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: 2010 Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan

2010 Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan (Pre-Arrival)

SKU #1066965 100 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark As for the 2010 Haut-Brion, it does not have the power of Latour’s 2010 or the intense lead pencil shavings and chocolaty component of Lafite-Rothschild, but it is extraordinary, perfect wine. It has a slightly lower pH than the 2009 (3.7 versus the 2009's 3.8), and even higher alcohol than the 2009 (14.6%). The wine is ethereal. From its dense purple color to its incredibly subtle but striking aromatics that build incrementally, offering up a spectacular smorgasbord of aromas ranging from charcoal and camphor to black currant and blueberry liqueur and spring flowers, this wine’s finesse, elegant yet noble power and authority come through in a compelling fashion. It is full-bodied, but that’s only apparent in the aftertaste, as the wine seems to float across the palate with remarkable sweetness, harmony, and the integration of all its component parts – alcohol, tannin, acidity, wood, etc. This prodigious Haut-Brion is hard to compare to another vintage, at least right now, but it should have 50 to 75 years of aging potential. (RP) Inner quote mark (2/2013)

99 points Wine Spectator

Outer quote mark Sappy, tongue-coating pastis, blackberry coulis and loganberry fruit starts this huge wine off, followed by a parade of licorice snap, violet, tar, black tea, roasted alder, wood spice and steeped black cherry fruit notes. A beam of pure cassis drives through this version, and the finish pulls everything together with a mouthwatering brambly edge that should soften slowly over time. A riveting display of brawny power, unbridled energy and high-level terroir. *Collectibles* (JM) Inner quote mark (1/2013)

98 points Decanter

Outer quote mark Detailed and intricate scents of red fruit and warm stone and leather. The ripeness is perfectly balanced and there's a freshness and vividness here, yet a gratifying hint of torrefaction, too. Extracts, acidity and tannins form a seamless, gentle whole. Prodigiously capacious yet majestically ordered. (AJ) Inner quote mark (12/2015)

98 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Outer quote mark Good full ruby-red. Complex, expressive, very showy aromas and flavors of cassis, menthol, smoke and tobacco complemented by violet, milk chocolate and sweet spices. Fat, sweet and concentrated in the mouth, with an almost liqueur-like ripeness to its highly concentrated, palate-saturating flavors. Finishes ripe and savory, with huge but plush tannins and lingering notes of blueberry and minerals. (ST) 98+ Inner quote mark (8/2013)

98 points Wine Enthusiast

Outer quote mark A firm and serious wine, complex and complicated, one of the finest wines from 2010 vintage. It has a rich undertow of black fruits, while the tannins dominate at this stage. To add to the powerful range of flavors, the wine has an edge of severity that bodes well for its long-term future. *Cellar Selection* (RV) Inner quote mark (5/2013)

Jancis Robinson

Outer quote mark Tasted blind. Lustrous crimson. Quite a subtle nose and obviously pretty youthful. Rich and perfumed. Very seductive. Broad, polished start and then very glossy texture with fine sandy tannins on the finish. Obviously top-quality wine. 18.5/20 points. (JR) Inner quote mark (8/2018)

K&L Notes

100 points Neal Martin's Wine Journal: "Tasted blind at the Southwold Bordeaux 2010 tasting. The Haut-Brion 2010 is a stunning wine that provoked a few perfect scores around the table. It is blessed with a compelling bouquet with superb precision and focus: wonderful mineralite, slightly conservative and withdrawn and yet displaying immense clarity and terroir expression. With continued aeration there is just a hint of the sea surfacing and one never detects the 14.6% alcohol. The palate is backward, tannic and broody, but immensely powerful and multi-layered. This is a multi-dimensional wine, very long and persistency in the mouth with a bewilderingly complex finish. Tasted January 2014." (03/2014) 99 points Lisa Perotti-Brown in Wine Advocate: "Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Haut-Brion charges out of the gate with exuberant notes of crème de cassis, blueberry pie and baked plums followed by nuances of dark chocolate, licorice and cloves. Full-bodied, the palate has lots of subtle earth and mineral accents with a firm, finely grained texture and great freshness lifting the long finish." (3/2020)

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2010 Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan

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Product Reviews:

By: Steve Greer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 2/5/2013 | Send Email

Closed nose but rich aromatic dark fruit on the palate with a long ripe finish.

By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 7/8/2011 | Send Email

**+ Closed at first, but it comes around with airing.

By: Trey Beffa | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 5/16/2011 | Send Email

Big and powerful, a masculine wine with lots of stuffing and tannin. Very focused.

By: Ralph Sands | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 5/16/2011 | Send Email

Sweet nose. Loaded with dark chocolate and sweet fruit. Very structured and powerful.

By: Alex Pross | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 5/16/2011 | Send Email

Very restrained and closed right now on the nose, but showing darker fruits on the palate.

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends

- Cabernet Sauvignon has come a long way from its role as a blending varietal, however dominant, in the wines of Bordeaux. Today it is the most planted red varietal in the world. Identified as a descendent of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon needs to be planted in warmer climates to fully ripen. Its small berries can easily be identified for their distinctive blue color, thick skins and high tannins. And while the varietal has its own definitive characteristics: green pepper-like aromas and black currant flavors among them, it is perhaps most prized for its ability to convey terroir, vintage and winemaking. A relatively new varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon started making inroads into the wines of the Médoc and Graves in the late-18th century. Today it is also dominant in the up-and-coming Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux and can also be found in Southwest France. It is the companion varietal to Sangiovese in Italy's Super Tuscans and is planted all over Europe, stretching to lesser-known winegrowing regions like Russia and Lebanon. In the Americas Cabernet Sauvignon has found champions in every nook and cranny of California and among winemakers in Washington, where it complements plantings of Merlot. In South America, Cab thrives in Chile, but can also be found in smaller amounts in Argentina and even in Mexico.

Country:

France

- When it comes to wine, France stands alone. No other country can beat it in terms of quality and diversity. And while many of its Region, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne most obviously, produce wine as rare, as sought-after and nearly as expensive as gold, there are just as many obscurities and values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country. To learn everything there is to know about French wine would take a lifetime. To understand and appreciate French wine, one only has to begin tasting them.

Sub-Region:

Bordeaux

Specific Appellation:

Pessac-Leognan/Graves

- Graves is the large red and white wine region located to the southeast of the city of Bordeaux along the Garonne River. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the red wines from the area, while the whites are mixtures of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The most important area within the Graves is the village of Pessac-Leognan. Most of the great chateaux, including Haut Brion, a premier cru and the only wine outside of the Medoc to be included in the 1855 Classification, are located in this small appellation. Graves derives its name from the rocky, stony terrain of the region. Many people believe that the stony soil radiates the day's heat at night and thus makes the grapes ripen earlier than the other regions in Bordeaux.

Alcohol Content (%):