2010 Château Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux
- Red
- Dry
- Full Bodied
- Cabernet Sauvignon (57%),Merlot (23%),Cabernet Franc (20%)
Ready - youthful
- Neal Martin MW
- 97/100
- Robert Parker
- 100/100
- Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW
- 99/100
- Robert Parker
- 100/100
- Jancis Robinson MW
- 18+/20
- 19.5/20
- James Molesworth
- 96-99/100
- Jancis Robinson MW
- 19/20
- Jane Anson MW
- 98/100
- Tim Atkin MW
- 99/100
- James Molesworth
- 99/100
Product: 20101011247
Colour Red
Sweetness Dry
Vintage 2010
Alcohol % 15
Maturity Ready - youthful
Grape List Cabernet Sauvignon (57%),Merlot (23%),Cabernet Franc (20%)
Body Full Bodied
Producer Château Haut-Brion
Critics reviews
Neal Martin MW 97/100
The 2010 Haut-Brion has a more flamboyant and showier bouquet than the La Mission with copious black fruit, orange blossom, fireside ash and chai tea aromas that are irresistible. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine and supple tannins, firm grip, quite saline in the mouth with strong truffle notes on the finish. Quite brilliant. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting.Drink 2026-2080Neil Martin, Vinous.com.com (Apr 2020)
Drink 2026 - 2080
Robert Parker 100/100
As for the 2010 Haut-Brion, it does not have the power of Latours 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 wines finesse, elegant yet noble power and authority come through in a compelling fashion. It is full-bodied, but thats 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. Anticipated maturity: 2022-2065+.Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 28/02/2013
Drink 2026 - 2080
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW 99/100
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.Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate (Mar 2020)
Drink 2026 - 2080
Robert Parker 100/100
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. (100 robert_parker- Wine Advocate- Feb 2013) Following a harvest that finished on October 10, Haut-Brion produced a 2010 that should turn out to be one of its all-time greats ... an amazing feat given what they have accomplished over recent vintages. A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc that came in at 14.6% alcohol, the 2010 boasts an opaque purple color as well as a gorgeous perfume of scorched earth/burning embers, blueberries, black currant liqueur and crushed rocks. Full and opulent with nobility, finesse, purity and elegance, this amazing effort possesses extraordinary levels of extract as well as formidable, but sweet, well-integrated tannins. It requires 8-10 years of cellaring and should drink well for 50+ years. (98-100 robert_parker- Wine Advocate- May 2011)
Drink 2026 - 2080
Jancis Robinson MW 18+/20
Full, opulent nose in which the classic Haut-Brion wine aroma is well masked by lots of slightly austere fruit. Very fine tannins – very drying finish. An extremely slow burner. Much drier than La Mission, and at the moment not desperately expressive. Its lips are pursed at the moment, and so are mine tasting it. Unusual to come across such a long-term wine even here. This may not make a massive impact en primeur because it is keeping so much in reserve. I think it will eventually make a great wine but it’s surly at the moment. 23% Merlot, 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc. 7,800 cases, not 10,000+ as in 2009. 42% grand vin (compared with 57% in 2009). jancis_robinson_mw MW- jancis_robinson_mw.com 11 Apr 2011)
Drink 2026 - 2080
19.5/20
Chateau Haut-Brion, offers stunning aromas of beautifully concentrated red fruits, already expressive, even exuberant, a taffeta-like finesse hides great strength for the long term.
Drink 2026 - 2080
James Molesworth 96-99/100
The Château Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan 2010 is made from a blend of 57 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 23 percent Merlot and 20 percent Cabernet Franc—one of the lowest levels of Merlot and one of the highest percentages of Cabernet Franc for the grand vin. It’s sappy, dense and packed, with layers of kirsch, melted licorice snap, anise and black tea. And it’s just as dense, if not more so, on the finish, with extra tar, violet and blackberry confiture. There’s really massive grip on the back end, but it’s velvety and caressing. (james_molesworth, The Wine Spectator - Tasting at Haut Brion - 29 Mar 2011)
Drink 2026 - 2080
Jancis Robinson MW 19/20
A little less dramatic than La Mission 2010 on the nose. Savoury and a bit low key but velvety textured and with masses there. Really very exciting with mass and pace. A great Haut-Brion with such energy and savour.jancis_robinson_mw, JancisRobinson.com (Jan 2020)
Drink 2026 - 2080
Jane Anson MW 98/100
Another different register as we head to Pessac-Léognan. And as with Mouton this has an exuberant grilled almond note around the edges with a thick velvety texture. You can really feel the weight and width of this wine through the mid palate and again you feel it just has so much life and pleasure ahead of it. This is all about the texture, it has an extremely marked sense of a rising tide of tannins and fruit, ready to power through the ages.jane_anson_mw, decanter.com (Jan 2020)
Drink 2026 - 2080
Tim Atkin MW 99/100
The driest summer at Haut-Brion since 1949 made life difficult for the young Merlot vines, but helped the Cabernet to achieve unprecedented ripeness. According to Jean-Philippe Delmas, the grand vin has the highest levels of tannin, alcohol and colour ever recorded. The result is brilliant: powerful, dense and voluptuous with plenty of plum, cassis and black cherry fruit to wrap around the wine’s core of tannin and acidity. A mere whisker away from perfection and a legendary Haut-Brion in embryo.Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com(May 2011)
Drink 2026 - 2080
James Molesworth 99/100
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_yarrow, wood spice and steeped black cherry fruit notes. A beam of pure cassis drives through this, 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. Best from 2020 through 2040. 7,800 cases made. james_molesworth, Wine Spectator (Mar 2013)
Drink 2026 - 2080
About this wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
The most famous red wine grape in the world and one of the most widely planted.
Find out more
Chateau Haut-Brion
The only property from outside the Médoc to be included in the 1855 Classification, Haut-Brion’s viticultural history can be traced back further than its Médoc First Growth counterparts. Samuel Pepys even mentions it in his diaries. Situated in what is now Pessac-Léognan, the property finds itself now in the suburbs of the ever-encroaching city of Bordeaux. After falling into a state of disrepair the estate was purchased in 1935 by Clarence Dillon, an American financier, since when it has enjoyed a steady and continual resurgence to a position of pre-eminence. Dillon’s great-grandson, Prince Robert of Luxembourg, now runs the estate, but a key influence in the reputation which Haut-Brion enjoys today is the Delmas family. George Delmas was manager and wine-maker until 1960, when his son Jean-Bernard took over. Jean- Bernard was a visionary figure, responsible for a number of important innovations, and on his retirement in 2003 his son Jean-Philippe took over as Directeur Générale. The vineyard is planted to 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc. A stunning white wine is also made, from a part of the vineyard which is 63% Semillon and 37% Sauvignon Blanc. Production is smaller than at the other First Growth Wines, totalling about 20,000 cases, shared between the Grand Vin and a second wine, formerly called Bahans-Haut-Brion but changed in 2007 to Clarence de Haut-Brion in recognition of Clarence Dillon. Production of Haut Brion Blanc is minute, less than 800 cases in most years. Beginning with the 2009 vintage a new white wine was introduced in the place of Clarence: La Clarté de Haut-Brion, the offspring of Domaine Clarence Dillon's two prestigious white wines: Château Haut-Brion Blanc and Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc. Fermentation of the red wines takes place in stainless steel vats, after which the wine will spend 22 months, sometimes more, in new oak barrels before being bottled unfiltered. For the white wine fermentation takes place in new oak barrels, after which the wine spends a further year to 15 months on its lees in barrel before bottling. The white wine is truly sensational, equivalent in class to a top-flight White Burgundy Grand Cru, but its scarcity means that it is rarely seen. The red wine is no less extraordinary; at its best it displays text-book Graves characteristics of cigar-box, curranty fruit, earth, smoky spice and cassis. The high Merlot content, compared to the Médoc First Growths, gives it a voluptuous edge, but does not in any way detract from its ability to age.
Find out more
Need help?
Delivery and Quality Guarantee
Registered company 05492886. BB&R Limited, trading as Berry Bros. & Rudd, 3 St James's Street, London, SW1A 1EG. All rights reserved. You must be 18 or over to order. Calls may be recorded.
