Château Haut-Brion 2006

The 2006 Haut-Brion performed even better from bottle than it did from barrel. Sixty-four percent of the production went into this wine, and while it displays the vintage’s powerful tannins and structure, it possesses superb concentration and the minerality/scorched earth notes of a great Haut-Brion. Medium to full-bodied, with perhaps not quite the fleshiness of 2005 or 2000, it is built more along the lines of 1998 and 1996. It is a brilliant effort, displaying sensational purity, texture, and length that should be exceptionally long-lived. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2035.

Offers subtle and complex aromas, with violet, cedar and blackberry. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a very long finish. Tight and curled up in a ball. Best after 2015. 11,000 cases made.

Opening initially with a red-fruited tinge, this evolves and transforms into slightly darker fruit brushed with graphite. The fruit is still forward, gradually allowing notes of toast, smoke and turned earth to nestle alongside. It's still gutsy in structure, with fine cranberry acidity.

Closed. Juicy/jam character just about discernible on the nose. Sweetly oaked on the palate (used 81% new oak). Very furry tannins. Bitter on the palate. Severe; quite hard work. (RH)

Medium ruby-red. Inviting aromas of plum, warm stones, red licorice and menthol. Suave, gentle and elegantly styled; distinctly sweeter and lusher today than the La Mission, with even more mid-palate depth. Showing more red fruits today as well, with pungent minerality giving the wine lift and juiciness. Finishes with suave but substantial building tannins. Last year this wine was showing its spine while La Mission was more opulent; in bottle it's the other way around.

Deep ruby in color, with the telltale aromatics of cigar box, tobacco, tar, cassis and dark ripe fruits. While it’s still in the primary stage, it’s impossible to deny the class, charm, elegance and concentration, as well as the length found here. Give it another decade for it to expand and develop.

The 2006 Haut Brion is a classic, elegant version of this cuvee, and while approachable, it is still young and relatively unevolved. Textbook Graves notes of smoky tobacco, cigar, leafy herbs, lots of earthy minerality, and a deep core of black fruits all emerge from this beauty. With medium to full-bodied richness and impressive mid-palate depth, it has fine, present tannin, impeccable balance, and a great finish. Drink this classic Haut Brion anytime over the coming two decades.

Deep, dark garnet with a purple sheen, fine rim on the edge. Dense, deep, pleasantly concentrated bouquet with an inky touch, blueberries, cool and still somewhat reserved, black woods and vanilla pod in the background. Full-bodied palate, lots of present but much finer tannins than in La Mission, fleshy, with masculine traits, peppery acidity, the tannins giving the flow on the tongue a sandy note, aromatic finish, very long-lived, requiring patience and tolerance. In recent years, we’ve grown used to Premiers Crus being very, very refined and thus giving quite a lot of pleasure even “too young”; the 2006 Haut-Brion will surely give little pleasure in the first 15 years, and even after that it will only reveal itself alongside hearty dishes. Once the tannins are properly resolved, the wine will reach 19 points. In style, a somewhat more concentrated 1988.

57% Merlot, 40% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. 130,000 bottles. Deep, dark garnet with violet highlights and a fine outer rim. Dense, deep, pleasantly concentrated bouquet with inky tones, blueberries, cool and still somewhat reserved, dark woods and vanilla pod in the background. Textured palate, very present yet significantly finer tannins than Mission, fleshy, with masculine traits, peppery acidity; the tannins really mesh with the extract and give the flow across the tongue a sandy note, aromatic finish. This very long-lived Haut-Brion demands patience and tolerance. Why? Because in recent years we have grown used to Premiers Crus being very, very refined and thus capable of giving a lot of pleasure even “too young.” Here, no fun is to be expected in the first 15 years, and even then it will only reveal itself alongside hearty dishes. Once it has properly digested its tannins, it will reach 19/20. In its way, a slightly more concentrated 1988!

Elegant, dense, complex bouquet with blue and black berries, fine woods, leather, tobacco, roasted notes. Multi-layered, dense, silky, elegant palate with an elegant, tight structure, fine fruit, superb aromatics and good tannins. Very long, dense finish with cedar and blackcurrant. 19/20 2014 - 2035

A sublime wine in its texture, aroma, and length, ideally aged in new oak, and absolutely unique in Bordeaux, as always, for its intensity and character.

Logo on the cork: inverted T (Trescases) Dark colour, medium intensity and slightly evolved. Fruity and somewhat simple nose. Animal nuances. Soft, tasty and pleasant palate, with an underlying firmness on the finish (sly effect of the cork). A lack of expression already noted in this vintage in 2012. It’s best to wait.

A severe, austere wine that doesn't show its richness easily. The tannins are tight and firm and they dominate. Underneath is ripe fruit, the balance with tannins giving a foursquare, solid character. The wine is complex, spice playing with the fruit, some medicinal flavors and a definite stalky, tight structure. It obviously needs long-term aging.