1995 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac

The only First Growth outside the Médoc in the 1855 Classification, made in 1995 under the legendary Jean Delmas. A Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon blend with a dose of Cabernet Franc, and a vintage the Wine Advocate has long considered one of the estate's best of the decade, with sweeter tannin and more fat and seamlessness than the more muscular 1996. After years in a closed, backward phase, it's now showing its hand: black fruits, vanilla, spice, and wood-fire smoke, with earthy, warm-brick Haut-Brion character building as it opens. Graceful, seamless, and built for the long haul, with plenty of life still ahead.