Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is dusty with some black cherries and cigar box. On the palate, there is some black cherry fruit. No tannins to speak of. Not much depth but some complexity. Good acidity. Classic aged Bordeaux although given the pedigree, more was expected. Still, a fine wine to serve with dinner. It is probably past prime and these should be drunk up.
From Magnum. This was an ok year in Bordeaux, but Haut Brion may have made the wine of the vintage. In regular bottles, this should be at or past peak, but in Magnum it was doing just fine. Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and flat. The nose is mature with cassis, cigar box, gravel and slight char. Medium bodied. Medium silky tannins. On the palate, cassis, with some tobacco, gravel and char. Some complexity. Good finish. Older bottles are always variable, but these should be drunk sooner than later. This will work better with hearty food. Cassoulet would work we
A blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon. The cork was popped at 9:00 am, a half ounce poured off, then a neutral cork inserted before being transported and served at 7:00 pm. The wine took about 30 minutes to really open and hit its stride. Purple in color with a ruby rim, opaque and bright. The nose shows black cherries, cassis, smoke, slight chocolate, and leather. With air, a subtle earthiness emerges that is classic Bordeaux. Full bodied. Light tannins. On the palate, this is complex and deep. Cassis, black cherries, chocolate cigar box notes and earth. Layers that un
The 2005's are really starting to come into their own now and this is one more data point supporting that. This is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot. Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is nice with cassis, black cherries, char, slight cigar box, leather and spice. Full bodied. Medium tannins. On the palate, this is complex. Flavors of cassis and black cherries, slight leather and char. Great balance. Long finish. This is about at peak but should stay there for another ten years. Nice on its own, but better with food. This would wo
My personal favorite of the First Growths. Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright. The nose is classic with cassis, black raspberries, gravel and slight black olives. Full bodied. Good acidity. Medium tannins. On the palate, this is a powerful Haut Brion which is interesting as the vintage was good but not great. Complex. Just starting to show signs of maturity. Cassis and black raspberry fruit with underlying char and gravel. Long finish. This may still improve a bit. Drink over the next twelve to fifteen years and probably more. This would work well with a beef a
This was consumed against a 2016 La Carte de Haut Brion Blanc and the crowd seemed split. Although these are very similar wines on paper, they were quite different in the glass and everyone seemed to have a clear favorite. An 80/20 split of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. This is a rounder, softer wine with a bigger profile. It is light golden in color. The nose has plenty of vanilla with some lemon creme and a slight floral quality. On the palate, this is soft with tart red apples and some peach. A bit of minerality. Nice finish. This is drinking well now although I don't know that
