Château Haut-Brion 2017
Review of the Estate
Château Haut-Brion is notable for its First Growth status, under both the 1855 and 1973 Mèdoc classifications, despite its geographical location in Graves. This mark of respect is due to the obsession with quality and continual winemaking improvements that have been the dominant modus operandi at Chateau Haut Brion over the past four centuries.
The modern estate grew from humble origins as a property known as Maison Noble d'Aubrion which was acquired by Jean de Pontac through his marriage to Jeanne de Bellon in 1525.
Pontac was responsible for expanding Chateau Haut-Brion, and creating an international market for the wines, the quality of which was noted by Samuel Pepys who wrote in April 1663,"here I drank a sort of French wine, called Ho Bryan, that hath a good and most particular taste that I never met with." However, Chateau Haut Brion was still known formally as Château Pontac until the late 18th Century when it eventually passed out of the Pontac family's hands.
As the first recorded First Growth to be imported into the United States, when Thomas Jefferson purchased six cases during his travels and sent them back to his home in Virginia, it is perhaps unsurprising that Chateau Haut-Brion was eventually purchased by an American. After a string of owners, financier Clarence Dillon acquired the estate in 1935. Chateau Haut Brion is currently owned by Domaine Clarence Dillon, which is a limited company and thereby prevents excessive divisions of the estate between successive generations. Presently, Prince Robert of Luxembourg is at the helm, with Jean-Philippe Delmas managing the viticultural aspects of the business.
As a First Growth, there is constant pressure to produce outstanding yet consistent wines and Château Haut-Brion has consistently embraced new technologies to meet this standard. In the 1960s, the estate pioneered the installation of stainless steel vats - the first of the First Growths to do so. This increased the reliability of the vinification process and positioned Chateau Haut Brion at the forefront of innovation in the Bordeaux region, producing a savoury wine which is both rich and intricate.
Vineyard
Surface area: 106.7 acres
Grape Varieties: 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc
Average age of vines: 36 years
Density of plantation: 8,00 vines per hectare
Average yields: 35-45 hectoliters per hectare
Average cases produced: 11,000 per year
Plateau of maturity: 10 - 40 years
Château Haut-Brion 2017 Reviews / Tasting Notes
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate
Point Score: 97
A blend of 53% Merlot, 6.3% Cabernet Franc and 40.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Haut-Brion sashays gracefully out of the glass with fragrant notions of black raspberries, kirsch, dark chocolate, star anise and candied violets with a core of warm red and black currants and a touch of pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate bursts with red and black fruit layers, superbly supported by firm, ripe, finely grained tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced.
Side Note:
At Chateau Haut-Brion and neighboring La Mission Haut-Brion, only about one hectare out of around 80 hectares of vineyards was damaged by frost in 2017. It seemed that in the areas where there was a little wind, there was no frost. Budbreak was on March 13-not so early for this warm little pocket of vineyards close to the city-but the evolution of the vines was certainly faster than usual for the rest of the spring. It was a very dry, warm spring with even flowering. At the end of June, there was some rain to quench the parched vines, then July was a little cooler, according to Jean-Philippe Delmas. By mid-September, after the whites had already come in, the rains became an issue. The Merlot was almost all in before the rain, but the Cabernet Franc was affected and not much was used this year. Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested after the rains. Overall yields averaged out at a very respectable 49.6 hectoliters per hectare.
While the reds are incredibly impressive at both properties in 2017, I have to confess that I was completely blown away by the caliber of the whites. WOW! Possessing at once electric intensity and yet bags of tightly wound layers just waiting to be expressed over many years of cellaring, this is a truly spectacular vintage for the dry whites at both estates.
Decanter
Point Score: 97
A hugely captivating wine, one of the contenders for red of the vintage. There's an incredible plush, dense texture to the fruit here, with just the slightest pulling back on the final section that suggests the damson, cassis and black cherry fruit is not at the full extent of ripeness seen in 2016 and 2015, but there is absolutely no question that this is a successful, rich and well-expressed wine. It's extremely powerful and well constructed, with great tannins and a succulence which grows through the palate. 3.73pH.
James Suckling
Point Score: 98
This is extremely aromatic and perfumed with crushed-berry, flower, currant and orange-peel character. Full-bodied, very tight and focused with fabulous depth and density that brings you down through the wine. Deep and serious. Very classic wine that reminds me of top Haut-Brions of the mid-1980s. Try after 2025.