Château Haut-Brion 2024

Characteristics and Tasting Advice for Château Haut-Brion 2024

Tasting

Color
The color displays an intense, deep garnet red, evoking richness and concentration.

Nose
The nose captivates from the first opening with its aromatic intensity, dominated by ripe, expressive fruits. On aeration, the bouquet gains breadth and complexity, offering a truly enchanting aromatic explosion.

Palate
The attack is broad, fleshy and of great finesse. The substance envelops the palate with generosity, supported by silky, juicy, perfectly integrated tannins. The harmony among the grape varieties is remarkable, combining aromatic intensity, gustatory balance and noble structure.

The Expression of an Exceptional Premier Grand Cru Classé in Pessac-Léognan

The Estate

As the oldest Grand Cru in Bordeaux, the Château Haut-Brion stands out with a unique heritage built over more than five centuries of history. Founded in 1533 by Jean de Pontac on the lands of the Graves, it quickly gained the favor of Europe’s great courts. As early as 1663, the English parliamentarian Samuel Pepys unwittingly contributed to its renown by recording in his journal: "And there I drank a sort of French wine called Ho-Bryan, of a very singular taste that I had never encountered before…" A legend was born.
Premier Grand Cru Classé outside the Médoc in 1855, and Cru Classé according to the official Graves classification in 1959, Château Haut-Brion still asserts itself today as an icon of consistency and excellence on a global scale.

The Vineyard

Located in the heart of the commune of Pessac, the vineyard benefits from a remarkable terroir composed of gravel soils in varied hues. This unique soil gives rise to vins de Pessac-Léognan of great finesse, always marked by their elegance, precision and an admirable consistency from one vintage to the next.

The Vintage

The year 2024 began with a mild, wet winter, leading to an early bud break which was then slowed by high rainfall. The pressure from cryptogamic diseases required increased vigilance from spring. Flowering was successful for the whites but more irregular for the reds. July saw an improvement in conditions, followed by meticulous green harvesting and precise leaf thinning to preserve the sanitary and aromatic quality of the grapes. After slow growth, Haut-Brion’s precocious terroir enabled rapid and healthy grape maturation. The harvest of the whites, marked by good balance and fine aromas, took place in ideal conditions. The sauvignons proved particularly expressive. Before the red harvest, a dry wind favored berry concentration while preserving their integrity. Thanks to rigorous sorting, only the best fruit was retained, heralding a promising vintage rich in contrasts and expression.

Winemaking and Aging

The wine is aged in barrels, 75% of which are new oak.

Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon (47.2%), Merlot (37.5%) and Cabernet Franc (15.3%).