The 2020 Haut Brion Bordeaux Blend is a highly acclaimed red wine from the Pessac Leognan sub-region of Bordeaux, France. Produced by the renowned estate Haut Brion, this wine is a blend of 42.8% Merlot, 39.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 17.5% Cabernet Franc, with an alcohol content of 15.0%.
The wine has garnered exceptional reviews from a variety of professional critics. Jeb Dunnuck awarded it a perfect score of 100, describing it as "an absolute blockbuster on the palate" with "ultra-fine tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and a great, great finish." He also noted its "extraordinary aromatics of ripe black fruits, scorched earth, cold fireplace, and acacia flowers." Dunnuck concluded that the 2020 Haut Brion is "a legend in the making."
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, represented by William Kelley, gave the wine a near-perfect score of 99. Kelley highlighted its "aromas of blackberries and raspberries mingled with licorice, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings, and nicely integrated new oak." He praised its "ample and fleshy" body and "enveloping core of fruit" supported by "sweet, powdery tannin."
Jeff Leve from TheWineCellarInsider.com also awarded the wine a 99, noting its "concentrated, deep, creamy, supple, long, and intense" profile. He described an array of flavors including "flowers, spice, chocolate, black cherries, plums, porcini, tobacco leaf, and white pepper," with a minor degree of heat but overwhelmingly ripe, sweet fruit.
James Suckling rated it 98, appreciating its "sophisticated ripe fruit in the center palate with a brightness" and "ultra-fine tannins that go on and on." He found it "very supple and savory at the end" and comparable to the 1998 vintage, suggesting it will "reward you much more after 2028."
The wine received additional high praise from Wine Enthusiast (98), Decanter (97), Vinous (96), and Jane Anson (96). Across these reviews, common themes include its concentration, complexity, and potential for long-term aging. The wine's robust structure and layered flavors make it a standout in the 2020 vintage, promising to evolve gracefully for decades.
In summary, the 2020 Haut Brion Bordeaux Blend is a sophisticated, deeply flavored wine with excellent aging potential, highly praised by critics for its complexity and structure.