Château Haut-Brion 2021 white

White-berry aromas with a white-flower floral character. The wine is intense with white-orchard fruits and lemon acidity and a core of wood aging. Still young, the wine will drink from 2027.

This is racy and aromatic, with blossom honey, lemons, limes and crushed stone. Some Thai basil, too. It’s medium- to full-bodied with fresh acidity and plenty of energy. Solid and polished in the Haut-Brion way. Better to leave this for three or four years.

Compelling from start to finish, this is a show-stopping wine. Aromatically, the perfume hooks you with its white flowers, crushed stones, white peaches, grapefruit pith, and green apples. The palate is equal to the nose with its display of ripe, perfectly ripe, and almost ripe citrus, pears, apples, and white peaches with a spicy edge. The racy acidity keeps the wine going long after you think the finish is over. Drink from 2027-2055.

Light golden-yellow with silver tints. Fine white tropical fruit, pink grapefruit and grapefruit zest, a touch of blossom honey; an inviting bouquet. Complex, juicy, delicate fruit sweetness, a touch of lychee, lively acidity, fresh and animated, salty finish; good ageing potential.

I loved the 2021 Château Haut-Brion Blanc, and it's a candidate for the wine of the vintage. Incredibly pure notes of ripe golden fruits, citrus, white flowers, and a kiss of background spice and oak all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with both richness and freshness. It unquestionably plays in the fresher style of the vintage, yet this beauty brings ample mid-palate depth, a rich, layered texture, and awesome length. It’s a killer white that will evolve for 20-30 years if well stored.

Kunz Fassprobe 2022: (57% Sémillon, 43% Sauvignon Blanc, 13.7% alc.) Silky, finely detailed, fragrant bouquet with quince, peach, subtle lime notes and a delicate hint of chives. Elegant, dense, fresh palate with fine fruit, well-integrated acidity, complex aromatics, a gently creamy texture and a long, powerful finish. Can still improve.

(57% Sémillon, 43% Sauvignon Blanc, 13.7% vol.) Silky, finely detailed, fragrant bouquet with quince, peach, subtle lime notes and a delicate hint of chives. An elegant, dense, fresh palate with refined fruit, well-integrated acidity, complex aromatics, a gently creamy texture and a long, powerful finish. Has further potential to improve. 18/20 2027 - 2050

White wine of the vintage, huge depth, makes you want to stop and tell your friends. Citrus, slate, nuanced green apple, white pear, citrus, sage and gunsmoke, all beautifully drawn out through the palate, gorgeous depths from first to last moment, an impressive white that rises vertically. Harvest September 3 to 13. 44% new oak, with lees stirring once a week. 30hl/h yield because some vines impacted by frost. Jean-Philippe Delmas estate director.

The 2021 Haut-Brion Blanc is very closed at this stage, needing a lot of shaking to uncover notes of yuzu, freshly squeezed lemons, lime blossoms, and struck flint, plus hints of wet pebbles and candle wax. The medium-bodied palate is tight-knit and intense, delivering layers of citrus, mineral, and floral notes, with a racy backbone, finishing with long, lingering, chalky notes.

On the nose, hawthorn blossom, with a lovely smoky, toasty note and a hint of lemon oil. The wine is sumptuous, caressing and luxurious on the palate, as though drinking liquid gold, with notes of grapefruit and kumquat and a deliciously savoury finish. A very complete whole.

Haut Brion blanc immediately highlights its floral character, with notes of lime blossom followed by hints of flint. Subtle, the wine has many stories to tell, so I won’t dwell too long on the nose, other than to say it is complex. On the palate, that complexity is there as well. The wine actually has the structure of a red. It is broad, fleshy… and vibrant! That last point is crucial. So much energy, pep and freshness in the white Haut Brion. Its saline, persistent finish underlines its ability to stand the test of time… if you know how to wait for it!

Complex and suave from the first impression, it evokes spring blossom honey, mellow citrus notes, with a hint of smokiness. The full, fresh attack delivers a silky texture and impressive volume, highlighted by an icy note of grape. The oak never dominates; it is all elegance.

Quite herbal and green on the nose, aromatic but intensely. Full and intense also on the palate, bright lemon and grapefruit, some bitter and spied touches too. Again like the red wine, Haut-Brion steps it up a notch in 2021 giving more body and richness than La Mission. Tangy, lively, upfront, tense but also direct, this has character and a flavour that lingers long after its left the mouth. A memorable wine in 2021. Structured and compact.