2021 Haut Brion Bordeaux Blend

Bordeaux Blend - 1.5L
Reg: $1,175.00
$1,145.00
In Stock: 0 btls
Ships Immediately
Pre-Arrival: 6 btls
ETA: Apr. 2024
Most orders placed M-F by 3pm (PT) ship same day.
Orders placed on a weekend or holiday will ship the next business day.
Shipping Info

Free storage available
Wine Storage

REVIEWS

JS 98 DC 97 JD 97 JL 97 WA 97 WE 97 JA 95 VN 95
JS 98

jamessuckling.com, May 2022

(JS 97-98 points) A very structured young Haut-Brion with blackberry, blackcurrant, black-olive and mushroom character. Medium to full-bodied with a driving balance of firm and ripe tannins and gorgeous fruit. 50.3%...
DC 97

Decanter, April 2022

One of the absolute stand out wines on 2021 with an electric appeal almost unrivalled in the vintage. Blackcurrant leaf, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, rose petals, sweet cherries and bramble fruits on the nose. Incredibly...
JD 97

jebdunnuck.com, June 2022

(JD 95-97 points) As with the Clarence, the 2021 Château Haut-Brion is a darker, richer, more powerful wine. Currants, smoked black cherries, graphite, chocolate, and tobacco notes all define the nose, and it's medium to...
JL 97

TheWineCellarInsider.com, May 2022

(JL 95-97 points) Flowers, tobacco wrapper, chocolate, burning wood, ash, cigar box, currants, black cherries, and spice. On the palate, the wine is fresh, bright, vibrant, lifted, and floral. The wine is elevated...
WA 97

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, February 2024

The 2021 Haut-Brion confirms its fine showing en primeur, cementing its status as one of the wines of the vintage. Its complex bouquet of dark berries and cassis mingled with notions of cigar wrapper and burning embers...
WE 97

Wine Enthusiast, June 2022

(WE 95–97 points) This wine is rich with structure and serious intent. The black fruits are spicy, backed by solid tannins and powerful berry flavors and structure. Here is an impressive wine—dense and complex. ROGER VOSS
JA 95

janeanson.com, April 2022

A classical balance, reflecting a vintage that is fairly strict in its aromatic expression, exceptionally successful on this spot. Soft cassis bud, rose petal and rose stem, subdued power that gently builds over the...
VN 95

Vinous, February 2024

The 2021 Haut-Brion has a very pure bouquet, quite complex with a mixture of blueberry and black cherry fruit, iris flower and violet, hints of sea spray in the background. This is more engaging than the 2021 La Mission...

WINE DETAILS

Color & Type Red
Varietal Bordeaux Blend
Country France
Region Bordeaux
Sub-region Pessac Leognan
Vintage 2021
Size 1.5L
Closure Cork

The oldest of Bordeaux’s five first growths and the only property outside the Medoc to be included in the 1855 Classification, Chateau Haut-Brion was founded by Jean de Pontac in 1533. The name derives from the Celtic word briga, meaning “hill” or “high place”, and refers to the gravelly elevated terrain situated between the Le Peuge and Le Serpent streams.

History shows that as early as 1660, Haut-Brion wines were already appreciated at royal tables as evidenced by the purchase of 169 bottles by King Charles II of England, noted in the royal cellar book. Among the wine’s admirers are the famous London diarist Samuel Pepys, and Thomas Jefferson, who had distinguished the wine’s quality long before the 1855 Classification.

Arnaud III de Pontac was responsible for building the estate’s international reputation and for creating a new style of wine that is the basis for all currently classified growths - an era which historians have described as a revolution in winemaking.

Chateau Haut-Brion was acquired by the American financier Clarence Dillon on May 13, 1935 and has been managed by the same family since. Much of the estate’s success is also credited to the Delmas family, who have worked the estate for three generations. Nearly five centuries after the creation of its vineyard and 350 years after the first published mention under its current name, Chateau Haut-Brion remains one of the finest wines in the world today.

Haut-Brion’s grand vin is the embodiment of five centuries of tradition and plays a pivotal role in the worldwide history of wine. It is the oldest of the Bordeaux classed growths, the inventor of a new style of wine fashioned in the seventeenth century, and considered the world’s first luxury brand.

Typically more Merlot dominant than other Left Bank wines, the terroir of Haut-Brion is expressed through its empyreumatic bouquet (Havana cigars, chocolate, roasting, cedar wood, and so on). The attack is restrained, with precise yet exceedingly soft tannins. But the power of this wine is revealed in the surprising long mid-palate and even longer finish.

The 2021 Haut Brion is a Bordeaux Blend that hails from the prestigious Pessac Leognan sub-region of Bordeaux, France. This red wine showcases the timeless elegance and multidimensional complexity that is characteristic of the Haut Brion estate.

In the glass, the wine reveals a deep, garnet color that hints at its concentration and depth. The aromas that waft from the glass are rich and inviting, with notes of ripe red and black fruit mingling with nuances of cigar wrapper, licorice, black truffles, loamy soil, and burning embers. These complex aromatics create a captivating olfactory experience that only increases the anticipation of tasting the wine.

On the palate, the 2021 Haut Brion does not disappoint. It is full-bodied, deep, and concentrated, with superb depth at the core. Lively acids and ultra-refined tannins add structure and balance to the wine, while also contributing to its overall elegance. The combination of classical proportions from two decades ago with modern viticultural and winemaking practices results in a wine that is both a timeless classic and a superior expression of the 2021 vintage.

The blend for this vintage consists of 50% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc, which contribute to the wine's complexity and depth of flavor. The alcohol percentage is slightly lower than in previous vintages, at 13.8%, further emphasizing the wine's elegance and balance.

Renowned wine critic Robert Parker's Wine Advocate awards this wine an impressive score of 98 points, calling it a "candidate for the title of wine of the vintage." Other critics, such as Jane Anson, Jeff Leve, Jeb Dunnuck, James Suckling, Vinous, Decanter, and Wine Enthusiast, also praise the wine for its balance, concentration, structure, and complexity. It is a wine that will undoubtedly reward those who have the patience to cellar it, with a suggested drinking window from 2027 to 2060.

Overall, the 2021 Haut Brion is a wine that exemplifies the mastery and artistry of winemaking at this esteemed estate. It is a wine that demands attention and respect, and it is sure to be a highlight of any cellar or special occasion.