Chateau Haut Brion - Pessac-Leognan 1988 4df5d4d9d819b397555d03cedf085f48

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe9/1/1998

The 1988 Haut-Brion is built along the lines of the 1966, but it is more concentrated and powerful. The dense bouquet of tobacco, ripe, black fruits and spicy oak has just begun to develop. The wine is medium-bodied, rich, and tannic, with a good inner-core of fruit. This wine will have to be cellared until the end of this century. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2025. Last tasted 1/93

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe8/31/1993

The 1988 is built along the lines of the 1966, but better made and more concentrated. Medium-bodied, rich, and tannic, it will have to be cellared until the end of this century. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2025. Last tasted, 6/93.

Wine Advocate

92 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe12/31/1992

Last Tasted 8/92 This vintage merits more attention from consumers looking for a good buy. Just about every merchant in America is discounting their 1988s, making it one of the more attractively priced Bordeaux vintages. Haut Brion's 1988 is a more structured and tannic wine than the 1989, without the latter vintage's sweetness and sheer essence of jammy fruit. Nevertheless, there is plenty of concentration, a tight yet promising nose of black fruits, earth, tobacco, and minerals, as well as a medium-bodied, long, moderately tannic finish. This wine continues to reveal more personality and character now that it is in the bottle. Although drinkable now, the wine ideally needs another 3-4 years of cellaring and should easily last as long as the 1989 (25 years) .

Wine Spectator

98 / 100

the4/30/1991

Amazingly harmonious, complex and supple, with intense, generous plum, currant, spice, cedar, cherry, and anise flavors that have a wonderful sense of finesse and grace. The tannins are intense, yet graceful, allowing the flavors to pour through on the finish. Best to cellar from 2001 to 2009.