2012 HAUT BRION / 紅顏容
Something about Haut Brion
The oldest of Bordeaux’s Grands Crus, Château Haut-Brion has a rich heritage born from five centuries of history. Founded in 1533 by Jean de Pontac in the territory of the Graves, the wine of Château Haut-Brion was coveted and appreciated by the greatest monarchs in Europe early on. In 1663, Samuel Pepys, a member of the English Parliament, unknowingly participated in the success of Château Haut-Brion by writing in his journal, “And there, I drank a kind of French wine called Ho-Bryan, which had a very nice and particular flavour that I had never tasted before…” And so, a legend was born.
Château Haut-Brion obtained the rare First Classified Growth title in the 1855 classification, becoming a Premier Grand Cru Classé of Médoc and was also recognised a Classified Growth of Graves in the Graves Official Wine List of 1959.
A veritable jewel of the AOC Pessac-Léognan, located in the heart of the Pessac agglomeration in the Bordeaux region, Château Haut-Brion enjoys an exceptional terroir, with soils composed of multicoloured gravel, which make for sumptuous, elegant wines that are incredibly consistent from one vintage to the next. When safely guarded, the wines of Château Haut-Brion open discreetly, allowing new aromas to emerge after aeration (chocolate, roasted notes, cedar). On the palate, the tannins reveal a power and a surprising length. An exceptional wine, Château Haut-Brion’s Grand Vin is destined for a remarkable ageing potential, blooming superbly over multiple decades.
Color
Red
Region
Bordeaux
Sub-Region
Pessac-Leognan
Vintage
2012
| Size | Price/BTL | Total Price | Availability | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1x75cl | $3,098.00 HKD | $3,098.00 HKD | 12 Immediate |
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FROM THE
EXPERTS
The 2012 Haut-Brion is beginning to flex its muscles. The bouquet is perhaps one of the most backward of the five First Growths, the Merlot firmly in the driving seat. Blackcurrant mixes with pitted black olives and cedar, and light sous-bois scents percolate through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins, very good weight, plummy and lightly spiced with plenty of weight on the slightly meaty finish. This is an excellent Haut-Brion, but it needs bottle age. Tasted blind in Bordeaux.
This is fabulous for the vintage with a super long finish of ultra-fine tannins. Full and racy with a wonderful texture. This is the most Merlot ever in Haut-Brion. Rich too. One of the wines of the vintage. 65.5% Merlot, 32.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc.
Whiff of gunsmoke reduction, opening up to show concentrated dark berry fruit with liqourice, pencil lead, campfire and black truffle. Stately and muscular, a brilliant counterpoint to the grace of La Mission Haut-Brion. Grips the palate, this is one of the highest alcohol wines in the vintage and yet it is balanced, with so much flavour and presence that just fills the palate and hangs on. I remember loving this En Primeur, and at the 10 years on mark it remains one of the wines of the vintage. 100% new oak.
The 2012 Haut Brion (65% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc) is certainly one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage, with a dense purple color, classic nose of crushed rock, lead pencil shavings, black raspberry, blueberry and flowers. The wine shows subtle barbecue smoke notes in the background, but is full-bodied, stunningly concentrated and builds incrementally, yet finishes with luxurious, almost extravagant amounts of fruit and intensity. From only 46% of the production, this is an absolutely remarkable effort from the Dillon family and their winemaking team of the two Jean-Philippes. Drink it over the next 30-40 years. Drink 2015-2055.