Chateau Haut-Brion 2012

This displays an impressive profile, with rich white peach, salted butter, macadamia nut, tangerine and warm brioche notes that show superior cut and definition, thanks to a terrific quinine accent that ripples on and on through the gorgeous finish. Should be rather long-lived, too. Best from 2017 through 2030. 574 cases made.

94–96. Barrel sample. This is a ripe, wonderful wine that's full of spice, pineapple and apricot with a green tang of herbaceous character. It's simply beautiful, with great style and a deceptively simple use of wood.

Fine lemon-yellow, floral, more white than yellow fruits with a lifted, taffeta elegance compared to La Mission white, the Chevalier to La Mission's Batard and both of them of Montrachet standing, a beautifully expressive wine of great length and finesse.

This is soft and round textured yet shows bright and lively acidity. It’s full-bodied, layered and beautiful. Sandalwood, dried apples and lemon rind. Layered and dense. Give it two or three years of bottle age.

55% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% Sémillon. All new oak for 16 months. Deep straw. Complex, brooding nose with strong lanolin and lots of greenery and richness. Real definition. Very crisp and refreshing but with great undertow and potential for ageing. Already delicious. Really broad and gorgeous. Precise but rich. Essence of lanolin. (JR)

Lemon lime, floral and mineral scents pair perfectly with fat, concentrated, fresh, lively layers of rich, lush, ripe, dense, sweet fruits, flowers and crushed stone. This is incredibly long, complex and vibrant.

Pale greenish yellow in colour; with hints of gooseberry jam, baby banana and a more vegetal savoury note. On the palate it's robust, packed with fine yellow fruit and a mineral baseline. The finish brings a core of sweet fruit. A little closed at the second, with leafy nuances dominating somewhat on the finish.

Pure and mineral nose with layers of elegant fruit, stony notes, some yellow fruit and ripe citrus, very intense and lingering palate with a great persistence, power and length, inimitable structure.

55% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% Sémillon. Medium yellow with linden-green hues, bright. A delicate bouquet with lots of yellow fruit—white nectarines, green apricots, gooseberries—and, above all, a fascinating perfume with minty hints. On the palate, beautifully refined, once again conveying a delicate sense of class. One of the finest white Haut-Brion wines of recent times.

55% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% Semillon. Medium yellow with bright lime-green nuances. Delicate bouquet, lots of yellow fruit—white nectarines, green apricots, gooseberries—and above it all a captivating perfume showing minty notes. On the palate, highly refined, once again conveying a delicate sense of class. One of the finest white Haut-Brion of recent times. (19/20). 15: Pale yellow. Brilliant bouquet, hints of candied citron, fine resinous notes, Moroccan mint, a lovely freshness, though not impulsive on the attack. On the palate, delicate—almost sensual—with an exquisitely fine texture. A very quiet wine with a secret class. Unfortunately, it is too soothing to stand out. Can it gain more intensity? Otherwise it will remain at: 18/20!

(55% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% Sémillion) Fresh, complex, silky bouquet: pear, banana, very ripe grapefruit, lime. A balanced, layered, elegant palate with a creamy, fine texture, excellent fruit, good, ripe acidity, powerful, multifaceted aromatics, and a very long, full finish. 19/20 2018 - 2040

The nose is elegant, refined and racy, showing power along with a touch of freshness. It reveals notes of white-fleshed fruit (apple, pear) and a hint of nectarine, alongside delicate citrus notes, a subtle touch of pineapple in the background, as well as a fine oaky nuance and a discreet hint of honeysuckle. The palate is fruity and generous, elegant, refined and racy, supple and rounded, offering lovely silky texture, richness, power, good density and vibrant acidity. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of nectarine, ripe citrus and a hint of exotic fruit (pineapple, quenette), complemented by a touch of clementine, a slight note of candied orange, and a discreet hint of vanilla and oak. Good length.

Easily the top wine of Pessac-Léognan, the 2012 from Haut-Brion has extraordinary flesh and intensity, with an unctuousness and thickness that is almost hard to believe for a dry white wine. The high proportion of Semillon in this blend has given the wine an almost liquid mandarin orange note intermixed with caramelized citrus, honeysuckle, fig and crushed rock. This absolutely profound dry white wine is full-bodied and capable of lasting 40-50 years.