Château Haut-Brion 2024

Dark ruby; on the nose, as often more restrained than La Mission Haut-Brion, yet deep, with stewed blackberries, orange blossom, dried herbs; focused and with firm drive on the palate, juicy fruit with remarkable concentration, perfectly judged tannins and acidity, long, spicy, mineral-driven finish on blood orange.

Sweet floral and red berry scents on the nose – cherry sweets and perfume. Succulent and massy in the mouth, this has flesh and muscle – generous and plentiful with a sweet and cool, spiced edge to the fruit. Clean and pure, lacking a touch in definition, but with good length and drive. Dried herbs, cherry stone and cranberry fruit with some sweet tobacco on the finish. I like the filling texture, but it tapers towards the finish and loses a bit of momentum in terms of density. Enjoyable minty, cola, liquorice minerality. Feels quite classic and should broaden with ageing. pH 3.6. 1.7% press wine. 75% new oak.

47.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37.5% Merlot, 15.3% Cabernet Franc. 26 hl/ha. Cask sample. Floral aromas. A touch more fruit than La Mission. Middling intensity but firmly structured with plenty of drive. Misses some of the characteristic opulence but there’s a serious structure for ageing. (JL)

Cherry pipe tobacco, flowers, currants, spice, smoke, and herbs fill the perfume. The wine is medium-bodied, elegant, fresh, and soft, with delicate red fruits that shine in the mid-palate, and carry through to the energetic finish. The wine blends 47.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37.5% Merlot, and 15.3% Cabernet Franc. 13.2% ABV, 3.7 pH. Picking took place September 17 - October 4. Yields were 27 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2030-2050. 95-97 pts

The nose is spicy, straightforward, racy, smoky, beautifully handled, complex, and offers a three-dimensional/multi-layered side, good definition, and a certain depth. It reveals notes of wild blackberry, sweet pepper and, more slightly, graphene, combined with touches of small wild red berries, hints of black cherry, juniper berries, as well as fine hints of maceron and delicate hints of fresh hazelnut. Lovely refined aromatic depth. The palate is beautifully crafted, mineral, and offers fruit, subtlety, fine tension, and an airy character. A lovely fine, velvety, airy, and subtle grain. An enveloping, delicate touch of its smoothness. Lovely mid-palate, with a certain small elegant darkness. This wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy blackcurrant, crisp wild strawberry and, more slightly, small juicy/tangy fruits, combined with touches of lilac, cornflower, fine hints of iodized/racy minerality, smoke, a subtle hint of sweet tobacco, and discreet hints of tobacco. Good length.