and polished oak. Some meaty, red earth notes are just starting to emerge. This full-bodied first growth still feels very young but will undoubtedly be a great Haut-Brion for drinking over the next 30+ years. Drinking Window 2025 - 2055"

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Relatively pale garnet. Light and fresh on the nose. Just a tad simple. Lots of acidity and freshness but no great concentration of fruit. Though it’s deceptive as it really opens out on the end. Very refined."