2010 Château Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

2010 Château Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

Product: 20101017092
Prices start from £965.50 per bottle (75cl). Buying options
2010 Château Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

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Description

This full-bodied blend of 54% Sauvignon Blanc and 46% Semillon has a level of concentration and intensity that makes it the dry white wine of the vintage. Loads of minerality, a hint of subtle spice, but mostly just pure orange marmalade, candle wax, honeysuckle and caramelized melons make for a full-bodied, distinctive style of wine to drink over the next 50+ years.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 28/02/2013

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Critics reviews

Wine Advocate98/100
This full-bodied blend of 54% Sauvignon Blanc and 46% Semillon has a level of concentration and intensity that makes it the dry white wine of the vintage. Loads of minerality, a hint of subtle spice, but mostly just pure orange marmalade, candle wax, honeysuckle and caramelized melons make for a full-bodied, distinctive style of wine to drink over the next 50+ years.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 28/02/2013 Read more
Jancis Robinson MW18.5/20
46% Sémillon, 54% Sauvignon Blanc. Slightly more yellow than La Mission but still greenish gold. Broad and honeyed on the nose (the Haut-Brion whites always prove supremacy of terroir over variety). Massive and broad and pungent. SO far from New Zealand! A bit less distinctive than the La Mission Blanc 2010 but a great wine.
(Jancis Robinson MW- jancis robinson.com 11 Apr 2011)
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Wine Spectator94-97/100
This shows more clarity now than the La Mission white, with bright honeysuckle, green fig, verbena and green plum notes. The gorgeous finish just glides through, with the cut buried deep. Long and stony, with impressive definition already. Tasted non-blind.
(James Molesworth – The Wine Spectator – Apr 2011)
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Robert Parker94-97/100
A blend of 54% Sauvignon Blanc and 46% Semillon, this singular, compelling white exhibits notes of orange blossoms, lemons, melons, crushed rocks, spice and flowers. It is a sensational, provocative, full-bodied dry white to enjoy over the next 40 years.
(Robert Parker- Wine Advocate- May 2011) Read more
Decanter19/20
Slightly richer and broader fruit than La Mission, superb finesse over a fleshy ripeness and perfect harmony. Read more

About this WINE

Chateau Haut-Brion Blanc

Chateau Haut-Brion Blanc

Chateau Haut Brion is located in the bustling suburb of Pessac on the outskirts of Bordeaux, this 45-hectare 1er Cru Classé property was the only property outside of the Médoc and Sauternes to be included in the 1855 Classifcation. The vineyards (Red: Cabernet Sauvignon 45%; Merlot 37%; Cabernet Franc 18%; White: Semillon 63%; Sauvignon Blanc 37%) lie on large (up to 18 metres deep in places) gravel banks interspersed with clay.

Jean-Bernard Delmas, one of Bordeaux`s great characters, has been régisseur since 1961 and the wine-making is now overseen by Jean-Philippe Masclef. Haut Brion is characterised by its seductive perfume, harmony, elegance and its ability to age with grace and dignity. A superb white is also produced.

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Pessac-Leognan

Pessac-Leognan

In 1986 a new communal district was created within Graves, in Bordeaux,  based on the districts of Pessac and Léognan, the first of which lies within the suburbs of the city. Essentially this came about through pressure from Pessac-Léognan vignerons, who wished to disassociate themselves from growers with predominately sandy soils further south in Graves.

Pessac-Léognan has the best soils of the region, very similar to those of the Médoc, although the depth of gravel is more variable, and contains all the classed growths of the region. Some of its great names, including Ch. Haut-Brion, even sit serenely and resolutely in Bordeaux's southern urban sprawl.

The climate is milder than to the north of the city and the harvest can occur up to two weeks earlier. This gives the best wines a heady, rich and almost savoury character, laced with notes of tobacco, spice and leather. Further south, the soil is sandier with more clay, and the wines are lighter, fruity and suitable for earlier drinking.

Recommended Châteaux: Ch. Haut-Brion, Ch. la Mission Haut-Brion, Ch. Pape Clément, Ch Haut-Bailly, Domaine de Chevalier, Ch. Larrivet-Haut-Brion, Ch. Carmes Haut-Brion, Ch. La Garde, Villa Bel-Air.

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Sauvignon Blanc & Sémillon

Sauvignon Blanc & Sémillon

The blend used for White Graves and Sauternes and rarely encountered outside France. In the great dry whites of Graves, Sauvignon Blanc tends to predominate in the blend, although properties such as Smith Haut Lafite use 100% Sauvignon Blanc while others such as Laville Haut Brion have as much as 60% Sémillon in their final blends. Sauvignon Blanc wines can lose their freshness and fruit after a couple of years in bottle - if blended with Sémillon, then the latter bolsters the wine when the initial fruit from the Sauvignon fades. Ultimately Sauvignon Blanc gives the wine its aroma and raciness while Sémillon gives it backbone and longevity.

In Sauternes, Sémillon is dominant, with Sauvignon Blanc playing a supporting role - it is generally harvested about 10 days before Sémillon and the botrytis concentrates its sweetness and dampens Sauvignon Blanc`s naturally pungent aroma. It contributes acidity, zip and freshness to Sauternes and is an important component of the blend.

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