2023 Chateau Haut Brion - Pessac MAGNUM (Bordeaux Future ETA 2026) (1.5L)

2023 Chateau Haut-Brion, Pessac-Leognan

Chateau Haut-Brion holds a singular place in Bordeaux history as the oldest of the First Growths, with vines recorded on this gravelly rise in Pessac as far back as the fifteenth century. It also holds the distinction of being the first wine ever given a written review, noted by an English diarist in 1663. The estate has belonged to the Dillon family since the 1920s, directed today by Jean-Philippe Delmas.

Haut-Brion's vineyard sits on deep gravel soils within the Pessac-Léognan appellation, the only property from outside the Médoc included among the 1855 First Growths. The 2023 growing season brought a dry summer tempered by August rain, which held alcohol levels in check and gave the fruit extra lift. Grapes were picked between the first and eighteenth of September, with yields settling around twenty-nine hectoliters per hectare. The blend leans on Merlot, rounded out with Cabernet Sauvignon and a smaller share of Cabernet Franc, aged in entirely new oak.

The 2023 opens with a vibrant perfume of flowers, red currants, smoke and cherries. On the palate it is powerful yet reserved, long and silky. Serve it with roast duck or grilled lamb.