2000 Haut Brion
By Chateau Haut Brion
2000 Haut Brion from Chateau Haut Brion, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux
As we venture into the assessment of the 2000 Haut Brion from Chateau Haut Brion, we must acknowledge that this vintage stands as a paragon within the tapestry of fine Bordeaux. This was a year that saw an exceptional harmony between nature and vintner artistry in the soil of Pessac-Leognan, giving rise to a vintage lauded by connoisseurs and investors alike.
Meticulous Craftsmanship Meeting Favourable Climes
The millennium brought with it not only celebratory fireworks but also climatic conditions in Bordeaux conducive to viticultural excellence. The growing season for the 2000 yields saw relatively dry conditions, marked by a perfectly-timed rain just before the harvest, ensuring optimal fruit ripeness without sacrificing the structure for which Bordeaux is renowned.
Timeless Elegance: A Tasting Note on 2000 Haut Brion
Delving into the glass, one is met by a complex bouquet evoking dark cherries, tobacco and a delightful hint of earthiness - quintessential attributes of premium Pessac-Leognan terroir shaped by an outstanding vintage year. On the palate, the 2000 Haut Brion unfolds with an exquisite assemblage of plum savours intertwined with smoky cedar and a whisper of black truffles. These notes are underpinned by refined tannins that have mellowed beautifully over time, yielding an intricate texture that resonates with elegance.
The integration of fruit and structure is further enhanced by the wine's admirable longevity. Now at its peak, this opulent elixir positions itself at the heart of any discussion regarding sound wine investment or sheer tasting indulgence.
In Summary: An Enduring Investment Calibre
The essence of quality investing in fine wines lies in recognising those extraordinary vintages that promise both exceptional pleasure and value appreciation over time. The 2000 Haut Brion from Chateau Haut Brion achieves this duality impeccably. With a lineage of meticulous care from vine to bottle and blessed with a remarkable vintage year, it has anchored itself securely as one of the pivotal acquisitions for any serious investor’s cellar or connoisseur’s repertoire.
Market price (CAD)
$13,866.95
12x75cl
Highest score
99
POP score
438.53
Scores and tasting notes
Tasted from an ex-château bottle in Bordeaux, I was not surprised to find the 2000 Château Haut-Brion flirting with perfection. The nose is simply breathtaking - quintessential Haut-Brion with ebullient red berry fruit, roasted herbs, gravel, terracotta tiles on a warm summer's day...it is simply wave after wave of intoxicating scents that could bring even the most stoic person to tears of joy. The palate displays heavenly balance, pitch-perfect acidity, perhaps spicier than previous bottles that I have tasted, and what depth and dimension in this outstanding wine. That hint of graphite on the finish is a cheeky nod to Pauillac, as if to thumb its nose at the First Growths, because alongside Château Latour, almost by stealth, the Haut-Brion is one of the greatest Bordeaux in this millennial year. Tasted November 2014.
Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate, 28 July 2016
Its bigger sister, the 2000 Haut-Brion (a blend of 51% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc) showed incredibly at the tasting, and for me is one of the three or four most prodigious wines of the vintage. A compelling nose of roasted herbs, scorched earth, sweet blueberries, plums, black currants, and a hint of graphite is followed by a deep, layered, sumptuously textured, full-bodied Haut-Brion, but one with extraordinary complexity. This wine seems more evolved and approachable than I had expected it to be at age 10. My window of maturity seven years ago was 2012-2040, but I would change that to 2010-2050. Haut-Brion can be among the trickiest Bordeaux to taste young, often needing a full decade before the extraordinary complexity that marks this terroir begins to emerge. I was thrilled to see how well both the second wine, Bahans Haut-Brion, and Haut-Brion performed in this tasting, and both scores are slight upgrades.
Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #189 June 2010
Tasted blind at Bordeaux Index’s 2000 tasting in London. A pure, finely tuned, delineated nose with touches of leather, clove and mint embroidered into the black brambly fruit, wisps of espresso with time. The palate is full-bodied with firm, grippy tannins, very good weight but quite austere and straight-laced. Good acidity though, touches of graphite and smoke towards the weighty finish that loosens up with time. Pencil lead on the aftertaste with breathtaking persistency. Classy…very classy, perhaps more so than La Mission at the moment, although in the long-term…we will see. Drink 2015-2045. Tasted March 2010.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Sep 2010
This 2000 starts with aromas of citrus fruit, currants, flowers, and fresh mushrooms. The palates leads off full and rich, with round tannins and a dusty texture. Plenty of fruit and sliced mushrooms on the palate, but it is still tight. Pull the cork after 2010.
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com, April 28th 2011