2000 Chateau Haut-Brion Premier Cru Classe, Pessac-Leognan 1x750ml

Robert Parker 99

Tasted from an ex-chateau bottle in Bordeaux, I was not surprised to find the 2000 Chateau 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 Chateau Latour, almost by stealth, the Haut-Brion is one of the greatest Bordeaux in this millennial year. Tasted November 2014. [Neal Martin, 03/11/2016]

Anticipated maturity: 2020-2060

Vinous 96

Full red-ruby. Roasted plum, currant, tobacco and minerals on the nose. Compellingly dense and thick but almost miraculously lively and light on its feet. Has a texture like liquid velvet, coating the entire palate. Wonderfully unmanipulated wine, with perfectly integrated acids giving it superb subtle vinosity and thrust. Finishes with outstanding building persistence, with the substantial tannins perfectly supported by the wine’s fat middle. [Stephen Tanzer, 01/05/2003]