Wines

100 Points! I finished my trip through Bordeaux with the 2020 Château Haut-Brion, and it was certainly a fitting cap to the trip. Revealing a deep ruby/plum hue, the 2020 exhibits extraordinary aromatics of ripe black fruits, scorched earth, cold fireplace, and acacia flowers. An absolute blockbuster on the palate, this structured, full-bodied, massively concentrated Pessac builds incrementally, with ultra-fine tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and a great, great finish. Richer and more concentrated than both the 2018 and 2019 (there are some similarities to 2010), this is a legend in the making. The blend is 42.8% Merlot, 39.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Cabernet Franc, all of which will spend 15-18 months in 77% new French oak. Hide bottles for a decade, and it should evolve for 50-75 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

99 Points! The 2020 Haut-Brion is more aromatically demonstrative than La Mission Haut-Brion, bursting with aromas of blackberries and raspberries mingled with licorice, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings and nicely integrated new oak. Full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's rich and layered, with an enveloping core of fruit that's girdled by plenty of sweet, powdery tannin. Despite checking in at a similarly lofty alcoholic degree to the 2019, its more granular tannic profile tempers the vintage's sweetness of fruit and lends the wine a more classically proportioned, and more classically structured, profile. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

97 Points! The 2021 Haut-Brion confirms its fine showing en primeur, cementing its status as one of the wines of the vintage. Its complex bouquet of dark berries and cassis mingled with notions of cigar wrapper and burning embers unfurls in the glass. Full-bodied, deep and velvety, it’s concentrated and layered with a multidimensional core of fruit, sweet tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Reflecting the timeless elegance of Haut-Brions from cooler years, the 2021 will delight Bordeaux purists. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

97 Points! This is beautifully crafted and very perfumed, with ultra-fine tannins and vivid dark fruit such as blackcurrants, as well as dark chocolate, hazelnuts and hints of forest floor, mushrooms, tar, matchstick and oyster shells. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

100 Points! The black cassis comes out of the glass, together with iodine, sandalwood and subtle moss and wet-bark undertones, then turning to violets. The palate is mind-blowing, with a cashmere texture that unravels on the palate and continues on for minutes. It’s full of superbly complex, ethereal character and mouth-feel, One of the wines of the vintage. As glorious as it may be to taste now, this is one for your deep cellar. Try in 2029. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

97 Points! The 2021 Haut-Brion confirms its fine showing en primeur, cementing its status as one of the wines of the vintage. Its complex bouquet of dark berries and cassis mingled with notions of cigar wrapper and burning embers unfurls in the glass. Full-bodied, deep and velvety, it’s concentrated and layered with a multidimensional core of fruit, sweet tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Reflecting the timeless elegance of Haut-Brions from cooler years, the 2021 will delight Bordeaux purists. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

97 Points! This is beautifully crafted and very perfumed, with ultra-fine tannins and vivid dark fruit such as blackcurrants, as well as dark chocolate, hazelnuts and hints of forest floor, mushrooms, tar, matchstick and oyster shells. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

98 Points! This is one of the deepest Haut-Brions I have encountered in a long time. The muscular structure takes you down, delivering a long and rather endless finish. Full-bodied with lots of flavor, particularly fruits such as currants as well as black truffles, cedar, walnuts and dark mushrooms. Some dried thyme and crushed stones also. Better give this eight to 10 years. This will improve for decades. - JamesSuckling.com

98+ Points! The 2022 Haut-Brion is powerful and explosive. At the same time, it is incredibly reticent. None of that should be of concern for readers who can wait. Black-toned fruit, gravel, incense, scorched earth and licorice all stain the palate, framed by impenetrable, imposing tannins. A vertical, explosive wine, the 2022 is going to need a number of years to be at its best. I suspect it will be magnificent in many years' time. The Haut-Brion softens with a bit of time in the glass, but it remains very much a blockbuster. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

98+ Points! A blockbuster of a wine from this château, the 2022 Château Haut-Brion is based on 53.6% Merlot, 35.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc. It's slightly deeper hued than its sibling, the La Mission Haut-Brion, and brings a slightly firmer, more masculine style in its smoky blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, violet, and tobacco-driven aromas and flavors. As good as it gets on the palate, this sensationally layered, seamless Haut-Brion has medium to full-bodied richness, a sensationally pure, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, building yet polished tannins, and an incredible finish. It deserves at least a decade in the cellar (it's clearly enjoyable even today), and I suspect it will evolve for 50-75 years or more, given its balance, concentration, and structure. - Jeb Dunnuck

97+ Points! The 2022 Haut-Brion, which was bottled in May 2024, lives up to the high expectations I had set for it and then some. Revealing a dense, complex and precise bouquet of dark berries, pencil lead, cedar box, rose and spices intertwined with discreet notes of oak, it's full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with a muscular chassis of tannins and an enveloping core of fruit that retains energy and purity, concluding with youthful grip. Given the inherent quality of the terroir, time is likely to be very kind to this vintage, allowing it to integrate and mature gracefully. - Yohan Castaing, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

97-99+ Points! Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Haut-Brion is a blend of 53.6% Merlot, 35.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc aging in 62.9% new oak. The nose is typically closed and broody, requiring a lot of shaking to wake up enticing notes of iron ore, red roses, lavender, mint tea, and forest floor, leading to a tantalizing core of plum preserves and blueberry pie. The medium to full-bodied palate is very tightly knit with vibrant black and blue fruit layers and red berry sparks, framed by very fine-grained tannins and a refreshing backbone, finishing long and minerally. A classic, breath-taking expression of Haut-Brion, I expect this to remain shy and restrained for the first 10 years so in bottle, and then watch it soar. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

97-98 Points! This year, the style of Haut Brion shows through with transparency, beautiful balance and precision. Fine austerity, with excellent minerality, dark olives and red and dark berries. Structured on the mid-palate. Beautiful depth for the vintage, with really fine-grained tannins and a lengthy finish that lingers. So much vibrancy and finesse. A classic vintage. - Zekun Shuai, James Suckling

90-92 Points! The 2021 Haut-Brisson is the product of low yields, as this site was impacted by the April frosts. Delivering aromas of sweet berry, plums, licorice and orange rind, it's medium to full-bodied, broad and textural, with a fleshy core of fruit and powdery tannins that assert themselves on the finish. - Wine Advocate

92 Points! Crushed morello cherries with crushed violets and dark olives. Juicy and nicely stemmy on the palate with medium to full body and a fluid core of fruit. Fresh, tightly wound and lengthy finish. Drink now or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! A juicy and flavorful Champagne with phenolics and a brightness and energy. Full with lots of flavors like sliced pineapple, dried peach and stone, yet it is fresh and vibrant. New label and bottle. Henri Giraud DNA in this. About 80% pinot noir and 20% chardonnay. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! Based on the 2017 vintage (complemented with some 50% from the house's perpetual reserve) and disgorged in January 2020, the latest rendition of the NV Brut Esprit Nature is showing very well, mingling aromas of yellow orchard fruit and peach with nuances of toasted bread, candied peel, white flowers, clear honey and fresh almonds. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, it's elegantly vinous, with lively acids and a long, delicately oak-inflected finish. Fermented in barrels, some 20% of the blend derives from domaine holdings. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

90-93 Points! from a .31 ha holding of 60+ year old vines. Moderate wood can be found on the ripe aromas of mostly plum and black currant with background hints of earth and the sauvage. There is again very good volume and solid concentration to the tautly muscular larger-scaled flavors that also coat the palate with dry extract on the youthfully austere, compact and firm finale. - Allen Meadows, Burghound #89

93 Points! Elegant, refreshing and harmonious, with a lacy mousse and notes of apricot, lime peel, quince and biscuit. Well-honed by chiseled acidity, this expands nicely through the mineral-driven finish. Drink now through 2029. - Wine Spectator

92 Points! The textbook traditional red 2019 Señorío de P. Peciña Crianza was produced with their classical blend of Tempranillo with small percentages of Garnacha and Graciano. It fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in used American oak barrels following the most orthodox tradition, for two years, a lot longer than required to obtain the category. It has spicy notes, a hint of cigar box and forest floor and is a powerful and ripe year, when the wine achieved 14.36% alcohol and good freshness and acidity. It has a medium to full-bodied palate with a chalky mouthfeel, fine tannins and a slightly dusty and rustic touch that would welcome food. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

92 Points! Lush and fleshy, with cassis, boysenberry and blackberry preserve notes guided by hints of alder and mesquite. Stays open but defined through the finish, with a buried hint of sweet tobacco. Drink now through 2027. - Wine Spectator"

92 Points! This wine offers a basket of fresh berries, together with vanilla, chocolate and crushed stones. Full-bodied with chewy tannins and ripe, juicy fruit on the palate. Soft and mellow with a delicious, fruity finish. - JamesSuckling.com

91 Points! A generous, creamy and dense red blend with notes of dark berries, dark plums, chocolate and grilled herbs. Full-bodied with creamy tannins and texture. Plain with a well-rounded character. Juicy with berries and a chocolatey finish. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

90 Points! The 2021 Barrel Blend is composed of 34% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Zinfandel, 13% Malbec, 10% Petit Sirah, 9% Syrah, and 4% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts with ready to go notes of juicy plums and cassis, giving way to nuances of dried mint, spice cake, and licorice. Full-bodied, the palate is chock fruit of blackberry and plum preserves flavors with a soft texture and bags of freshness, finishing on a peppery note. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

93 Points! Another beautiful wine as well as a smoking value, the 2021 Merlot Blueline Estate (75% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, and tiny amounts of Petit Verdot and Malbec) has lots of up-front plum and black cherry fruits supported by lead pencil, chocolate, and savory herb aromas and flavors. It's medium to full-bodied, has a ripe, supple mouthfeel, good mid-palate depth, and outstanding length. - Jeb Dunnuck

92-94 Points! The 2021 Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes, tasted from a one-year-old barrel (there will (be) 20% new in the final blend) has a tightly-knit bouquet with blackberry and raspberry fruit, quite elegant after three or four minutes of aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a lovely, confit-like entry, very well balanced with a silky texture, hints of raspberry jam and white pepper on the finish. Beautifully defined from start to finish. Excellent. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

91 Points! Airy and cool aromas include those of petrol, quinine, yeast and freshly sliced lemon. The sleek, intense and utterly delicious medium weight flavors are supported by a crisp and relatively fine mousse that makes one salivate on the clean, very dry and moderately austere finale. This could easily be enjoyed now or held for a few years first. - Allen Meadows, Burghound, Jan 2022

100 Points! The 2021 Few and Far Between Cabernet Sauvignon includes 10% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes barreling out of the glass with notes of blueberry compote, juicy black plums, and warm cassis, giving way to hints of candied violets, cinnamon stick, and iron ore. The full-bodied palate is decadently rich yet with remarkable energy, framed by velvety tannins and seamless acidity, finishing long and opulent. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent

97 Points! The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Morgan's Way comes from old volcanic and clay soils (there's some obsidian as well), and it reminded me of great vintage of Le Pin from Pomerol with its exotic, sexy, full-bodied, incredibly gorgeous profile. Offering ripe red and black fruits, spicy oak, vanilla, lead pencil, and tobacco-like aromas and flavors, it's impossible to resist today, but this has 20 years of life ahead of it as well. It's a classic, brilliantly done 2019. -  Jeb Dunnuck

97+ Points! From the 2019 vintage, Kayli Morgan will transition to being called Morgan's Way, although the vineyard sourcing remains the same. The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Morgan's Way delivers waves of ripe cherry, Madagascar vanilla and cigar box aromas, while the full-bodied palate is velvety and taut at the same time, that tension providing great liveliness and length on the mouthwatering finish. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com