2013 Haut Brion
By Chateau Haut Brion
2013 Haut Brion from Chateau Haut Brion, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux
The 2013 vintage in Bordeaux presented a suite of challenges; a year where the winemaker's skill was not merely complementary to nature's whims but essential to transcending them. In an unyielding narrative, the 2013 Haut Brion from Chateau Haut Brion stands as a testament to the deft touch required in such years. Patience and expertise have nurtured this offering into a complex and incredibly engaging composition.
Turning Adversity into Elegance
A season marked by capricious weather saw meticulous vineyard management come to the fore at Chateau Haut Brion. The result is a wine of tension and tenacity; it upholds the esteemed Pessac-Leognan hallmark with an astute balance of structure and finesse. Not an echo of its elders but a distinctive phrase in the historical annals of the chateau.
Climatic Craftsmanship Meets Time-Honoured Terroir
The 2013 vintage proffers darker fruit notes than in warmer years—a reticent bouquet that unfolds with grace upon decanting, revealing currents of blackcurrant and smoked earth. It carries an acidity that cuts through its medium body, suggesting remarkable cellar potential despite the initial austerity of its youth. Tannins, typically daunting in lesser hands, are here rendered silky—a whisper of defiance against the climatic turmoil of that year.
The investment merit behind this seemingly underdog vintage cannot be overstated. As time weaves its magic upon this distinguished nectar, the 2013 Haut Brion from Chateau Haut Brion asserts itself as one for the ages—A narrative of triumph in enology where others may see only tribulation.
A Vintage Uniquely Its Own
In summary, while undeniably shaped by an exacting year, the 2013 Haut Brion is a paragon of the resilience and adaptability at Chateau Haut Brion. A wine that elucidates with each sip not just a story of survival but one of elegance wrested from adversity by sheer oenological artistry—an insightful acquisition for those who perceive beyond surface conditions to recognise burgeoning esteem beneath.
Market price (HKD)
HK$33,370.00
12x75cl
Highest score
92
POP score
290.83
Scores and tasting notes
The 2013 Haut Brion has perhaps a little more complexity on the nose compared to the 2013 La Mission Haut-Brion at the moment. There is more depth and plenty of attractive fruit: cranberry, wild strawberry, hickory and a scintilla of scorched earth that becomes quite peaty with time. It is well defined and shows impressive focus. The palate is very well balanced with tensile tannin, a keen thread of acidity, lively in the mouth with more weight and presence than La Mission, though perhaps without quite the same precision at the moment. It still cuts away just a little short on the finish, but this is a decent Haut-Brion that may pull ahead of its "sibling" with bottle age.
Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate, 28 October 2016
Its bigger sibling, the 2013 Haut-Brion, is a blend of 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. This classic effort tastes like a Haut-Brion, a major accomplishment in this vintage. Slightly fuller, richer and more complete than its nearby rival, La Mission Haut-Brion, it exhibits a deep ruby/purple color as well as hints of scorched earth, barbecue, charcoal, red and black currant, Asian plum sauce and spice notes. Fine-grained tannins are present, but well-integrated, and the acidity is not excessive. The result is a relatively plush, mid-weight, stylish, potentially complex Haut-Brion to drink over the next 15+ years.
Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #214 Aug 2014
The 2013 Chateau Haut-Brion is a blend of 50% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 45.5% Cabernet Sauvignon picked at the same time as La Mission, with 13.10% alcohol. I made two visits to the estate at the beginning and end of my visit. The bouquet is stubborn and reticent at this stage, expressing little in the way of fruit and refusing to really deliver the complexity of a First Growth. The palate is medium-bodied and a little fleshier than the La Mission thought that acidity level is noticeable, rendering this sharp and very linear. This feels somehow autumnal and leafy despite its nascence, but at least there is decent length. As a huge admirer of Jean-Philippe Delmas' work at the estate, but on this occasion there is something almost workmanlike about it, an absence of gravitas and flair that the La Mission appears to muster. Tasted April 2014.
Neal Martin - Wine Advocate - Wine Journal