(97-100 points) A Merlot-forward blend of 62% Merlot, 26.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11.8% Cabernet Franc aged in 60% new French oak, the 2025 Château Haut-Brion is slightly more dense and structured compared to its sibling, La Mission. Gorgeous black cherries, graphite, scorched earth, and smoke all define the bouquet, and on the palate it's remarkably pure, with polished, serious tannins, and incredible length. Its purity, concentration, and overall sense of class are riveting.

(98-100 points) The 2025 Haut-Brion is, as usual, more reserved and austere at this stage than La Mission, unwinding in the glass to reveal notions of dark wild berries mingled with spices, pencil leaf and licorice. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and layered, it’s built around a multidimensional core of fruit framed by structuring yet well-integrated tannins, delivering a notably controlled expression of power and concluding with a long, perfumed, subtly ethereal finish. While still tightly knit at this stage, it possesses considerable depth—IPT (an alaytical measure of tannic concentration) levels exceeding 100, rarely observed—that is perfectly controlled and will require extended cellaring. Recent refinements in the estate’s approach, notably in viticulture, are translating into fruit of greater balance and freshness, even under the warm, dry conditions of 2025. It stands as one of the more impressive renditions of Haut-Brion in recent years.

(98-100 points) The 2025 Haut-Brion was picked from September 1 (slightly later than La Mission) to September 18 at 29 hl/ha. Aged in 59% new oak, this has a very pure and elegant bouquet with ebullient brambly red fruit, crushed stone, potpourri and touches of Earl Grey. Wonderful delineation and a little more refined than, say, the 2020 or 2022. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, and there is more complexity here than La Mission, more depth and minéralité. Fresh and marine-tinged towards the finish that makes you want to come back. This year, the First Growth has put a bit of distance between itself and La Mission. -- Neal Martin

(97-100 points) A remarkable perfume on the nose suggesting beautifully delineated fruits, with currants, violets, gorse flowers and rose, which seems to speak more of the Cabernet in the blend, despite it being in the minority. The texture on the palate is fresh, polished, sinewy and velvety, with layers of liquorice, salted blackcurrant, crushed black cherry and black olives, set within a richly polished and velvety texture, draped over a stunning backdrop of dense tannins, sooty and broad. This is deeply textured, athletic and built for the ages. A stunner, clearly streets ahead of its stablemate La Mission this year, and a wine which is going to require a lot of patience. It is a blend of 26.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 62% Merlot and 11.8% Cabernet Franc. The yield was 27 hl/ha this year, and the alcohol is reported to be 13.05%. 97-100/100

(97-99 points) (Pessac-Léognan; 60% Merlot, 28.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11.8% Cabernet Franc; a final yield of 26 hl/ha; 13.5% ABV tasted at La Mission Haut-Brion). The fruit profile is a little lighter in hue than for La Mission, with raspberry and loganberry present alongside the dark cherries and, again, blueberry notes. This is maybe a little more floral, with a slightly more bulby florality – iris and peony perhaps. It's softer still in the cashmere/velour density of the mid-palate, almost a little pillowy in texture. So succulent, so glossy, and so harmonious and balanced. This is slightly more classical and succulent, more elegant and finessed than the perhaps more essential La Mission Haut-Brion. It's grand, magisterial and more opulent in a way. 97-99

(98-99 points) Haut-Brion delivers a red with great structure and length and superb intensity and power. It is a full-bodied red with character and depth, giving it endless length. Muscular yet polished and agile. Juicy at the end. 62% merlot, 26.2% cabernet sauvignon and 11.8% cabernet franc. James Suckling Senior Editor

(97-99 points) At the moment, it takes a bit of effort to fully appreciate the aromatics. But with swirling, you find flowers, Cuban cigars, black pit fruits, blackberries, smoke, mesquite, blue fruits, herbs, and exotic spices. On the palate, the fruit purity will knock out any wine taster. Elegant, silky, long, and precise, the seamless finish starts slowly and builds from there. Seamless in its delivery, this is a sublime vintage for Haut Brion. The wine was shaped in part by its dry summer and August rains, which lowered the ABV level and provided more lift to the concentrated berries. The wine blends 62% Merlot, 26.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11.8% Cabernet Franc. 13% ABV, 3.7 pH. Picking took place September 1 - September 18. Yields were 29 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2030-2075. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/search-wine-tasting-notes/?szSearch=2025%20brion

One of the wines of the vintage for me and a clear contender for a 100–point score in bottle. Sticky liquorice and blackcurrant fruit on the nose, dark and slightly heady with fragrant jasmine aspects. Bright, alive, glossy and so perfectly weighted on the palate – more streamlined than LMHB at this point but still with chew and bounce. Lovely vibrancy capturing the ripe fruit of the vintage with a crisp, tense and cool base of spiced raspberries, cherries and touches of cranberry. Stony but delicately leaving a soft gravel and salinity on the tongue. Delicious – this knocks it out of the park. Adore it! A yield of 26hl/ha.

(96-98 points) Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 Haut-Brion slowly emerges from the glass with powerful notes of ripe plums and fresh blueberries, plus hints of red cherries, licorice, and cardamom with wafts of violets and iron ore. Medium-bodied, the palate is both elegant and intense with firm, fine-grained tannins and a refreshing line, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. The blend is 62% Merlot, 26.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11.8% Cabernet Franc. The alcohol is 13.05%. This is aging in French oak barrels, 59% new. The pH is 3.7.

Such a taut, slate-strewn journey through the palate here, slow burn, love it. An exceptional Haut-Brion, with beautiful toasted cumin and sandalwood notes, cloves, cassis, pomegranate and cocoa beans. Muscular, structured, brooding, this is going to run and run. 59% new oak. 27hl/ha yield. Alcohols among lowest on record, and yet intensely concenrated. 3.72ph Harvest September 1 to 18. 59% new oak. 62% of production in this 1st wine.

(94-97 points) Strong and powerful wine, with notes of iron, metal, pepper and tannins. It has a fine and fruity, elegant undertone that should flourish when the tannins integrate and become more mature. Long, insisting aftertaste, good fruit and balance – very classic.