Haut-Brion Vertical tasting last year.

2001 Château Haut-Brion blanc
Pale lemon yellow. Apples, minerals, honey, detailed, light tropical note, scented and light floral note nose. Intense. Fresh acidity, fruity, rounded, fleshy, somewhat sweet tropical note, ripe and fruity, quite intense, long. Ads and ads with air. 95

1989 Château Laville Haut-Brion
Served blind. Towards golden. Wax, peach, minerals, almonds, honey, floral, light apricots note, layered. Fresh acidity, ripe, fruity, refreshing, detailed, balances between sweet tropical notes and salty minerals, elegant and refined, long. With answer in hand a good but not perfect bottle. 94

1918 Château Haut-Brion
Upper shoulder fill, château bottled. Bright ruby, orange rim. Figs, leather, minerals, terracotta, earthy, prunes, layered nose. Superb nose, magic. Fresh acidity, few tannins, fresh, detailed, prunes, leaner palate, mulberries and raspberries, elegant, almost Corton like feel to it today, long. 94 100 on pleasure.

1945 Château Haut-Brion
Upper shoulder fill. Ruby, thin orange rim. Intense chocolate nose, red berries, minerals, pepper, spices, floral, prunes, terracotta nose, layered. Cherries and leather. More and more intense with air, more and more layers. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity, cinamon, chocolate, tea, figs, cassis, detailed, refreshing, sweet and sour, power, long, very long. 98

1947 Château Haut-Brion
Top shoulder fill, deep ruby, thin brick rim. Intense, scented, plums, figs, highly scented, floral, jasmin, mint, dried dark fruits, rich nose, raspberries. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, detailed, rich and rounded, intense, tannic with loads of fruit to back it still, refreshing and detailed finish, very long. 99

1948 Château Haut-Brion
Upper shoulder fill, deep ruby with thin orange rim. Scented, leaner, figs, minerals, terracotta, smoky, prunes, quite intense. Stacks up well after the others. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh, sweet and sour, detailed, lots of cherrirs, anise and raspberries, leather and prunes finish, slightly drying finish to be picky. 95

1959 Château Haut-Brion
Top shoulder fill, ruby, brick rim. Scented, cigars, cedar, minerals, jasmin, mulberries, figs, prunes, detailed and intense and seductive nose. Layered and complex. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh and fruity, lively, detailed, rich, intense and fruity, ripe fruits, figs, leather, spices, exotic, long finish. 98

1961 Château Haut-Brion
In neck fill, deep ruby, thin brick rim. Tight nose, dark chocolate, black tea, intense and heavy nose, almost alcohol on the nose, Port like nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, rich and fruity but lacks nuances, lacks details, somewhat off bottle, maybe not the best storage. After ten minutes it deteriorates quickly.

1966 Château Haut-Brion
Low neck fill, deep ruby, thin garnet rim. Dark fruits but also some glue notes, dry and short, off bottle.

1970 Château Haut-Brion
Top shoulder fill, ruby with slight orange hue. Intense, dark fruits, scented, liquorice, leather and figs. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, leaner, fresh but leaner, slightly dry tobacco, cherries and figs finish. 88

1975 Château Haut-Brion
Slightly cloudy dark ruby, thin orange rim. Tobacco, rose hips, tired nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, leaner palate, slight iodine.

1978 Château Haut-Brion
In neck fill, pale ruby, orange rim. Oxidised.

1979 Château Haut-Brion
In neck fill, ruby, thin garnet rim. Scented, red berries, cassis, elegant nose, some blueberries and minerals. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh and fruity if leaner and towards thin, the fruit is more cherries and figs, good length. 89

1981 Château Haut-Brion
In neck fill, bright ruby, brick rim. Scented, red and darker berries, figs, leather nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, leaner palate, some would say hollow, leather and figs, bit short. 87

1982 Château Haut-Brion
Ruby. Ripe, rich, scented, plums, leather, tobacco, intense, layered, detailed and complex, lovely nose, flirting, very mineral with air. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity, rich, fresh, detailed, ripe, plums, still structured, quite youthful, long finish. 97

1983 Château Haut-Brion
Ruby, garnet rim. Cassis, leather, slight fig note, red berries, detailed and nuanced, scented. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red berries, fruity, nuanced and detailed, elegant and refreshing, little bit short in this company. 91

1985 Château Haut-Brion
Ruby, garnet rim. Dark fruits, opening up, quite shut first but gets scented and flirting, but the tightest '85 HB I've tasted. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh and fruity, intense, detailed, refreshing, red berries, scented and elegant, lovely balance, needs time to open, long. A bottle going back and forth between marvellous and tight and astringent. 95

1986 Château Haut-Brion
Corked

1988 Château Haut-Brion
Deep ruby. Cassis, figs, leather, ever so slight bell peppers note, quite rich '88 nose, cooler fruits. Spicy and chocolate with air. More and more scented with air. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, firm, structured, leaner cassis fruits, leather, detailed, fresh, elegant, long. 93

1989 Château Haut-Brion
Deepish ruby, garnet rim. Highly scented and massive intensity, rich, ripe, layered, red and darker fruits, detailed, leather, plums, tobacco, superb nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, sweet ripe red fruits, darker berries, layered, detailed, nuanced, superb and hedonistic, impossible to describe, stunning length. 100

1990 Château Haut-Brion
Ruby. Scented, red and darker berries, nuanced, floral, intense and layered, leaping out of the glass. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh and fruity, lively and detailed, nuanced, elegant and long. 97

1995 Château Haut-Brion
Deep ruby. Scented, ripe, cassis, blueberries, anise, slight tobacco note, layered and detailed, intense nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, rich and fruity, layered, intense, plums and blueberries, but a bit lean finish, long. 94

1996 Château Haut-Brion
Deep ruby. Coffee, dark chocolate, cassis, blueberries, plums and tobacco nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity, if tight and somewhat rustic, slightly edgy, bit dry finish. Falls apart with air. Faulty bottle.

1998 Château Haut-Brion
Deep ruby. Scented, ripe fruits, detailed, nuanced, fruity, plums, floral and minerals underneath. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh and fruity, nuanced, detailed and refreshing, fleshy, long. 96

1999 Château Haut-Brion
Deep ruby. Rich, jammy and fruity, ripe and intense, vanilla, very youthful beside it's one year older bottle. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, rich, fruity and ripe, red-and blueberries finish. Smooth. 93


1978 Domaine de La Passion Haut-Brion
Ruby with orange rim. Cassis, rose hips, cherries, wood polish and bell peppers nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, leaner, bit dry and sweet and sour, good length. 88