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  • Country ranking ?

    502
  • Producer ranking ?

    35
  • Decanting time

    2h
  • When to drink

    now to 2030
  • Food Pairing

    Scallop Carpaccio and celeriac mousse

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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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.

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Vintage 1985

Bordeaux 1985/ An extraordinary vintage. Particularly elegant in their early years, these wines are now mellow and suave with considerable finesse. The Médoc wines, supple with mellow tannins, are deliciously soft and fruity. The Pomerols and Saint Emilions possess a marvellous combination of concentration and finesse. The dry white wines are rich and complex. The sweet wines are ample, honeyed and fruity.

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

<10 tasting notes

Tasting note

color

Full

ending

Long

flavors

Honey and Nutty

nose

Open, Complex and Generous

recommend

Yes

taste

Balanced, Well-structured, Complex, Full-bodied, Harmonious, Focused, Rich and Dry

Written Notes

Given the price attached to this wine, one expects something extra special. And one got it! The immediate impression was of a wine that was a bit muted but with a little time in the glass, it opened up magnificently. Nuts, vanilla (quite overly vanillin notes) and spices. With the vanilla, there is a wonderful peaches and cream character. Extraordinarily complex. Seamless and so very long. And it just kept getting better and better. Brilliant wine.
  • 98p
Next up was a 1985 Haut Brion Blanc, which had created a bit of controversy in weeks prior, when I wasn’t present. In fact, this bottle was the reason we got together in the first place; I was summoned to settle this royal debate. The HBB was incredibly exotic and gamey in its nose, with aromas of guava, honey and pineapple. This was a tropical, fleshy and sexy white which exuded opulence. The palate was a touch drier, with flavors of glue and straw. This was a yellow, golden wine when it came to the hue of its flavors, and while it was more reserved on the palate, it also seemed fully mature. Its finish was completely integrated and soft. This was quite surprising, as HBB’s can age forever. The kick was up, and the verdict was good (94).
  • 94p
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Information

Origin

Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Value For Money

Very good

Investment potential

Below Average

Fake factory

None

Other wines from this producer

Château Haut-Brion

La Clarté de Haut-Brion

Le Clarence de Haut-Brion

Plantiers de Haut-Brion

Inside Information

The region has one first growth, Château Haut-Brion, whilst other renowned Chateaux currently doing well are La Mission-Haut-Brion, Pape-Clément, Smith-Haut-Lafitte and Haut-Bailly. Soils are gravely and well-drained and the plantations are similar in proportion to those of the Médoc, consisting mostly of Cabernet Sauvignon with some Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The region is also well known for its long-lived whites that can be varying blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon oaked or unoaked. The most lauded are Domaine de Chevalier, Haut-Brion, Pape-Clement, De Fieuzal, and Laville-Haut-Brion.

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