1998 Haut Brion Bordeaux Blend
Reviews of 1998 Haut Brion Bordeaux Blend
96 points, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
April 2001
As reported over the last two years, this is a prodigious Haut-Brion. It exhibits a dense ruby/purple color in addition to a tight, but incredibly promising nose of smoke, earth, minerals, lead pencil, black currants, cherries, and spice. This full-bodied wine unfolds slowly, but convincingly on the palate, revealing a rich, multi-tiered, stunningly pure, symmetrical style with wonderful sweetness, ripe tannin, and a finish that lasts for nearly 45 seconds. It tastes like liquid nobility. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2035.
94-97 points, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
April 2000
The 1998 is a fine. It reveals more aromatic and flavor dimensions than it did last year. The dense ruby/purple color is followed by classic, developing aromas of minerals, lead pencil, earth, and black cherries/currants. On the palate, additional dimensions and nuances unfold. Tannic and powerful, but with sweet fruit, ripe tannin, and great length and richness, this profound, firmly-structured Haut-Brion will require 4-6 years of bottle age; it should drink well for three decades.
94-96 points, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
April 1999
Jean Delmas is thrilled with what he achieved at Haut-Brion and La Mission-Haut-Brion in 1998. It is one of the great successes of the vintage. Moreover, it is the paradigm for elegance allied to power. The color is an opaque purple. The nose offers up sweet black fruits intermixed with roasted herbs, pain grille, and minerals. There is a sensational, plush texture, yet the wine comes across as medium-bodied, with multiple levels of flavor, as well as gorgeous ripeness and purity. It possesses fine density, but there is no sense of heaviness or imbalance. It is a brilliant classic. Lovers of this estate's distinctive, highly individualized, complex wines should not miss it. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2025.
93-94 points, Stephen Tanzer
June 2000
Bright medium ruby. Expressive aromas of raspberry, blueberry, leather, mint and warm stones. Sweet, thick and roasted but quite bright, with complicating notes of minerals and tobacco. This is denser and more obviously structured than the '98, but not at all hard. Finishes very long and subtle, with solid toothcoating tannins. 93-94 points
94 points, Stephen Tanzer
June 2001
Good medium ruby. Aristocratic, highly complex nose hints at plum, roast coffee, leather, grilled nuts, tobacco and earth. A bit reticent today but already offers an uncanny amalgamation of density and vinosity. A very suave, subtle wine that finishes with creamy, sweet tannins and terrific grip and length. Was there a more consistently outstanding first growth through the decade of the '90s? 94(+?) points
97 points, Wine Spectator
January 2001
Rich and wonderful wine, classic, with loads of vanilla, raspberry and chocolate aromas. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a long aftertaste of berry, grape and vanilla. Subtle, elegant and powerful, with great length. Best after 2009. 12,000 cases made. (JS)
WineZap Reviews
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Ryan B.
August 2007
This Haut has an aroma of smoke, earth, minerals, lead pencil, black currants, cherries and spice. This full bodied wine unfolds slowly but strongly on the palate with a rich multi-tiered sweet finish that lasts 45 seconds. |
About 1998 Haut Brion Bordeaux Blend
About the Winery Haut Brion
Chateau Haut-Brion boasts a much more historic tradition as it is
believed that grapes have been grown on the property since Roman times.
However, the first true written record of Haut-Brion dates back to 1525
when Jean de Pontac married Jeanne de Bellon who brought him the dowry
of the land that composes Haut-Brion. Chateau Haut-Brion also appeared
in writing as a First Growth in the Bordeaux Wine Official
Classification of 1855.
Haut-Brion has a truly illustrious
past. It is the first recorded First Growth to be imported into the
United States when Thomas Jefferson purchased six cases and took them
back to Monticello. Haut-Brion was also the first of the great growths
to use stainless steel fermentation vats. The greatness of Haut-Brion
wines was also recorded by Samuel Pepys, John Locke, and Cardinal
Richelieu. It's 1970s vintage placed fourth in the Judgement of Paris
wine competition. Haut-Brion remains quite the celebrity of the
winemaking world and its wines continue to be highly rated and coveted
across the globe.
About the Wine
"The 2000 Haut-Brion, a blend of 51% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Cabernet Franc, possesses tremendous richness, and a highly-nuanced, complex personality with abundant quantities of black fruits, minerals, vanillin, and subtle earth. It is delicate yet thick, juicy and succulent. However, the 2000 seems to possess an obvious overlay of tannin as well as a degree of precision and freshness, largely attributed to slightly high acidity. A superlative effort. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2035.
Really ripe, with a powerful berry and marmalade character on the nose. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long finish. Very fresh and fine. Almost classic.
VINEYARD COMPOSITION/VARIETAL PROFILE: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc
Average age of vines is 30 years. 109 acres producing 12,000-15,000 cases.
Fermented in stainless steel vats and aged in new oak barrels for 24-27 months. Clarified with six egg whites per barrel. The winemaking is managed by Jean Delmas, who believes in a controlled but rather hot, short fermentation.
A complex bouquet of ripe fruit, tobacco and mineral, earthy scents. Rich, ripe, medium too full-bodied and well structured. A wine that seems to balance power and elegance, richness and harmony perfectly."
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