2005 Haut Brion – 98 Points Parker
A dark ruby/purple colour is followed by a nuanced, noble bouquet of blue and red fruits interwoven with wet stones, unsmoked cigar tobacco, scorched earth, and spring flowers. The wine is full-bodied, pure, and complex as well as exceptionally elegant with laser-like precision. The tannins are still serious and substantial, and in that sense, this is a completely different style of Haut-Brion than the opulent, silky-textured 1989 and 1990. As I have written before, it comes across as an improved, more concentrated and structured version of the 1995 or 1998. Patience will be required for this stunner.

2003 Haut Brion – 95 Points Parker
The blockbuster 2003 Haut-Brion (13% alcohol) possesses extremely high tannin, but that component is well-concealed by a cascade of mulberry, blackberry, cherry, and plum-like fruit. There is even a hint of figs under the blue and red fruit spectrum. While broad and ripe with a sweet, glyceral mouthfeel as well as a long, powerful, persistent finish, it retains its elegance and nobility. A wine of both power and finesse, it will benefit from 3-4 years of cellaring, and keep for 25-30.

2000 Haut Brion – 98 Points Parker
It will always be tempting to compare the 2000 Haut-Brion with the perfect 2000 La Mission Haut-Brion. However, it is not as fat, unctuous, flamboyant, or voluminous as La Mission. Yet, like a great diplomat, it is a wine of intensity, authority, and measured restraint. A supremely elegant offering, its dense ruby/purple colour, and burgeoning perfume of scorched earth, liquid minerals, plums, black currants, cherries, lead pencil, and subtle spicy oak are followed by a delicate yet powerfully flavourful, multi-layered, highly nuanced, and extraordinarily pure and seamless wine. There have been so many recent classics from Haut-Brion, it is premature to suggest the 2000 is better than the 1998, 1995, 1990, or 1989, but it is certainly a prodigious wine of dazzling persistence, length, and complexity. A blend of 51% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Cabernet Franc, it should prove to be uncommonly long-lived, even by the standards of Haut-Brion.

1995 Haut Brion – 96 Points Parker

This wine has been brilliant on every occasion I have tasted it. More accessible and forward than the 1996, it possesses a saturated ruby/purple colour, as well as a beautiful, knock-out set of aromatics, consisting of black fruits, vanillin, spice, and wood-fire smoke. Multidimensional and rich, with layers of ripe fruit, and beautifully integrated tannin and acidity, this medium to full-bodied wine is a graceful, seamless, exceptional Haut-Brion that should drink surprisingly well young.

1990 Haut Brion – 98 Points Parker
1990: In terms of the brilliant complexity and nobility of the aromatics, scorched earth, black currants, plums, charcoal, cedar, and spices, the 1990 offers an aromatic explosion that is unparalleled. It is always fascinating to taste this wine next to the 1989, which is a monumental effort, but much more backward and denser, without the aromatic complexity of the 1990. The 1990 put on weight after bottling, and is currently rich, full-bodied, opulent, even flamboyant by Haut Brion’s standards. It is an incredible expression of a noble terroir in a top vintage. While it has been fully mature for a number of years, it does not reveal any bricking at the edge, and I suspect it will stay at this level for another 10-15 years ... but why wait? It is irresistible now.

1989 Haut Brion – 100 Points Parker
The prodigious 1989 Haut-Brion is one of the greatest first-growths I have ever tasted. It has always reminded me of what the 1959 must have tasted like in its youth, but it is even richer and more compelling aromatically. The wine exhibits an opaque ruby/purple colour, as well as a sweet nose of jammy fruit, tobacco, spicy oak, minerals, and smoke. Fabulously concentrated, with huge levels of fruit, extract, and glycerin, this wine is nearly viscous because of its thickness and richness. Low acidity gives the wine even more appeal and adds to its precociousness. The wine has not budged in development since it was first bottled, although it has always provided thrilling drinking because of its voluptuous texture.

1982 Haut Brion – 95 Points Parker
This was one of the best showings yet for this wine, which, to my palate and mind, has never lived up to its early potential. In this tasting, the 1982 revealed a healthy dark ruby colour with lightening at the edge. Intense, persistent aromas of saddle leather, roasted herbs, scorched earth, and sweet black currant fruit were followed by complex flavours of minerals, spice box, and cedar. Although this medium-bodied, fleshy, ripe, concentrated wine is not a blockbuster, as it unfolds, it reveals layers of flavour in addition to this vineyard's tell-tale complexity.

1975 Haut Brion – 93 Points Parker
Haut-Brion, which can begin life as a soft, light wine, never appeared to have much intensity when tasted beside the phenomenal La Mission-Haut-Brion and La Tour-Haut-Brion. However, over the last 5-7 years that has changed. Either the wine has put on considerable weight, or I was off-form the many times I tasted it when young. The wine has developed the hauntingly complex, tobacco, roasted herb, singed leather, smoky, sweet, fruity nose of a great Haut-Brion. Full-bodied and intense, with noticeable ripe tannin, this is a wine of considerable richness and intensity. It offers delicious drinking after 1-2 hours of decanting, even though noticeable tannin remains. This wine is capable of another 15-20 years of cellaring. Yes, I did indeed underestimate this wine. I tasted it a half-dozen times in 1995 and at each tasting it was a formidable wine. Do not be surprised to see this rating go even higher, as I do not believe the 1975 Haut-Brion has reached its pinnacle. Impressive!

1961 Haut Brion – 100 Points Parker
The dark garnet-coloured 1961 Haut-Brion is pure perfection, with gloriously intense aromas of tobacco, cedar, chocolate, minerals, and sweet red and black fruits complemented by smoky wood. This has always been a prodigious effort (it was the debut vintage for Jean Delmas). It is extremely full-bodied, with layers of viscous, sweet fruit. This wine is akin to eating candy. Consistently an astonishing wine!

1955 Haut Brion – 97 Points Parker
A dark ruby-coloured wine with noticeable amber/rust, the 1955 Haut-Brion offers a huge, fragrant bouquet of walnuts, tobacco, wet stones, and smoky, cassis-like fruit. Medium-bodied, with extraordinary elegance and sweetness, this rich, concentrated wine exhibits no hard edges. Remarkably youthful, as well as concentrated and impeccably well-balanced, it is capable of lasting for another 10-20 years.

1945 Haut Brion – 100 Points Parker
The 1945 Haut-Brion is profound. It demonstrates the essence of Haut-Brion's style. The colour remains a healthy, opaque garnet with only slight amber at the edge. A huge, penetrating bouquet of sweet black fruits, smoked nuts, tobacco, and tar soars from the glass. The wine possesses extraordinary density and extraction of fruit, massive, full-bodied, unctuously-textured flavours that reveal little tannin, and copious quantities of glycerin and alcohol. It is a fabulously rich, monumental example of a fully mature Haut-Brion that exhibits no signs of decline. Awesome!

1928 Haut Brion – 97 Points Parker
I had mixed tasting notes on the 1928. At its best, it is the most concentrated, port-like wine I have ever tasted from Haut-Brion. Its huge, meaty, tar, caramel, and jammy black fruit character is unctuously-textured. The wine oozes out of the glass and over the palate. In some tastings it has been over-ripe, yet healthy and intact, but nearly bizarre because of its exaggerated style. There is a timeless aspect to it.  

Haut Brion Blanc

2007 Haut Brion – 96-100 Points Parker
No tasting note given

2003 Haut Brion – 97 Points Points Parker
Although limited in availability, Haut-Brion Blanc is the Rolls Royce of the dry white wines of Graves. The colossal 2003 is super-rich, full-bodied, and unctuously-textured with plenty of fig, melon, honeysuckle, and bees’ wax characteristics in addition to enormous concentration and a huge finish. Remarkably, the grapes for this cuvee were harvested in mid-August. It should evolve and drink well for 30+ years.

1997 Haut Brion – 96 Points Parker
No tasting note given.

1989 Haut Brion – 98 Points Parker
Whether this wine ultimately turns out to be better than the profound 1994 and 1985 remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that this is the most immense and large-scaled Haut-Brion Blanc I have ever tasted. Jean Delmas, administrator of the Dillon properties, felt the 1989 fully replicated the fleshy, chewy texture of a great Grand Cru white Burgundy. Only 600 cases were made of this rich, alcoholic, sumptuous wine. It is amazingly full and long in the mouth, with a very distinctive mineral, honeyed character. The low acidity would seemingly suggest a shorter life than normal, but I am convinced this wine will last 10-15 or more years. It is a real show stopper!

1985 Haut Brion – 97 Points Parker
This has been a head turner since it was made. The 1985 is unbelievably rich, with a velvety, fat consistency oozing with herb, melon, and fig-like fruit. This voluptuously textured wine exhibits great length, richness, and character. It never closed up after bottling and remains an exceptionally full-bodied, intensely concentrated, yet well-delineated white Graves. If you have the income of a rock superstar, this would be worth having to fete the turn of the century.