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Haut Brion Blanc 2016

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan
ColourWhite
TypeStill
Grape VarietySauvignon Blanc/Semillon

The undisputed king of Bordeaux's dry white wines. Truly great, but produced in miniscule quantities. The 2.8 hectare vineyard rarely makes much more than 500 dozen bottles a year from a blend of around 2/3 Semillon and 1/3 Sauvignon Blanc.

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Label

Tasting Notes

An ethereal nose with very bright and delicate lemon citrus, dried-grass nuances, fresh-pastry notes and a lemon-blossom edge. The palate is astutely focused, energetic and quite taut, in a restrained style. A thread of fresh acidity holds long and seductively smooth into the fresh, cashew and hazelnut-infused finish. Unwaveringly precise. A blend of 70.5 per cent sauvignon blanc and 29.5 per cent semillon. Try from 2023.

97
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, January 2019

The 2016 Haut-Brion Blanc is a blend of 70.5% Sauvignon Blanc and 29.5% Semillon. It is incredibly closed and hard to read to begin, but with patience it slowly offers glimpses at key lime pie, orange blossom, and yuzu scents, followed by wafts of honeycomb, fresh ginger, and blanched almonds. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is taut and tightly knit with so many latent layers and beautiful tension, finishing with epic length and an achingly gorgeous texture.

98
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, December 2022

This opens very beautifully in the glass with a high level of aromatics, but just needs a few minutes to reveal these tight citrus peel and pink grapefruit flavours. Haut-Brion have navigated a tough year for whites far better then most, as you would expect. This has volume through the mid-palate and a well constructed, dancing minerality on the finish. 30% grand vin for the white, from a blend of 70.5% Sauvignon Blanc and 29.5% Sémillon aged in 35% new oak.

Drinking Window 2019 - 2035

95
Jane Anson, Decanter.com, April 2017

Mineral and citrus the nose is floral and fragrant the start of the palate bright and fresh. Ripe fruit in the middle white peach, tropical fruits, a hint of pear the richness underpinned by mineral and lime the finish bright and long. 2018-26

91/94
Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, April 2017

There’s very little of this wine produced - and what’s made isn’t cheap - but it’s one of the great whites of the world, even in a tricky vintage when acidity was at a premium. Broad, textured and intense, with leesy richness, stylish oak and a saline flourish. 2020-32

96
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 2017
Read more tasting notes...

The Haut Brion 2016 Blanc is a blend of 70.5% Sauvignon Blanc and 29.5% Sémillon picked from 1-13 September. I found a little more complexity and mineralité here compared to the La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc this year, scents of chalk and lime flower complementing the citrus fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin, notes of lime cordial, orange zest and grapefruit, almost flinty towards the finish that lingers long in the mouth with great vigor from start to finish. This is excellent, but not the best Haut Brion Blanc that I have tasted in recent years.
Drink Date 2020 - 2045

92/94
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (230), April 2017

Layered with a round and rich texture and body. Full and flavorful. Lots of dried-apple and pineapple character. Very long finish. Exotic and ripe. We will see which is better.

96/97
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, March 2017
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.