Bordeaux Theme
Live Virtual Auction, 26 June 2022
Bordeaux Theme
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
About this Item
Château Haut-Brion is the only First Growth situated in the Pessac-Léognan appellation, and its unique terroir has produced prized wines for close to 600 years. After a visit on May 25, 1787, Thomas Jefferson wrote in his diary; “The soil of Haut-Brion, which I examined in great detail, is made up of sand, in which there is near as much round gravel or small stones and very little loam like the soils of the Médoc.”. Typical of the Left Bank of Bordeaux, the 50-hectare property is planted to all the allowed red and white grape varieties, with the Haut-Brion Blanc often demanding higher prices than that of the red.
Provenance
Private Client
Critics Ratings
‘While in some vintages La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion can be close in quality, that is not the case in this vintage. The 1996 Haut-Brion, a blend of 50% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc is clearly on a higher plane than the La Mission. There is something much more expansive and complete on the nose: greater depth of fruit, more harmonious with scents of underbrush, tar, black olive and this bottle perhaps less "feral" than I have noticed on previous examples. The palate is very well balanced with dark cherries, sous-bois and cedar. This is one vintage where I think the Cabernet Franc plays an important role and lends more complexity. This is a 1996 that has retained and built upon beguiling fleshiness and it will continue to evolve with style and panache.’ - Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, 95/100 (July 2016)
‘50% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon. Wonderfully round and developed and subtle. More subtle than La Mission with a drier finish. Chewy end still there – and in with a fight. This does not seem to have fully unfurled yet and should make a great wine eventually. Putty and minerals. Still quite tight!’ - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 18.5/20 (Feb 2011)
Other lots that might interest you
