Château Haut-Brion 1995

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for Château Haut-Brion 1995

Tasting

Appearance
This wine reveals a deep colour, with ruby-purple hues evolving towards an intense garnet.

Nose
The bouquet is particularly expressive and complex. It releases powerful empyreumatic aromas typical of the estate, evoking smoke and embers, intertwined with notes of black fruits such as blackcurrant, cherry and plum. With aeration, touches of vanilla, spice and fresh tobacco emerge, along with tertiary nuances of undergrowth, damp moss and mushroom.

Palate
The attack offers remarkable volume and concentration. The structure is highly tannic, yet the tannins are ripe, smooth and perfectly integrated, giving the wine a fleshy, harmonious texture. The whole displays great depth, extending into an exceptionally long and persistent finish.

Food and wine pairing
This vintage pairs wonderfully with fine, flavourful red meats, such as roasted rack of lamb, beef fillet or a well-aged rib of beef. It also enhances feathered game such as pigeon or wild duck, as well as dishes in red wine sauce. Its tertiary notes make it the ideal companion to mushroom or truffle-based preparations, served with roasted root vegetables or a potato gratin. It is advisable to avoid overly sweet or spicy dishes.

Serving and cellaring
To fully appreciate this 1995 vintage, it is recommended to serve it at a temperature of around 17 to 18°C, decanting beforehand according to the bottle's evolution. Built for very long ageing, this wine is currently at a superb stage of maturity and can be enjoyed until around 2035.

A great Pessac-Léognan red wine of timeless elegance

The estate
Located on the doorstep of the Bordeaux region, Château Haut-Brion is a true icon whose origins as a seigneurial estate date back to 1533. This Premier Grand Cru Classé covers 51 hectares. Today, the property is run by Prince Robert of Luxembourg, at the helm of Domaine Clarence Dillon. A genuine historic luxury brand, the estate stands out for its ability to combine centuries-old tradition with constant innovation, producing wines of remarkable elegance and consistency.

The vineyard
Located in the communes of Pessac and Talence, at the heart of the Pessac-Léognan appellation, the vineyard enjoys a unique urban setting. The vines thrive on superb gravel rises made up of small quartz stones, resting on clay and sandy subsoils. This exceptional terroir ensures optimal drainage and acts as a thermal regulator, storing heat during the day to release it at night. The temperate oceanic climate favours ideal grape ripening. The estate's red grape varieties are dominated by Merlot (45.4%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (43.9%), complemented by Cabernet Franc (9.7%) and Petit Verdot (1%).

The vintage
1995 was marked by warm, early weather. Following a mild winter and a dry, warm spring, budbreak and flowering took place evenly and ahead of schedule. June, July and August were particularly hot and dry, with thirty days exceeding 30°C, occasionally causing water stress in vines with shallow roots. Despite a cooler September and heavy rains mid-month, the harvest, spread from 11 to 26 September, allowed perfectly healthy and ripe berries to be picked.

Grape varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.