2009 Haut Brion
By Chateau Haut Brion
2009 Haut Brion from Chateau Haut Brion, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux
In the annals of Bordeaux vintages, the 2009 Haut Brion from Chateau Haut Brion is a page-turner. This year stands at the apotheosis of winemaking under the Chateau's stewardship; its magisterial presence is underscored by a vintage renowned for its generosity and climatic favour. A season of ample sunshine and perfectly timed rainfall allowed for the vines to yield grapes of optimum ripeness, a harmony of nature that presaged a wine for the ages.
The Quintessence of Terroir
A tapestry woven with rich texture and precision, the 2009 Haut Brion presents itself magnificently. Engaging immediately with an intoxicating bouquet that speaks of blackcurrant cordial, scorched earth, and aromatic Havana cigars, it bridges complex olfactory nuances with finesse. It tastes as though every vinous virtue of the Pessac-Leognan terroir has been distilled into this singular bottle.
A Vintage to Savour: Investment and Indulgence Intertwined
The palate follows through with a regal procession of dark fruits, interlaced with gravelly minerality that anchors the 2009 Haut Brion firmly to its prestigious gravel beds. Tannins are assertive yet meticulously polished like antique mahogany; they promise further transcendence with age. The performance on the palate is enhanced by a reverberating finish that suggests both opulence and brevity – a dichotomy only found in truly great vintages.
Investors should note, as if tasting notes could stand as fiscal advice, that 2009 Haut Brion represents more than a superb drinking opportunity: it is an exemplar of how favourable conditions coalesce into an investible liquid asset par excellence. With each passing year, this vintage not only matures gracefully but also solidifies its position in the pantheon of must-have fine wines.
Conclusion
The alchemy between climatic kindness and technological prowess is seldom more apparent than in the 2009 Haut Brion. Its status amongst collectors and aficionados alike does nothing but burgeon with time. Striking now to secure such bottles could prove as astute as it is sensory pleasing, allowing one to indulge in a wine that epitomises both an extraordinary year in Bordeaux and the seasoned craft of Chateau Haut Brion.
Market price (HKD)
HK$71,777.78
12x75cl
Highest score
100
POP score
375.45
Scores and tasting notes
Every time I taste this I love it. What a nose with black truffles and raspberries with flowers. Insanely rich yet subtle. Full-bodied, with ultra fine tannins and a length that goes on forever. Super structured and intense. This is very closed now. Don't touch for 10 years. Made to age. This could well be better than the perfect 1989.
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com, May 9th 2012
The 2009 Haut-Brion is deep garnet colored and slightly closed and shy to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal sensuous notions of warm blackberries, plum preserves, mulberries and blackcurrant cordial with touches of star anise, mocha and damp soil. Full-bodied, taut and tightly wound in the mouth, the palate delivers mouth-coating black fruit and mineral layers with a very firm frame of ripe, grainy tannins, finishing long and earthy. This needs time!
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 14 March 2019
What a blockbuster effort! Atypically powerful, one day, the 2009 Haut-Brion may be considered to be the 21st century version of the 1959. It is an extraordinarily complex, concentrated effort made from a blend of 46% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Cabernet Franc with the highest alcohol ever achieved at this estate, 14.3%. Even richer than the perfect 1989, with similar technical numbers although slightly higher extract and alcohol, it offers up a sensational perfume of subtle burning embers, unsmoked cigar tobacco, charcoal, black raspberries, wet gravel, plums, figs and blueberries. There is so much going on in the aromatics that one almost hesitates to stop smelling it. However, when it hits the palate, it is hardly a letdown. This unctuously textured, full-bodied 2009 possesses low acidity along with stunning extract and remarkable clarity for a wine with a pH close to 4.0. The good news is that there are 10,500 cases of the 2009, one of the most compelling examples of Haut-Brion ever made. It requires a decade of cellaring and should last a half century or more. Readers who have loved the complexity of Haut-Brion should be prepared for a bigger, richer, more massive wine, but one that does not lose any of its prodigious aromatic attractions.
Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #199 February 2012
Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. The Haut-Brion ‘09 plays the idiot savant at first and deceptively seems to miss the complexity of its peers, then voila! It opens gloriously with blackberry, wild hedgerow and crushed stone. The palate is full-bodied with an opulent rounded entry. It is slightly low in acidity, making this forward and approachable. But it remains beautifully balanced with a sumptuous finish to die for. Tasted January 2013.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Jul 2013