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News
This blockbuster blend of 62% Sauvignon Blanc and 38% Semillon has absolutely amazing texture, with superb lemon butter, crushed rock, quince and marmalade notes buttressed by hints of orange zest and citrus oil. Rich and full-bodied, with a sensational fragrance, this is an exquisite, full-throttle white to drink over the next 30+ years. Utterly profound!" -Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (98+ Points)
Wine Description
The Story
Haut-Brion Blanc is as renowned as it is scarce, with only about 8,000 bottles available per vintage for a very demanding market. It is often regarded as the greatest white of Bordeaux, although Haut-Brion Blanc’s sibling, Laville Haut-Brion, sometimes equals and occasionally surpasses it. The white vineyards at Haut-Brion are planted to 63 percent Sémillon and 37 percent Sauvignon Blanc, a weighting that gives this wine its particularly plush combination of Sémillon-driven body and Sauvignon-influenced scent of musk. Haut-Brion Blanc ages beautifully.
White Bordeaux does not come much more layered and powerful than this. Strong oak roasted nut notes are evident on the nose but dissipate quickly on the palate. Taut yet shapely refreshing but rich. A large framed wine that manages to find harmony. Alongside exotic touches of stone fruit there are some wonderfully energising fruit characteristics of crystallised lemon rind, grapefruit and lime. Long, complex and very intense without being too weighty.
Wine Information
Château Haut-Brion’s tasting notes :
Just putting your nose into the glass transports you to another
world...
Thanks to its impressive spectrum of aromas, this wine is totally absorbing. It is pointless to be overly analytical about the bouquet that sweeps over seductively with overtones of citrus and honey.
The richness and power take over the palate with a welcome authority. Freshness complements the wine's considerable volume
starting with the middle palate, and one has the pleasurable impression of biting into fresh, golden Sauvignon Blanc grapes on a
lovely fall morning.
This wine is rich, full-bodied, and delicious. 2009 Château Haut-Brion Blanc is a very great wine.
Weather conditions
Temperature sum : 3 455 °C.
Rainfall : 388 mm
Number of days over 30°C : 22
Harvesting began : August 31st – October 6th.
Current vintage notes
Winegrowers are cautious by nature. However, this year, we are throwing this legendary caution to the wind to announce the birth of a beautiful and very great vintage. The newborn is so magnificent and full of promise that it is difficult to contain our enthusiasm. We will not beat about the bush: 2009 is extraordinary, undoubtedly worthy of a place of honor in the Hall of Fame along with the
legendary 1929, 1947, 1949, 1959, 1961,1982, 1989, 1990, 2000, and 2005
vintages.
Vintage 2009
Much like 1947, 1961 and 2005, 2009 is a year of almost overly (for Bordeaux) flamboyant and opulent wines with high maturity and low acidity. The tannins are exceptionally ripe, while the wines are quite voluptuous in style. The Left Bank recorded more hours of sunshine than legendary vintages such as 1947 and 1982, and the grapes had higher sugar concentrations than in 2003 and 2005. The key was significant diurnal temperature variations that allowed the grapes to withstand hot daytime temperatures. An exceptional vintage on all levels.