2015 Chateau Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux - 750ml

100 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Château Haut-Brion is the sole First Growth of the 1855 Classification outside the Médoc, with a history and identity distinct even among Bordeaux’s most important estates. The exceptional 2015 is unusually Merlot-led for Haut-Brion, combining the vintage’s generosity with the château’s characteristic restraint, mineral depth and savory complexity.

Blend: 50% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc.

Tasting Notes: Black cherry, cassis and ripe plum form a deep fruit core, joined by violet, graphite and tobacco, with smoke, warm stone and subtle earthy nuances emerging with air. The palate is expansive and remarkably refined, carrying concentrated dark fruit through silky tannins toward a long, savory finish marked by mineral and gently smoky complexity.

Structure: Full-bodied and concentrated, yet exceptionally composed. Merlot gives the 2015 breadth and a supple mid-palate, while Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc provide freshness, aromatic lift and structural definition; the tannins are substantial but remarkably polished.

Drink Window: Now–2060+. The 2015 is beginning to enter an early drinking phase but remains a very young Haut-Brion. It can be enjoyed today for its fruit, texture and emerging complexity, though another five to ten years should reveal considerably more of the cedar, tobacco, earth and savory character that develops with mature Haut-Brion.

Decanting: If opening now, decant for approximately 90 minutes to two hours, tasting periodically as the wine develops. Serve around 60–64°F in a generous Bordeaux glass; despite more than a decade from harvest, the 2015 still has the concentration and structure to benefit from substantial aeration.

The 2015 Haut-Brion brings together First Growth stature, a superb vintage and a particularly distinctive expression of the château’s gravelly Pessac-Léognan character. It belongs comfortably in a long-term cellar, but for a milestone dinner today it already offers the combination of texture, complexity and persistence that makes mature Haut-Brion such a singular Bordeaux experience.