Oliver East and I recently jumped aboard the Eurostar to Brussels on our way to one of the world's greatest restaurants. Hof Van Cleve turned out to be nowhere near Brussels and in fact pretty much slap-bang in the middle of nowhere at all. However, it was well worth the journey as the food was absolutely amazing. Hof Van Cleve is the proud holder of 3 michelin stars (only 1 other restaurant in Belgium has 3 stars) and ranked 26 in the world's 100 best restaurants.
However, we had not come here just to have a good dinner. The main reason for our trip to the flatlands of Flanders was to taste 15 vintages of Château Haut Brion assembled by one of Belgium's great gourmets and wine-lovers. If I had to describe the style of the 5 First Growths of Bordeaux I would say that Latour is the greatest, classical expression of Bordeaux and the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, Mouton more minty and exotic, Lafite more polished and friendly, Margaux more charming. Haut Brion is different thanks to its unique terroir and the 50:50 Cabernet/Merlot "encepagement". A glass of mature Haut Brion delivers a myriad of flavours and perhaps more complexity than any other wine in the world. Furthermore, Haut Brion is famous for never making a bad wine. Even the off vintages deliver great pleasure here and when it's on top form (1959 and 1989 for example) it is simply one of the world's greatest wines.
Our tasting went from young to old and featured some of the best vintages of the last 45 years. Overall it was a wonderful tasting and everything showed really well. Haut Brion is a Chateau that produces wines to satisfy both the head and the heart, with wines that are intellectually serious yet full of hedonistic pleasure. One would particularly pick out the 1988 and especially the 2001 which were very close in quality to neighbouring famous vintages yet still available in the market at less than the 2008 en primeur. Here are my notes from the tasting with scores out of 20:-
2005 - Deep colour, big, thick "legs" that cling to the sides of the glass. A Powerful brooding nose with exotic spices, tobacco and smoky bacon. Huge on the palate with incredible richness that is balanced by ripe tannins. The mid palate has a lovely cedar, cassis and tar character. The wine is intense and rich but finely structured. There is amazing concentration and density here yet this is not just a sweet and sexy wine - it is also extremely serious and complete. An awesome Haut Brion that may close down before it blossoms but at the moment it is nearly as brilliant as it was from the barrel. What a start! 20
2003 - Showing some brown fade on the rim already. Very sexy and sweet on the nose. The palate is very attractive but seems to have about half the density of the just-tasted 2005! Clearly an early drinker in this "canicule" vintage, this offers easy, immediate pleasure and is almost a First Growth to glug back without too much thought. Silicone implants here on a slightly bony body. Lovely if a bit simple, good for the next few years but don't keep it too long. 16
2001 - Showing a little brown fade. A lovely Graves nose of blackcurrants and plums with barbeque smoke. The palate has lovely ripe fruit, medium weight and a kick of refreshing acidity at the finish. Beautifully poised, refined and classy. The fruit is smooth and seamless. Not quite the flesh of a "Premier League" vintage but this is definitely at the top of the second division. Lovely and significantly better than the 2003. 17.5
2000 - Looking far younger than the 2003, this has an impressive dark body and is relatively closed on the nose. The initial impression on the palate is of sweetness with a classic Haut Brion character of roasted meat and tarry decadence. Already gorgeous to drink but clearly there is a lot still in reserve. Voluptous and sexy with cherries, plums, licorice and exotic vanilla spices. A real beauty that should rival the 1989 in time but it doesn't seem to possess quite the density of the 2005. Tastes like a hypothetical blend of 3/4 2005 cut with a dash of 2003. Fabulous, fleshy and flashy. 19.5
1999 - Good colour, a slightly too alcoholic wafting nose. The first impression on the palate is that this vintage is a bit raw and awkward, certainly it does not possess the pure class of the 2001. This wine slightly lacks the usual Haut Brion feminine charm and seems a little coarse and out of balance. Powerful and ripe but can't compete with the big boys that are alongside it. 1999 is a useful vintage that offers decent current drinking but no doubt that 2001 is better. 15
1998 - Deep black colour, fabulous nose. Rich and opulent. Even at 10 years of age this is still youthful and unready. A serious Haut Brion with great density, it is long and chewy and seems to have more Cabernet Sauvignon than Merlot to it at the moment with a lead pencil and cassis character. A bit disjointed right now but all the classic elements are here and this will be a great wine when ready in a few years time. However, this is not one in the opulent style. 18
1996 - Showing some maturity at the rim. There is some classic smoky Graves character here along with a pronounced 1996 "bite" of tannin and acidity. Very good but not rich, almost sharp at the finish. Is there even a little hint of green? A serious, brooding wine that is the complete opposite of the 2003 for example. A wine for those who like their claret dry. 16
1995 - This is really smoky and roasted on the nose with a lovely Graves typicity.The palate is sweet, smooth and sexy with a silky texture. There are hints of chocolate, vanilla and cherries. Not a blockbuster and already probably at its peak. Mid-weight but there is plenty to like about it. Maybe a touch dry at the finish. Good now but it won't get any better. 17
1994 - A slightly fading colour with a thinning rim. Attractive smoke and cigar box nose. The palate is initially ripe and promising but it dries out a little at the finish. Nevertheless, a sweet and impressive effort for the vintage and it performs really well to be judged at the same level as the 1995 and 1996. Ideal for drinking now and prefered on the night to the 1999. 16
1990 - Really a quite developed colour. Very sweet and sexy. The palate is extremely voluptuous and silky with very low acidity and vanilla ice cream smoothness. Very much a Merlot wine in style, I'd happily guess this blind to be a Pomerol. A real crowd pleaser - absolutely gorgeous. Charms its way through from first sniff to last drop. A lovely wine that delivers pure pleasure. 19.5
1989 - A similar, quite advanced-looking colour. This has an absolutely classic Graves nose of tar, smoke, cigars and cedar. The palate has the same incredible sweetness as the 1990 but a little more density, complexity and structure. This is a perfect Haut Brion that would appeal equally to hedonists and purists. Outstanding. This must be the wine of the vintage. 20
1988 - Surprisingly, showing a deeper colour than the 1989 and 1990. This has a great, classic Haut Brion nose with black tar and barbequed meat. On the palate, it is serious, solid and backward with great density. It's impossible to believe that this is older than the 1989, 1990 or 1995. Completely different stylistically from those 3 vintages - this is chewy, chunky, robust and dense. Only just ready to drink. Very impressive. A dry-edged, classic claret that is destined to be always over-shadowed by the two following vintages. 17.5
1986 - A medium colour with some brown fade. A medicinal nose with a touch of iodine, old-fashioned Graves style. On the palate this is now fully mature but has lovely complexity with notes of iron, leather, tar and earth. This couldn't be anything but Haut Brion. Great class and character. 17.5
1982 - A fading colour but a beautiful sweet nose with raisins and wood-smoke. The palate is sweet and decadent but also delicate. Not the intensity of the 1989 and 1990 but a satin-like texture. Sweet, subtle and seductive this has a caressing mouth-feel and is lovely to drink now. Maybe not quite as good as it was once and will not get any better than it is tonight. Delightful. 18.5
1964 - An amazingly deep colour for a wine of this age. A big, roasted coffee bean nose. On the palate there is an espresso intensity with a capuccino sweetness. Extremely exotic with flavours of chocolate, figs and cigar smoke. Remarkable, complex wine that oozes Graves character. The first sip is better than the last as it dries out in the glass and takes on an oxidative style after 20 minutes. Great stuff but best to decant this 5 minutes before serving and drink up. 18
Overall, this was a great tasting that was much more enjoyable and successful than last year's tasting of similar vintages of Cheval Blanc. Once again, Haut Brion delivers the goods and performs consistently, vintage after vintage. This is a Chateau that produces wines to satisfy both the head and the heart.
