Chapelle de la Mission

Jancis: 17.5
Wine Spectator: 90-93
Neil Martin: 89-91

Deep purple with good complex savour on the nose.  Relatively high volatility and a really firm tannic backbone.  But there is polish here too.  Deep and rich underneath.  Very dry finish.  Very firm – just extra depth but no extra obvious sweetness/ripeness until the very end when there is quite a bit of alcohol.  Obvious top growth address even in this wine.  17.5 Jancis Robinson

A structured young red with blueberry, toasted oak and coffee aromas and flavors. Full and silky, with ripe tannins and beautiful fruit. Long and flavorful. Second wine of La Mission. 90-93 James Suckling

Tasted at the chateau. A deep purple/garnet core. The nose is ripe and well-defined with graphite and mineral tinged black plum fruit with just a hint of Japanese umiboshi. The palate is medium-bodied, firm tannins, good weight, blackberry, a touch of burnt toast and graphite. Just a touch of hardness of youth, chalky, slightly pointed on the finish. I suspect this will really come into its own after bottling. Tasted April 2010. 89-91 Neil Martin

Clarence de Haut Brion

Jancis: 17
Wine Spectator: 90-93
Neil Martin: 88-89

The renamed second wine of Haut-Brion that was once called Bahans. Deeper, less blue colour than the Chapelle de La Mission. Very subtle nose that pulls you in but doesn't broadcast much. Pretty firm tannins. Really quite severe at this point. Very different from the buxom norm of this vintage. Very dense indeed. This will need a long, long time. Pretty ambitious....17 - Jancis Robinson

A structured young red with blueberry, toasted oak and coffee aromas and flavors. Full and silky, with ripe tannins and beautiful fruit. Long and flavorful. Second wine of La Mission. 90-93 - Wine spectator

Tasted at the chateau. A deep purple/garnet core. The nose is ripe and well-defined with graphite and mineral tinged black plum fruit with just a hint of Japanese umiboshi. The palate is medium-bodied, firm tannins, good weight, blackberry, a touch of burnt toast and graphite. Just a touch of hardness of youth, chalky, slightly pointed on the finish. I suspect this will really come into its own after bottling. Tasted April 2010. 89-91 - Neil Martin

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, Grand Cru Classé Graves 

Jancis: 19
Wine Spectator: 97-100
Neil Martin: 98-100

Some nerve as well as some fat on the nose here. Firm and mineral on the finish. Real structure to this bone dry wine. Not unlike de Fieuzal but a bit richer. I feel confident that more interest will develop. 17.5 - Jancis Robinson

Good concentration and pretty fruit for a Bordeaux. Curranty and yummy. 100 percent Merlot. A Cheval-Blanc that everyone can afford. 89-89J.S. - James Suckling

Tasted at the chateau. A very primal nose with touches of red apple, pear, a touch of beeswax and apple-blossom. Well defined but perhaps lacking the edginess displayed by the 2007 at this stage. The palate is well balanced and light on its feet, well-judged acidity, a slight creaminess on the entry, broadening out nicely on the palate and showing more complexity than might have been aromatically implied. Very pure on the finish. Excellent. Tasted April 2010. 90-92 - Neil Martin

Domaine de Chevalier Rouge , Grand cru classe graves

Jancis: 17.5
Wine Spectator: 93-96
Neil Martin: 91-93

Strong Cabernet aromas.  Unusual!  Well balanced and zesty.  This seems what Pessac-Léognan should be.  Very dry but not drying on the finish.  Complete and full of minerality.  - Jancis Robinson

Shows a super nose of crushed blueberry and blackberry, with hints of raspberry. Full-bodied, offering a fabulous core of fruit and ripe tannins that caress your palate for minutes. Love the chocolate and blueberry character. Wonderful texture.  - James Suckling

Tasted at the chateau. Dark garnet hue. The nose awakes slowly, imbued with a sense of control instead of the some of the more vivacious, immediate bouquets. There is very fine minerality and delineation, dark cherry fruit, Doris plum, just a hint of briary with a very faint hint of truffle. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very fresh, not as much weight as some of the other Pessac/Graves, light on its feet, very feminine, wonderful definition on the finish. This looks like it will turn out to be a very pretty Domaine de Chevalier Rouge. Tasted April 2010. - Neil Martin

Château Haut Bailly

Jancis Robinson: 16
Wine Spectator: 95-98
Neil Martin: 92-94

Rather pale.  Lifted and gentle and a little muted and tart but certainly appetising.  Just the merest hint of green?  - Jancis Robinson

Lovely sweet berry and plum aromas, with hints of sandalwood and cedar. Full-bodied, with milk chocolate, berry and vanilla bean character. Thick and dense tannins, but balanced and very pretty. Sneaks up on you. Really powerful in tannins. This could be better than the fab 2005. 60 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 37 percent Merlot and 3 percent Cabernet Franc. - James Suckling

Tasted at the chateau, the sample taken 16th March from a pre-blend of the Merlot and three lots of Cabernet (probably no pressed wine this year) and a second sample at a negociant. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc with 55% new barrels. A very deep garnet/black colour. This has a very refined nose of blackcurrant, raspberry, wild hedgerow, a nice minerality all with very good delineation but very tightly wound at the moment: this really does demand coaxing from the glass. With further aeration, that minerality is really coming through nicely (much more so than at the chateau!) The palate is full-bodied with a soft entry, grippy tannins, structure on the entry, dense black ripe fruit with an underlying stoniness. It is the follow through, like a wave crashing onto the back palate that really marks this wine out, with very fine persistency and minerality towards the finish. Silky and slightly creamy in texture towards the finish. Superb. Tasted April 2010.- Neil Martin

Château Haut Brion, Grand Cru Classe Graves

Jancis: 19
Wine Spectator: 97-100
Neil Martin: 96-98

57% of the crop went into this. The alcohol level was 14% in 2005 when there was lots of Merlot, but in 2009 when the assemblage was 46% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, it reached 14.3%, the highest ever. What problems did this cause? Jean-Philippe Delmas was asked. 'To find the right yeast.' He smiled, adding, 'and the fermentation was very long: three weeks with a very long malolactive fermentation. This was the first time they had such high alcohols with Cabernet.  Dark crimson with a little more blue than La Mission. LOVELY supple exciting nervy nose with a great deal of integrity and complexity already. Reminds me a little of Ch Margaux in its immediate appeal and class, even if the actual aromas are different (though equally terroir-driven). Real knockout stuff with lovely suppleness on the palate and real grace. Not a blockbuster, amazingly; it seems beautifully balanced. It has the same dense tannic charge but with a bit more fruit and less austerity than La Mission. Very long. So it's definitely Haut-Brion, just more concentrated than usual! Lots of pleasure and luxury. - Jancis Robinson

A dark and brooding wine, delivering blackberry, black licorice, mahogany, subtle grilled meat and raspberry jam. Full-bodied, with layers of ripe and chewy tannins. Loads of fruit yet subtle and reserved, and a long, long finish. Super fruit, yet held back. A 2005 in the remaking, but perhaps slightly supercharged. - James Suckling

Tasted at the chateau. The Haut-Brion ’09 is a blend of 46% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Cabernet Franc, 14.3% alcohol, pH 3.84. The bouquet is markedly different from La Mission: far more rounded and opulent, much more sweet, ripe fruit with blackberry, red cherry, cassis and a touch of crème de menthe. This is one of the most decedent Haut-Brion’s that I have tasted at this stage. The palate is full-bodied, layers of tannic black fruits, huge structure, dense and demonstrative. Blackberry, a touch of tar and graphite, some black olive towards the finish, almost a tidal wave of flavours. Huge grip on the dry finish, but incredible persistency in the mouth. Tasted April 2010.- Neil Martin

Château Haut Brion Blanc, Grand Cru Classé Graves 

Jancis: 17
Wine Spectatory: 95-98
Neil Martin: 91-93

62% Sauvignon Blanc, 38% Sémillon - an unusually high proportion of Sauvignon and I can understand why, so fat is the wine. Yet it smells fatter and less Sauvignon than La Mission Blanc - as so often. Very round and rich - you have to seek the acidity. Very forward and plump.. Good citrus tingle. Long but a little hot on the end. The strongest ever Haut Brion Blanc. 14.2% - Jancis Robinson

Shows impressive aromas of lemon rind and papaya, with hints of cream. Full and very layered, with the density of a red wine. Long and flavorful, offering a pretty balance of ripe fruit and acidity like a grand cru Burgundy. The château says that they have pulled back the alcohol and given the wine a little more freshness and length. It worked.- James Suckling

Tasted at the chateau. A blend of 38% Semillon and 62% Sauvignon Blanc, this has a more lifted, more feminine nose than the La Mission Blanc with notes of green lemon, grass cuttings, lime cordial and lemon curd. The palate is very well balanced with more vigour and joie de vivre than the Mission Blanc, racy acidity with touches of pear, freshly cut lime and just a faint hint of lemongrass. Cuts away just a little abruptly towards the finish. Tasted March 2010.- Neil Martin

La Mission Haut Brion, Grand Cru Classé Graves 

Jancis: 18
Wine Spectator: 94-97
Neil Martin: 95-97

50% of the crop went into this. The alcohol level was 14.2% in 2005 with lots of plump Merlot boosting it but in 2009 the blend is 47% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc and the alcohol level is a record 14.7%.Dark crimson. Scented, pretty, rather haunting aroma. Very rich and caressing – lovely texture. Still very firm and dry. The house signature of those warm bricks even in the super-ripe, super-imposing vintage of 2009! Lovely glow, and quite a bit alcohol on the end, but definitely no sweetness. SO different from the norm on the right bank... Almost inky finish. Seems very Cabernet to me. Fades just a little fast. - Jancis Robinson

Shows juicy aromas of ripe Cabernet Sauvignon and currant, with hints of forest fruits and sandalwood. Full-bodied, offering chewy, mouthcoating tannins that are fruit-coated and velvety. Dense and powerful. A little subdued. Could be better than I think.  - James Suckling

Tasted at the chateau. Delivering a hefty 14.7% alcohol and a pH of 3.84, the ’09 La Mission has a beautiful bouquet with wonderful definition, quite feminine with pure blackberry, raspberry, orange-blossom and a touch of pencil lead. Very focused and lifted. The palate is full-bodied with fine tannins, very good structure but extraordinarily tightly coiled, ready to spring into life in 10-15 years. Hints of tobacco and espresso towards the finish that has a gentle but insistent tannic grip. Saline finish. Excellent. Tasted April 2010.- Neil Martin

Smith Haut Lafitte, Grand Cru Classé Graves 

Jancis: 16
Wine Spectator: 95-98
Neil Martin: 94-96

Moderate and rather cool and intriguing on the nose.  Some sweetness at first and then slightly inky.  The tannins are far from the most supple but they just about do the trick without being too drying on the finish.  Just a little bit gawky, and there’s some alcohol on the finish. - Jancis Robinson

Clean. Blackberry and lightly toasted oak with coffee and cedar. Full-bodied and a very, very powerful structure. Blockbuster. Massive and dense, yet remains agile. A triumph for this estate. - James Suckling

Tasted at the chateau. Picked between 25th September and 17th October, 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot cropped at 32 hl/ha, this has a very sleek, well defined bouquet, very pure with dark berried fruits, just a hint of coca and dark chocolate powder. Very focused, very linear at the moment but developing a lovely saline/estuarine character towards the finish. The palate is full-bodied with very silky tannins, harmonious, sensuous, very good weight and acidity, layers of ripe black, coca-tinged fruit with a sense of nonchalance and self-assured swagger towards the finish. Very pure, very long on the finish, leaving the mouth tingling with pleasure. This is a very assured Smith Haut Lafitte. Tasted April 2010.- Neil Martin

Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, Grand cru classe graves

Jancis: 16
Wine Spectator: 95-98
Neil Martin: 94-96

Slightly greener tint than most. Rich and quite complex on the nose. Very broad flavours. Hint of pineapple. Lots of satisfaction and lip smacking with a nice undertow of minerality. Lots there. Tastes as though it had almost been stroked by the winemaker. Quite a bit of alcohol though. Pape Clément??. - Jancis Robinson

Rich yet balanced with pineapple, sliced green apple and hints of citrus fruit with delicate cream undertones. Full, balanced and beautiful. Aniseed character as well, and fresh.  - James Suckling

Tasted at the chateau. A blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon and 5% Sauvignon Gris, this has a fresh nose of green apple, cold stone, just a touch of granite and smoke. Opening up nicely in the glass. The palate is very taut with notes of green apple, lime, apricot and green gage, just missing a little length towards the finish but it has a good weight and intensity and there is a hint of Mirabelle that develops on the nose that lends it another dimension. Fine. Tasted April 2010. - Neil Martin