Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion 2021

Expressive, delicately fragrant, mineral, ripe citrus fruit, meadow flowers, subtle toasty notes. Powerful palate, shows creaminess, excellent structure, plenty of energy and freshness, saline finish. Once again in 2021, it ranks among the finest white wines.

Shows grapefruit peel and lemon curd notes set against a backdrop of salted butter and hay. Tasty. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Drink now through 2024. 1,000 cases made, 150 cases imported.

Fresh and fragrant, white flowers, clean-smelling. Quite punchy on the palate, strong lemon and lime, sweet tropical and exotic fruit and juicy, a round body and nice freshness too. It has some zip and zing, really lively and captivating, definitely with a ripe element, with small hints of vanilla and white chocolate on the finish along with a kick of acidity that leaves a fresh feeling. It seems the vintage really suits the estate and this style is lovely.

This shows aromas of salted almonds, flint, dried pineapples, lemon pith and chopped herbs. Tight, bright and spicy on the palate, with a medium body and sharp acidity. Precise and flinty. Sauvignon and semillon. Drink or hold.

78% Sauvignon Blanc, 22% Sémillon. Cask sample. Slightly deeper colour than most and richer fruit. Really rather sumptuous. Reverberates on the finish. Floral notes and quite broad, though there is sufficient acidity to keep it interesting. I could happily drink this soon, and without food. Seductive. Long.

Waxy lemon peels, green apples, spice, vanilla, orange peel, and lemon curd aromas pop in the nose. On the palate, the wine is loaded with sweet, ripe pineapples, tangerines, lemons, and white peach skins, all wrapped up in a nice, racy bow. Drink from 2024-2034.

Light yellow-green, silver reflections. Hints of pink grapefruit and white tropical fruit aromas with some peach and lime zest, supported with fine meadow herbs. Medium body, freshly structured with a touch of pear and a subtle salty texture, balanced and generous on the finish.

Ripe melon, honeyed lemon, mint, and a kiss of spice all emerge from the 2021 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc, a richer, medium- to full-bodied, powerful white from this team that has tons to love. It has a kiss of clean reduction and will benefit from just a year or two of bottle age and should easily evolve nicely over the following decade. The blend is 78% Sauvignon Blanc and 22% Semillon, from a mix of sandy and gravelly soils, that spent 8 months in 50% new barrels.

Kunz barrel sample 2022: (78% Sauvignon Blanc, 22% Sémillon, 29 hl/ha, 13.3% vol. alcohol, production 13,000 bottles) Finely creamy, fragrant, fresh bouquet, linden blossoms, honeycomb, yellow fruits, fresh mint. Medium-bodied, finely creamy palate with sweet fruit, well-integrated acidity, fresh aromatics, and a fine, fragrant finish.

(78% Sauvignon Blanc, 22% Sémillon, 29 hl/ha, 13.3% vol. alcohol, production 13,000 bottles) Finely creamy, fragrant, fresh bouquet, linden blossom, honeycomb, yellow fruits, fresh mint. Medium-bodied, finely creamy palate with sweet fruit, well-integrated acidity, fresh aromatics, and a fine, fragrant finish. 17/20 2024 - 2038

Creamy peach, citrus and pear, well balanced, with flesh and grip, excellent quality, early to medium-term drinking. This is an estate that is really worth following right now, with plenty of interesting projects, and increasingly consistent wines.

The white 2021 Larrivet Haut-Brion swans out of the glass with gregarious notions of orange blossoms, yellow apples, and juicy pears, followed by hints of beeswax and sea spray. The medium-bodied palate delivers compelling tension and intense apple and pear flavors, finishing long and fragrant. Beautiful!

A nose of apricot (skin, flesh, and pit), lemon, with notes of linden and chamomile. Bright on the palate, fruit-driven, pure and precise. Energetic acidity gives it impressive length.

Very inviting, the bouquet of Larrivet 2021 reveals notes of hazelnut, lemon balm, and fruit paste, like in a confectionery! Beyond its freshness, the wine has good density and is ideally supported by its structure. A complete and convincing wine with salinity and crunch.

The nose is beautifully elegant, racy, and offers lovely racy minerality, precision, fine grain, and harmony. It reveals notes of lychee, peach blossom, rose petal, and, more subtly, vineyard peach, a touch of “saline fat,” together with small hints of ripe kumquat, crushed exotic berries, toasted oak/almost brown sugar, as well as delicate almost acacia nuances and a subtle almost toasty note. The palate is deftly crafted and offers indulgence, a tangy backbone, a touch of tension, juiciness, precision, vibrant energy, roundness, a fine airy balance, freshness, and aromatic purity. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of lychee, quenette (Spanish lime), and, more delicately, crushed vineyard peach, combined with touches of passion fruit, a fine almost smoky saline hint, an almost kumquat/pulpy yellow berry note, a subtle hint of pineapple, and discreet touches of sweet spices, vanilla, and toast. Lovely sapidity. Good length and persistence.

Pale yellow color. Intense nose with fresh, ripe, pure, and subtle fruit, developing hazelnut and peach notes when the glass is swirled. Precise on the attack, very aromatic mid-palate and, above all, very well built, with a silky, rich texture; the wine melts on the palate, very fruity and less oaky than is often the case at this age. Beautiful long, sappy finish. Dense and meticulous overall. A great success. What an outsider for an unclassified cru! Blend: 78% Sauvignon Blanc, 22% Sémillon. Alcohol: 13.32% - pH: 3.36. Yield: 29 hl/ha.

Spared from frost, structured by 15% old vines for the Sémillon component, supported by 78% Sauvignon, this generous bottle delivers subtle aromas of fresh grass, lemon pulp, and green apple, carried by a juicy palate with a hint of fine minerality. Volume and aromatic expression are fully present. One to watch.